1 9
2 boundary, The number of young teak seedlings springing up in some
3 of the open glades of the furest are also at once noticeable in contrast
4 with the bare plain of the surrounding forest land.”
5 This statement I can myself endorse, but would remark that teak seedlings
6 worthy of being called young trees are not to be found where the crop of grass 18
7 heavy and rank,
8 49, During the year arrangements were made for the protection from fire
9 of the southern half of the Bowergarh forest (a tract
10 famous for its teak-bearing qualities). Unfortunately
11 fire had passed over a portion of the area before the arrangements were com-
12 leted, and owing to the fact of the grazing permits not expiring till June the
13 Divisional officer is not very sanguine of success in the remaining portion. It is
14 intended to exclude cattle from this portion of the forest from June next, and it
15 is hoped that the endeavours to keep out fire during next scason will be attended
16 with better results,
17 Bowergarh reserve,
18 50, Orders were issued for the protection from fire of block No. 1 of the
19 Punassa reserve, which has in other respects been closed
20 during the year ; but owing to the sudden departure of
21 Mr. Cox and the absence of a lorest officer till near the close of the year, timely
22 arrangements were not mude, and fire has spread over the greater portion of its
23 prea.
24 Pponassa reservo.
25 51. In the Eastern Division the Hathibari reserve has now for the fourth
26 ycar been successfully protected from fire, and also against
27 the ingress of cattle, ‘The Assistant Conservator reports
28 as the result a more vigorous growth and an increase in the number of seedlings,
29 but from the result of my own observation I fvar that as regards teak the number
30 of seedlings that have as yet sprung up is very spall,
31 Hathibari reserve.
32 62. In the Central Division cattle and fires have again been kept out of a
33 block of 3} square miles on the Putpura nala in the Sat-
34 pura reserve ; about 164 square miles of the best portion
35 of the same reserve on the Great Northern Road has been treated in the same
36 manner this season, and up to the close of the year the measure has been attcnded
37 with equal success.
38 Satpura reserve.
39 53. The arrangements for the exclusion of fire consist of a system of well-
40 .. Cleared boundary, and in some cases division lines, and
41 Geo eee ee tie sae EE an establishment of watchers to patrol
42 them. Attached is a Statement (No. 3 A) which gives the
43 cost of excluding fire from the different areas protected up to the close of the year.
44 During the year under report there hus been a reduction in the cost of these
45 operations, and the results for the current year will, 1 hope, show that the im-
46 portance of keeping the expenditure under this head down to the minimun:
47 amount necessary has not been lost sight of, The present system of clearing
48 boundary lines ycar after year for this purpose dves not seem satisfactory, but it
49 remains to be proved whether a less expensive process can be adopted with cqual
50 prospect of success.
51 54. The results which attend the protection of the forest from fire must of
52 necessity be as varied as the original fertility of the soil and the density of the
53 growth on it. In a forest fully stocked, with the ground well shaded, the maxi-
54 mum yield of organic matter to the soil is at once obtained. The less fertile soils
55 are naturally more open and the tree vegctation on them {s less luxuriant, and
56 consequently the smaller the yield of yegetable matter, while this yield decaying