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raised to an extent and brought to a perfection hitherto unknown. I cannot too strongly express my opinion of the great importance I attach to fostering the plans and supporting the exertions of Mr. Conolly." The fact of having as Governor a man who, through practical experience gained on his own estates, had an acquaintance with sylviculture was of great assistance to the work Conolly was engaged upon, but it did not secure the trained forestry expert he craved for. He was left with his native assistant to work out his own salvation, and he obtained a brilliant success.

In a preceding paragraph the introduction of a new tariff for teak timber has been alluded to. Conolly had prepared a schedule on this subject. Whilst drafting this he pointed out that the Court of Directors had desired the scale of duties to be fixed, "only according to the length of the logs without reference to their breadth, which would be a mistake of the most vital importance." He quoted Williams, the timber agent, in support of the opinion. The latter had pointed out that the teak tree attains two-thirds of its extreme length before the bole acquires any considerable thickness. The object was to stop the felling of immature teak. The small teak wood sold under the denomination khial or kyle was generally 25 and 30 feet long with a diameter of about 6 inches, whereas of the entire quantity of full-grown timber brought to Calicut not an eighth part would average 25 feet in length. Trees that are half-grown, said Williams, will produce longer timber than full-grown ones, because the branches are sound and can be cut off clean and so allow of the branchy portions of the bole being taken into the timber lengths. In a full-grown tree the lower branches are hollow and the hollow runs into the bole of the trees, consequently the height of the bole is only that portion contained between the root and the part where the branches commence. Though timber of 35 and 40 feet in length (full grown) is sometimes produced it is but seldom, and not in greater proportion than 1 in 500 timbers of 25 feet and under. Again, many long and large timbers grow in inaccessible places, from which they can only be transported after being cut into short lengths. These timbers he procured for, and were best suited to, the gun-carriage factories, where length was no consideration and only great girth was required. The imposition of a heavy duty on such timber merely because it was short would be detrimental to the interests of Government.

The Board of Revenue in their reply, considering that a tariff framed on the letter of the instructions of the Court would defeat the object aimed at, expressed their opinion that the spirit of the Court's order would be best complied with by the preparation of a Schedule in which the rate of duty should vary inversely with the breadth of the timber intended for export. By this measure the duty would fall most heavily on the timber of least girth, and the practice of felling young trees and saplings would thereby be most effectually checked. In the annexed Schedule this intention is borne out by the fact that in this revised tariff the duty falls most heavily on logs, beams, planks, etc., of the least girth and width. The proposed change was only in the tariff valuation, the small timber being valued at a much higher rate per candy or kol than that of larger girth. The duty remained as before at 5 per cent inland and 3 per cent on sea export, or 8 per cent, with a credit of 5 per cent for duty previously paid inland. This tariff was prepared in consultation with Blair and Williams, and received the approval of the Nilumbur Rajah and the Zamorin Rajah. The Schedule is of some interest, as it shows the prices in force at the time, and is accordingly reproduced here (p. 100).

In April, 1844, the Government of Madras forwarded to the Government of India a voluminous correspondence on the teak forests. Part of this related to the Nilumbur teak plantation experiments already alluded to. The remainder gives information on the several points adverted to in the Despatches of the Court of Directors of the 30th November, 1842, and 19th July, 1843. This part of the correspondence contained reports dated respectively 3rd July and 30th November, 1843, from Blair, principal Collector of Canara, and Conolly, Malabar. The subjects dealt with in these reports indicate the progress which had been made in the recognition of the value of the teak forests and the necessity of conserving at least a sufficient area to provide the supplies required for Government needs. They also give evidence that the necessity of instituting a continuity of management and undertaking sylvicultural operations with a view to improving the forests both in Government-owned areas and in those leased from private owners had been grasped. The next ten years were to see these ideas become more widespread amongst officials. But progress was slow.

per log

5th Sort below 20 borels in circumference

4th Sort or below 8 and above 5 borels width

Briefly, the subjects reviewed in the reports were :Ist. The extent, situation and capabilities of those forests which were the property of Government.

