1 ( 4 )
2 IT.— Conservancy, Jungle fires, §e.
3 15. The firo conservancy operations were quite successful in Kumaon, Dehra
4 Doon, and Jounsar Divisions ; partially so in Gurhwal; but in Goruckpore thoy were
5 a complete failure.
6 16. In Kumaon, about 20 square miles wore preserved from fire, including
7 the sil forests of Mohahn, Doorgadeh, and Khairahlee, which were the most important
8 forests to preserve, as felling operations have been going on in them for the last three
9 years, and lots of young scedlings are springing up in all the open spaces.
10 17, In Dehra Doon, six patches of good sfl and sein forost, containing altogethor
11 245 acres, wero effectually preserved. Strips of grass about 6 feet wide wero cut down
12 on each side of the line and through the intervening grass, and cross-paths of the same
13 breadth were cut at intervals of 50 yards ; these isolated patches wore then set fire to,
14 one after the other, and a good broad line was thus formed.
15 It was found by experience that there was no happy timo of the day whon the
16 grass could be burnt, and still the fire kept under control without cutting lines ; either
17 it was too wet from the night’s dew to burn at all, or it was so dry that such an
18 enormous blaze sprung up that no one could go near enough to put it out.
19 18. In Jounsar it is a very much easier matter, for, in the uppor hills, where
20 the forests are, the grass is not sufficiently long and dense to render the fire uncon-
21 trollable ; lines of from 10 to 20 feet broad are burnt round the outside of the forests,
22 which is a much quicker and less expensive way than that described for the Dehra Doon.
23 The whole of the deodar forests in the Jounsar Division, besides the inferior (mixed
24 pine, oak, &c.) forests of Deobun, Thona, Chonsal, Onole, Roru, and Kinahni Pani
25 were preserved. Three or four fires were lighted, but thoy were put out before any
26 material damage was done.
27 19. Arrangements were made to preserve two tracts of sil forest in Gurhwal:
28 one near the Ganges, of about five miles in circumference, was saved; but the other, in
29 the Patlee Doon, was accidentally burnt.
30 20. The Goruckpore Assistant Conservator reports as follows :—** As directed by
31 the Conservator, I tried my best to save the Government forests from firo, and had even
32 spent Rs. 30 on removing grass bordering the forests, to prevent the fire from spread-
33 ing when the grantees set fire to their forests ; but I am sorry to say that all my preven-
34 tive measures were of no use; the grantees burnt their forests as usual, and the fire
35 extended to Government forests.”
36 But still I am in hopes of being able to make arrangements to keep fire out of
37 certainly a portion of the Goruckpore forests. It will be worth while to expend a little
38 money on this, for these forests are vory valuable even now, and will become moro
39 and more so every yoar as cultivation increases and tho neighbouring forests are
40 cleared. Owing to the system of collecting revenue, the Government forests do not cost
41 much to work. Tho working charges this year are Rs. 4,897, and the revenue amounts
42 to Rs. 27,873; therefore a little money might surely be granted for fire conservancy,
43 and I will ask for sume in the Budgot for 1873-74.
44 21. The same tract of forest that was open for export of dry timber (betweon the
45 KKoscee and RKamgunga Rivers) in the Kumaon and Gurhwal Divisions under the
46 kham tehseel rules during 1870-71, was again left open in 1871-72. This year it will
47 probably bo found advisable to allow exporters into certain portions of tho forests cast
48 of the Kosee and west of the Ramgunga, for it is of course much better to get reve-
49 nue from this dry timbor than to allow it tu bo destroyed by the annual fires, provided
50 sufficient supervision can be exercised over the exporters to ensure no damage being
51 done to the forests,