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2 “The flood of the 22nd July also carried away most of the bridges in the Kangra valley.
3 “ Qwing to the very heavy rains, the slides from Dangri and the Parbatti forests had to be
4 “ kept in constant repair.
5 “102 blasts, averaging 24”, were fired in clearing rocks from the river and in improving
6 “ slides.”
7 180. Satlej Division.—I visited this division during the year, and care-
8 Beers as fully inspected the plantations at Ndchar and Sholto. The
9 enon one" former I regard as the models of suitable plantations
10 Maohie, situated on good soil, under fair shade, at a gentle slope,
11 and protected by forest belts. Small nursery beds sown with seed readily
12 germinate in various parts of the forest ; these, when two or three inches high, are
13 removed with ease, and put into small holes made with a single stroke of a
14 ‘kodaéli’ or other tool; hundreds can be planted in a short time, and success is
15 almost certain. Weeds and grass require to be kept down. Mr. Gavin, a
16 trained Assistant, transplanted at Sholto about 1,500 trees (deodar) from 9” to
17 = 1’ high. These succeeded. Sholto was well cleared of
18 olto plantations. ° . ‘
19 grass and weeds; a large and rapidly-spreading species of
20 Imperata (?) appeared to be gaining ground when I was there, and I strongly
21 urged the eradication of this, as I foresaw danger from it. Sholto is on a sort
22 of level plateau, mostly boulders and sand, and now several feet above the river
23 level ; it has artificial irrigation. All trees are alive and doing well. As an
24 experiment, it is successful. That it will ever succeed as a forest, or that cultiva-
25 tion on this plan should be attempted on a large scale, I very much doubt. The
26 remains of previous growth, though no doubt the worst specimens of the former
27 growth, which was mostly cut down, show slow and stunted growth. I advo-
28 cated planting willow cuttings all about near the water-courses, as there is a
29 great want of shade.
30 181. The bridge (on Messrs. Brassey’s road) over the Puning nalla was
31 carried away by floods, as alsotwo minor bridges. Arrangements have been
32 made for their restoration. The path from Killia to Morang has been repaired,
33 and a mile of road from the Sholto (forest) bridge over the Satlej (a good
34 bridge which had been just completed by Major Batchelor at a cost of under
35 Rs. 3,000) was also made so as to join the Hindustdn and Thibet road on the
36 right bank.
37 182. A clearing party of 30 men started from Rampur in September,
38 Rn err ae and cleared the river down to Pulhan, the catching depot,
39 3 bringing 2,700 logs.
40 183. In concluding the remarks on the River Divisions as regards plant-
41 General remarks on plant. 0g, I wish to notice one point which, small as it may seem,
42 ing. leads to such important consequences that I trust the
43 Absence of note-books or OVernment will see fit to accord it a word of notice in
44 official record of experi: passing orders on this report. I allude to the subject of
45 ments. the production of deodar. Constantly we hear, and with
46 truth, that, our forests of this important conifer being well nigh exhausted, its
47 growth on a large scale is one of our chief duties. Have we yet solved the
48 problem of growing this tree on the large scale? While personally {and I have
49 Growth of deodar not given the subject some attention) I do not believe the
50 mally Gitonis, growth to be especially difficult if certain simple conditions
51 are attended to and efficient supervision given, it is very certain that we ought
52 by this time to have solved the question. If we have not, it is solely due to the
53 unsatisfactory and unsystematic way in which perhaps up till the present date
54 all our so-called experiments have been conducted. That a regular order of
55 planting will be established till working plans are made I do not believe, but
56 every one of our plantations hitherto has been made without any record being
57 kept of why the place was chosen, how it was treated, when and how it failed,
58 and how it was re-stocked, &c. Now, unless notes are recorded the results of
59 experiments and all benefits from the expenditure incurred, are simply thrown
60 away : officers leave or are changed, and the information (even if it was retained
61 in their memory) is lost.