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2 successful forest’. adminjstration. Thus, instead of the mixed
3 coppice system of France, it will probably in India be found
4 advisable, in most cases, to set apart reserved forests of moderate
5 size for the exclusive production of mature timber, on account
6 of the difficulty of protecting large tracts of forest from the
7 ravages of fire and cattle. These reserves should be selected, not
8 only as being situated in the most favorable lovalities for pro-
9 ducing mature trees, but also with reference to facilities for
10 transport. The more concentrated they are, the less will the
11 cost of protecting them be. The rest of the forests may then be
12 utilised to supply the demands of the general market in such
13 manner and subject to such restrictions as in cach province may
14 seem advisable.
15 "81. It is not possible at present to do more than indicate
16 the general principles which shquld guide the Forest Department
17 in these matters. The details, as well as the means of carrying
18 them out, must remain in the .hands of those who alone ean
19 really know how the work can best be done,—that is, the local
20 authorities. A constant and vigilant watch must however be kept
21 to meet the requirements of the timber market. It is essential
22 that forest officers should become acquainted, not only with the
23 timber dealers and traders, but also with the civil officers and
24 others, from whom they may learn how, and through what
25 sources, each district or large town obtains its supply of house-
26 building wood and bamboos, as well as the sorts and sizes of
27 wood most in demand, and the prices which rule in different
28 markets throughout the country; and this knowledge, which is
29 essential to the conduct of their business, can only be acquired
30 by personal intercourse with those concerned, both in the timber
31 trade and in the general management of the country. There can
32 be na doubt that the forest officers who pay most attention to the
33 current wants of the market, will also be the most successful in
34 raising the revenue.
35 82. The djfficulty which meets us at the outset is that, if
36 the consumption of 8 large amount of timber at a low price be
37 encouraged, the Forest Department will be open to the charge of
38 wasting, instead of conserving, the’ property of the State, which
39 it is its first duly ito protect—in fact, of paying a dividend out of
40 its capital ; and on this point the Chief Commissioner of the
41 Central Provinces has only ‘recently addressed the Government of
42 India in exceedingly strong terms :—‘“ It is true,’’ he writes, ‘‘ that
43 at present the income is large,and the revenue is collected by a
44 small and inexpensive establishmechit, but with the increasing pros-
45 perity of the country the unreserved forest tracts near the centres
46 of population are steadily decreasing in value, and some years
47 hence a dinfinished revenue from the exhaustion of the forest
48 lands will be found to be the result of the economy practised at
49 present. Any attempt at conservancy must necessarily result in
50 an immediate falling off in the revenue.’’ The above remarks
51 are exccedingly correct, and point out the difficulties which must
52 attend all attempts to force up the forest revenue.
53 83. But though the destruction of the forests in order to
54 increase the annual revenue would be a very mistaken policy, the
55 fact should not be lost sight of that the unnecessary reservation
56 of saleable wood is cquivalent to the unnecessary hoarding of
57 capital, and that every tree which grows in the forest only Zo
58 wither and die is so much unrealised interest lost to the State.
59 Trees not felled for reasons of forest conservancy, or for sced
60 purposes, must not be included in the category of hoarded trees,
61 for their valuc is recouped in other ways; but, after allowing for
62 such, if justice be done to the State domain, the whole value of
63 its available timber ought to be realiscd. The point then to be