i?ART VIII] Smythies : Afforestation of Ravine Lands 
21 
After indicating the three objects of management (i.e., (1) ravine 
reclamation, (2) fuel and fodder reserves for the people and (3) financial 
results), and the three parties interested in the ravine reclamation 
schemes (i.e., (1) the local cultivators who are generally tenants of 
(2) the large landowners, who get no profit from these waste lands, 
and (3) Government, who raise the necessary capital and staff for the 
afforestation work), the following proposals were made :— 
The villagers should get— 
A certain proportion of all the ravine lands round a village to be 
left unreclaimed and open to existing unlimited grazing, hacking about 
and present abuses. The necessity for this lies in the fact that the 
villagers must have Some area in which to exercise and graze their 
camels, goats, donkeys, and superfluous cattle. 
In the areas reserved for afforestation they should have—• 
(1) Free grass cutting, of indigenous species. 
(2) Free fuel. 
(3) On payment, limited or controlled grazing, and subsequently 
poles, timber, bamboos, or any other produce artificially in¬ 
troduced, and to which they could claim no right. 
The large landowners should get: 
(i) Certain personal rights, e.g., to shooting, produce for themselves, 
etc. 
(ii) The cash surplus after Government had paid back to itself the 
capital invested and interest. Alternatively they might have 
a fixed yearly rental. 
Government would benefit by the general well-being of the people* 
and by the prevention of further erosion. The money invested (with 
interest) would in time be paid back out of profit. 
32. A few remarks on the future technical management of this 
afforestation work may not be out of place. 
The work carried out hitherto, both as regards methods of treat¬ 
ment and species introduced was largely ex¬ 
perimental, and it was not possible to fore¬ 
cast accurately what results would be obtained. The experimental 
phase is however passing, the method of treatment has been very 
largely Standardised, and given normal rainfall, it is now possible to 
forecast more or less what results may be expected. The preparation 
of a carefully drawn up working plan or plantation scheme is there¬ 
fore not only now possible, but is unquestionably urgent. But for the 
intimate knowledge possessed by Mr. Benskin, (recently in charge of 
the Division), of every corner of the plantations, and of every phase 
of the work, the need for a scheme or plan would have been realised 
before. 
Need of a Working Plan. 
[ 237 ] 
