32 
Indian Forest Records. 
[Vol. VII 
This gives roughly a cost of R150 to R165 per acre. Mild ravine 
country would reduce 25 per cent., while really bad and precipitous 
ravines, with 50 feet to 80 feet sheer drops increase the cost indefinite¬ 
ly. (It is not economical to work such areas at all from a plantation 
point of view, but sometimes they must be worked to check further 
erosion.) 
11. The outlay given in this table represents the working of the 
soil with extraordinary thoroughness (see 
t i0 “ y ° f Sml prepara ‘ photograph), far beyond anything that has 
ever been attempted before. (As a natural 
consequence, the plantation results promise to be excellent.) The 
cost per acre can however materially be reduced (without any serious 
difference in the subsequent success of the plantation) by omitting 
the breaking down of unnecessary precipitous slopes, and by omitting 
the wholesale digging of steep slopes (on which the presence of the 
loose soil tends to fill up the water ditches). The intensity of soil pre¬ 
paration is in fact a most useful regulating factor; as already indicated 
when the famine is severe and large numbers are expected on famine 
relief works, the soil preparation must be intense to keep the area 
worked within reasonable limits ; if the famine conditions are less severe, 
less intensive working will avoid a corresponding reduction in worked 
area. In the Etawah famine of 1919, there was no previous experience 
to guide us. When the scheme of work was prepared in the previous 
autumn, double the number of famine units of work were expected 
that actually came, the area worked was expected to reach 1,500 to 
1,600 acres, which was as much as the Forest Staff could have dealt 
with in the rains ; actually about 900 acres of land were prepared. 
It will be useful to bear this point in mind on a future occasion. 
12. In conclusion it may be useful to summarise briefly the results 
of experience gained in the 1919 famine in 
Conclusion. .Jv , . 
the Etawah ravines. 
(i) Ravine reclamation is eminently suited to famine relief work. 
(ii) It requires however by its very nature, by the variation in 
tasks, by the scattered working, by the continuous shifting 
of work, considerable intensity of supervision and inspection, 
more so than is required normally for other forms of famine 
relief work. Controlling charges must therefore be limited 
in size. 
With intense soil breaking, the cost comes to about Rs. 150 to 
160 per acre for average ravine country, and the No. of 
work-units per acre (vide table in para. 10) roughly— 
Adults ......... 800 
Children ........ 300 
(iii] 
Total . 1,100 
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