1 19
2 To collect about 12,000 cubic feet of various jungle-woods at small depéts and
3 thus put a stop by dogrecs to tho license system. It was at first contemplated to collect
4 about 50 tons of sandal-wood, but as the country has been very usbqually worked, and
5 there are many old and dried trees which should be first collected, I have requested the
6 Assistant Conservator to insist upon such being at once collocted, and to allow no
7 cutting of ‘fresh wood excepting when he is assured of the full matuyty of the wood,
8 and of its boing felled in places which have not been overworked. I have requested
9 him to collect less wood than is estimated for rather than bring in young trees. I have
10 reason however to believe that we shall be able to make up the full tale simply from
11 old wood, and this will be very satisfactory. Active and constant supervision will be
12 needed, and I trust Coorg is now in the hands of an Officer who will not fail in this
13 respect.
14 It is also intended to extend the present plantations at Karmad and Kutampole,
15 and to commence one at Anekadu, in east Coorg. This will be simply an experimental
16 plantation on a small scale, if successful its advantages will be great, as the hgh road to
17 Mysore is close by, and the forest, is easy of access. The sandal reserve at Waddur
18 Ane will be extended, about 50 acres being planted up.
19 I trust that the demarcation of almost all the forests will be completed during
20 1872—73.
21 40. During the past year, Captain Taylor took out a license to fell a quantity of
22 stunted teak poles in the Dubare forests, at the same rates as those paid hitherto in
23 Mysore. He was limited to fell only stunted poles of 12 mchies in diameter at the big
24 end over bark. He felled some of these poles in the forest, but crossing the river
25 Kavori near Anekadu, commenccd felling in that forest, and cutting young teak trees.
26 Mr. Itunter with astonishing carelessness, though he was well acquainted with what
27 Captain Taylor’s rights were, allowed him to fell in Anekadu, and gave him a passport
28 to remove wood over the stipulated size. This I discovered on my visiting Coorg,
29 when I at once cancelled tho license, and seized every pole cut by Captain Taylor. They
30 have since been collected departmentally. The great majority are stunted poles, but
31 out of the total number, about 9,000, one-seventh are young trees. Captain Taylor had
32 then left Coorg, and has sinco gone to England. The only punishment winch could
33 have been inflicted at tho time of his committing the offence was a fine of Rs. 50 under
34 the old Forest Rules. I did not therefore for such a small sum prosecute the caso in
35 Court, but seized every thing, as it had been felled in forests other than those named in
36 his license, and that he had thus infringed the terms granted him. Iiuch of this wood
37 would have been felled bythe Dopartmont and brought to small depéts, to which it
38 will now bo sent, unless better offors are made for it elsewhere. But great damage has
39 becn done to the Anekadu forest, in the loss of the young trees.
40 41, The range was in charge of Mr. Hunter till 3lst August 1871, when:
41 Mr. Ring took charge and Mr. Hunter was transferred .in the grade of Sub-Assistant
42 Conservator to Mysore. Coorg is distant from the Conservator’s head quarters, and can
43 only be visited at rare intervals, and I trust that as it is now in the hands of an older
44 man, and | trust better officer, that it will be better looked after, and that Mr. Ring
45 will make himself thoroughly acquainted with tho Range, s0 as to be able to give the
46 Coneervator good and reliable information on all points, a mattor in which Mr. Hunter,
47 I am sorry to say, failed altogether.
48 42. Mr. Ring brings to notice the short office establishment he has. He has one
49 English and one Kanarese writer. This establishment was sufficient when it was first
50 entertained somo years ago, but now that the work in forests has largely increased, and
51 new depéts and plantations are being opened year by year, the clerical work has largely
52 increascd. During the past year tho English writer was frequently ill, and when he was
53 laid up, the amount of inconvenicnce, and the difficulty of getting through office work
54 entailed on the Assistant Conservator, moro especially when out in camp, was very
55 great..