2nd. The extent and condition of the teak forests obtained on account of Government from private parties, and the tenure and terms on which they were held.

3rd. The various measures which had been adopted or seemed advisable for the general conservancy and improvement of both descriptions of forests.

Blair's report went over some of the ground traversed in his 1838 Memorandum. He stated, however, that he had appointed a Sub-Conservator who had surveyed about twothirds of the Canara Ghát Forests. From the survey it appeared that the Ghát teak forests were really more extensive than he had supposed, and that instead of 40,000 trees there were 64,141 trees, of all age classes. Of these 5367 were estimated to be fit for immediate felling and should yield 20,000 candies. In the other third of the Ghât area there were supposed to be 30,000 trees. Blair added that a great improvement in the management of the forests had resulted from the appointment of the Sub-Conservator. Animadverting to the remark of the Court of Directors that no considerable expense need be allowed for the Canara Forests, which were supposed to be of little value, he wrote :

The value of the teak forests in Canara would seem not to be duly appreciated, owing probably to the imperfect knowledge that had been obtained of them when I wrote in 1838." He considered that they were of considerable value, since "it appears that the greater portion of the trees on the areas already surveyed may be transported to the banks of neighbouring rivers or nullahs without any considerable difficulty.

With regard to the quality of the Canara timber it is considered by the natives to be superior to that of Malabar, being harder and containing more of the oily properties of the teak." The teak forests in Lower Coorg which yielded a small quantity of stunted dwarf teak were mostly claimed as private property by the ryots, though Blair considered the claim to be questionable. On the subject of extraction he considered the contract system cheapest and approved of the revised tariff.

In Conolly's report a general review of the ownership of the forests of Malabar is given. The sole new point was in connection with the only Government-owned forests, three in number in Palghaut, situated within eight miles of the

town of Palghaut, their area being twenty-five square miles in extent. They had been placed under the Talook authorities, no special establishment being considered necessary. Williams had felled all the mature teak, six hundred trees, and only immature trees now existed on the area. Conolly proposed to extend his sowing operations to this area and fill up all blanks.

On the subject of the acquired forests, i.e. those obtained for Government from private parties, Conolly stated that these consisted of the tract of woodland of about fifty square miles in extent obtained from the Tricaloor Devassom, "sometimes styled Numbidi," and an extensive forest rented from the Zamorin Rajah. Four forests, the purchase of which had been sanctioned by the Government of India in 1842 for Rs.15,000, had not been taken up as there was supposed to be a flaw in the title-deeds. Later this was denied, but on Conolly's advice the areas were not purchased" in consequence of the supplies of timber in the forests of Canara and in Malabar, which were the property of Government, as well as in the forest of Goozerat (to be mentioned later), having been found to be greater than was first supposed, and as the cutting of immature trees and the reckless devastation of the forests generally had been checked by the revised tariff, so that larger quantities of full-sized timber were expected in the market from which the Government could always secure what they required."

The area obtained from the Tricaloor Devassom was on mortgage for Rs.8000, which sum was to be held without interest and to be gradually liquidated by the stump money, or fee of one rupee (Kooty Kunum) on each tree felled. Thirtyfive miles of this tract consisted of heavy forest situated at the foot of the Wynaad Hills beyond Nilumbur; the area was formerly forest land and lay on the west or Calicut side of Nilumbur, some alterations in the boundaries of the latter area having been made with the consent of the Nilumbur Rajah. This was one of the areas which Conolly intended planting up.

The forest rented from the Zamorin Rajah, “ of considerable extent," was situated in the heart of the Ernaad Valley near Carcoor. The terms of lease were the payment of the usual Kooty Kunum for each tree felled, which was considered to be very favourable to Government. There were only a few trees fit for felling in this forest, as "almost every piece of timber