1 ( 23)
2 at about £7 sterling; and as about 284,000 trees are stated
3 to have been felled during the year 1869-70, the average
4 produce of cach tree could not have exceeded 10 seers, or 20
5 lbs. From these figures it may be presumed that the manufac-
6 turers have of late been tempted to fell small and immature trees.
7 A. cutch tree is considered to have reached its maturity, and to
8 be in the best condition for yielding catechu, when it has attained
9 a girth of 3 feet at the base; this it will do after a period of from
10 10 to 20 years, according to the physical conditions of the locality
11 in which it grows; for purposes of manufacture, the trees
12 should stand within 3 or 4 miles of a regular and plentiful supply
13 of water.
14 63. Besides the cutch trees felled by the manufacturers of
15 catechu, an enormous destruction of these trees is stated by the
16 Conservator in Burma to be carried on by the contractors who
17 supply steamers on the Irrawaddi River. The ravages committed
18 by these men are so great, that cutch manufactories have disap-
19 peared from the neighbourhood of the river, and the manufac-
20 turers complain that the fuel-cutters are depriving them of their
21 means of livelihood. It is hoped that, by careful attention to
22 conservancy and propagation in reserves and plantations, the
23 destruction of this valuable species of tree, which at present
24 seems imminent, may be checked, and that by paying care-
25 ful attention to the preparation of the article itself a remu-
26 nerative source of legitimate revenue may be preserved to
27 Government. The attention of the Conservator has been directed
28 to these points by the local Government, and the further reser-
29 vation and conscrvancy of district forests in Burma is under
30 consideration.
31 64. In Mysore, up to the present date, the district forests
32 have been under charge of the revenue authorities, but a
33 scheme has recently been sanctioned by the Government of India,
34 at the strong recommendation of the Chief Commissioner, for
35 the management by the Forest Department of the greater portion
36 of all these forests. It is now proposed to establish a number of
37 small forest depdts for the general supply of wood to the public,
38 thus rendering practicable the gradual abolition of the license
39 system. ‘The new system also includes a better scheme of con-
40 servancy of the forests, by bringing under control and super-
41 vision charcoal-burners and fuel-cutters, and by an extended
42 scale of plantations.
43 G5. Mention was made in last year’s report of the devdrd
44 kddu, or sacred forests of Coorg and of the Himalayas, in which His
45 Excellency the late Viceroy was specially interested. Some infor-
46 matjon regarding these is given in the Coorg Forest Report of this
47 year. ‘These forests are supposed to be the residence of certain
48 demons who are held in great reverence ; and also to be the hunting-
49 grounds of the departed heroes of Coorg. ‘ To fell a tree in such
50 ‘forests is considered an act certain to entail misfortune on the
51 hardy wight who should dare the displeasure of the gods.’” Some
52 of the more sacred ones, like Kariurbine in Yedandalknaéd, are
53 never entered by human beings. The result has been the pre-
54 servation of these forests, but this superstitious fear is gradually
55 dying out, and the Coorgs themselves are beginning to be
56 tempted to cultivate coffee surreptitiously in these forests;
57 though if a European were to apply for a dévdrdkddu, his
58 application would at once be atrongly opposed. They are of
59 great beauty, and sufficient land has already been taken up to
60 afford ample employment for years to come to more planters than
61 there are at present in Coorg. The forests should be well looked
62 after, all cotfce found in them should be destroyed, and the
63 planters thereof punished.