1 ( 13)
2 the plantations of Australian trees and of deodur. In the early
3 months of the, year 2,666 gum trees and 638 deodars were planted
4 out. Since then very extensive sowings and plantings of various
5 desirable forest and fruit trees have been made; seventy acres of
6 abandoned tea gardens and clearances have been ploughed and
7 sown wholly with deodar seed; and a large ravine, covering about
8 30 acres, filled with seeds of gum trees, chesnuts, alders, and
9 walnuts. In addition to the above, 39 maunds (or about a ton
10 and a half) of deodar seed have been sown in nursery beds, as
11 well as 18ibs. of gum sced from Australia, and two packets of
12 eucalyptus colossea and megacarpa, all of which are germinat-
13 ing freely. A packet of cedruws atlantica (the Algiers cedar), sent
14 by Dr. Ifooker, the Director of the Botanical Gardens at Kew, has
15 not germinated ; it is supposed the seed was old and valueless,
16 and a fresh consignment direct .from Algiers has been asked for.
17 There are altogether in the Ranikhet plantations upwards of
18 142,600 ornamental timber and fuel trees, and 22,584 fruit trees
19 and stocks.
20 34. It is to be regretted that at Chakrata, the new military
21 hill station near Masuri, all attempts to rear the Australian gum
22 tree have entirely failed, owing, it is supposed, to the cold climate
23 and bleak exposed situation. It is proposed, however, to plant
24 these hills, wherever practicable, with deodar, and for this
25 purpose some experimental sowings {broadcast and in drills)
26 have been made in the forests near Chakrata. Owing to
27 scarcity of secd last year, only 7 acres could be covered
28 with deodar seed. The ground where the seed was put down
29 is now covered with scedlings about 3 inches in height; and
30 during the coming winter, sowings on a much more extended
31 scale will be made. Here, as also in the Bhagarati valley forests,
32 ali the various cheap methods of propagating the deodar and
33 cheel (or pinus excelsa) will be carefully tried.
34 35. According to the orders of the Government of India,
35 the work in the Punjab was concentrated on the plantations of
36 Changa Manga, the Lahore Snilaba plantations, those at Dehli, at
37 Nag, and for the Northern State Railway. In Changa Manga
38 1,857°3G6 acres were sown between the months of April and August
39 1871; 871°08 acres were transplanted, and 842°64 acres sown
40 in the spring of 1872. The sowings all germinated, and of the
41 transplants 75 per cent. were successful, the fuilures being due to
42 unavoidable stoppage in the water-supply, caused by a series of
43 accidents to the canal. It is noticeable that, where interspersed
44 among other trees, the Kikar (dcacia Arabica) escaped fatal
45 effects from the frost, but died where sown by itself in lines.
46 Rs. 60,041 were expended on this plantation, and a revenue of
47 Rs. 18,169 realised trom it—a result which, as the plantation was
48 properly formed but 4 years ago, may be considered satisfactory.
49 In the Lahore Sailaba plantations considerable progress was
50 made, but the extraordinary floods washed away a large areua—
51 an accident to which plantations in’ such localities are always
52 Hable, but of which their extreme cheapness justifies the risk.
53 At Dehli 200 acres were successfully sown, and at Nag, near
54 Arritsur, 43 acres of toon and 4,000 Australian trees were planted
55 out. Arrangements have been made for taking up the requisite
56 land for the Northern State Railway plantations on the right
57 bank of the Chinab, and a careful survey and report made of
58 the locality. The expenditure on plantations in the Punjab,
59 inclusive of the salaries of all gazetted officers, office establish-
60 ments, travelling allowances, office requisites, and contingencies,
61 amounted during the past year to Ks. 1,07,233, and the revenue
62 to Rs. 26,109.
63 3G. As regards deodar plantations, the Government of
64 the Punjab has remarked, with reference to the observations