1 ( 8 )
2 system only of protection of the forests from jungle fires should be adopted.
3 Such a system may be introduced as Reserves are selected and the working plan
4 of the forests after survey and marking off intou blocks has been completed.
5 Each year, as a block is marked or demarcated, means might be taken to keep
6 out jungle fires from it by clearing round it and keeping a few extra watchers
7 for throo or four months on the spot. If this were done for five or six seasons
8 consecutively, scedlings would spring up freely and assist m keeping down the
9 grass. At any rate, it will be well worthwhile to try an inexpensive experiment,
10 so as, if possible, to mastcr a very great evil.
11 33. This plan, assisted by notices in the district that the setting fire to
12 grass and te in certain areas, to be fixed each season in communication
13 with tho district civil officers, is strictly prohibited, will probably go some way
14 towards effecting the desired result on a limited area. Indeed, the burning of
15 jungle in places where prohibited for the time being might be made punishable
16 under the forest rules by the introduction of a rule on the subject; but this
17 evil is so great that moans should be adopted to stop it gencrally in all the
18 forests. Some further remarks on the subject will be found under Section VI,
19 General.
20 34. From a perusal of some of the forest reports of the Contral Provinces,
21 it appears that some steps have been taken there to keep the jungle fires out
22 of the forests, and that when so kept out, much advantage has been derived ;
23 but the experiment seems to have been costly, and over very limited areas.
24 SECTION III.
25 PLANTATIONS.
26 35. Up to the present time plantations have becn merely oxperimental.
27 As such, small plantations were commenced at
28 various points, distant from each other, so as to test
29 varieties of soil and climate, but on sites suited for the removal of timber by
30 streams in case experimental success was such as to warrant extension of them.
31 This is explained here, as it would seem from the Government resolution on
32 the report for 1870-71, referring to the inadvisability of dotting plantations
33 over the country, and in places where even the indigenous timber could not
34 be removed, except at great cost, that the object of the small plantations com-
35 menced was in a measure misunderstood. Paragraph 23 of report for 1869-70,
36 quoted im the margin, will show tho intention for
37 which they were made. In further explanation it
38 General remarks.
39 “These scattered little plantations
40 have been made simply as experiments
41 from which to collect data tor future
42 operations and thus not to lose time.
43 It is not proposed to scntter Tonk
44 plantations all over the country, but
45 it is of importance at once to sow
46 Teak and test the soil and climate
47 suited to it here, as it will be advis-
48 able horeafter to select certain com-
49 pact localities in each province suit-
50 able for the growth of Tenk and
51 carriage of timber for future supplies,
52 Teak being from its lightness casy
53 to float in rafts and transport to any
54 markets, while its qualitics as timber
55 are unsurpassed for almost all kinds
56 of building and shipping purposes.”
57 may be here observed that although it may not
58 just now pay to remove the indigconous timber from
59 the Dehing forests, for instance in Upper Assam,
60 it does not at all follow thatif there were Teak
61 forests on that river it would not pay to fell
62 and remove the Teak. In the first place it takes
63 some years to introduce new kinds of timber into
64 a market, purchasers being shy of any untried
65 timber, and the Assam timber is unknown at present ;
66 secondly, tho valuable kinds (except Toon, which
67 floats freely, ) are for the most part of such specific
68 gravity, that they will not float and must therefore be lashed to boats and
69 taken down to market at great cost. It has been before observed that
70 the expense and risks when dealing with logs of heavy timber are very much
71 greater than when handling Teak or other woods which will float, and thus
72 while it might be difficult to bring such woods as Nabor (Mesua Ferria:,
73 Ajar (Lag. legine), Uriam (Eugenia Jamboolana,) &e., to markets and sell
74 them at a profit, Toak might be brought down from the same places for sale
75 aud produce a ined satisfactory return. All that is required is good water
76 carriage, and this is tound to perfection in Assam, Cachar, Chittagong, and parts of
77 Bhutan, in all of which provinces tho soil and climate invite the planting of Teak.