1 Ocr., 1902. ] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 277 
He should also be responsible for the proper training of the younger members of the 
staff, and for the establishment of regular courses of instruction in theoretical and 
practical forestry.” 
From time to time the Imperial Government has sounded a note of alarm as to 
the rapidly diminishing supplies of timber in the British dependencies outside of 
Tndia, as witness the following despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies 
to the Officer Administering the Government of Queensland :— 
Downing street, 
24th February, 1880. 
Sir,—In my circular despatch of the 28th of March of last year, I called attention 
toa paper which had been recently presented to Parliament containing a digest of the 
information which my predecessor had obtained as to the timber resources of tho 
colonies. 
2. In answer to that circular, I have received several applications for information 
as to the laws and regulations existing in those colonies in which measures have been 
taken for the conservation of their forests, and, with a view of supplying such informa- 
tion in a clear and compendious form, I have been in communication with Mr. Julian 
Rogers, the Secretary of the Institution of Surveyors, by whom a digest of the 
information respecting colonial timber was prepared. 
3. I have now the honour to transmit for the information of your Government a 
copy of a letter in which Mr. Rogers has stated the principles which, in his opinion, 
should govern legislation in reference to the preservation and re-establishment of 
forests, together with a copy of a paper, which he has been good enough to draw up, 
containing copies and extracts from the Colonial Acts, which he considers most 
generally suitable for adoption. 
4, I have already in my circular despatch of the 28th March recommended the 
question of forest conservation to the attention of-your Government; but, as I observe 
in the reports which have been furnished to this Department upon the subject that 
there is a general tendency to under-estimate the importance of local action, in the 
expectation that an unlimited supply of timber will always be obtainable from other 
sources, whereas on reference to the digest of information respecting colonial timber 
it will be seen that out of the thirty-eight colonies referred to therein, there are only 
four in which the timber is not diminishing, and in many cases rapidly diminishing, 
_ and without any steps being taken for replanting or preventing waste, I feel that it is 
only right that I should again press the subject upon the consideration of your 
Government as one of great and growing importance, and in which in many cases the 
health and prosperity of the colonies is very deeply concerned. 
IT have, &c., 
M. C. HICKS-BEACH. 
Tf at some time in the near future the Commonwealth Parliament, having regard 
to the considerations expressed in this important despatch, decides to establish under 
section 51 of the Constitution Act a business-like and scientific forest department, it 
cannot be urged in opposition that any source of revenue will be interfered with, 
because in most cases the expenditure exceeds the income. 
The common sense method of working forests is the working plan method 
prescribed by the Indian Forest Code. The working plan report should specify all 
particulars relative to the forest, its condition, and proposals for its future management 
under the following heads prescribed in the Indian Code :— 
Summary oF Facts on wiicr Proposats ARE Basep. 
(A.) Description of land. (1) Name and situation. (2) Configuration of ground. 
(3) Underlying rock and soil. (4) Climate. (5) Agricultural customs and wants of 
population. 
(B.) Composition and condition of the forest. (1) Distribution and area. (2) 
State of the boundaries. (3) Legal position. (4) Rights. (5) Composition and. 
condition of the crop. (6) Injuries to which the crop is liable. 
(C.) System of management. (1) Past and present systems of management. 
(2) Special works of improvement undertaken. (3) Past revenue and expenditure. 
_  (D.) Realisation of the produce. (1) Marketable products ; quantities consumed 
in past years. (2) Lines of export. (3) Markets. (4) Mode of extraction and its 
cost. (5) Net value of each class of produce. 
(E.) Miscellaneous facts. (1) The forest staff. (2) Labour supply. 
