hills and the Bhabar, which extends in a belt of from 10 to 20 miles wide the entire length of India, from the Punjab, where it is less developed, right away through the North-West Provinces, Oudh and Bengal to Assam and the Brahmaputra, clothing with its dark, dense foliage the whole of the foot hills up to 3000 to 4000 feet. It is probably the most extensive forest of one particular tree in the world. It grows also, or rather grew for the woodman's axe has laid low all the fine big timber-in portions of the Central Provinces, etc. Sâl has always been considered in India" (Webber is probably referring to those parts in which teak did not occur) the most valuable of timbers, even stronger and heavier than teak. It is a dark brown, close-grained, hardwood, with straight interlaced fibre. It is used in the gun-carriage factories for the limbers, and is considered the strongest and most durable timber. It had been so extensively used for building purposes, carpenter's work, and latterly for sleepers, that the great trees, which abounded all through the forests, have disappeared, and nothing remains but saplings and young trees, all growing as close together as possible, their straight black stems and shining green heads forming a complete thicket. Occasionally in the inaccessible places and the steep hill-sides one saw a mature sâl tree. It is a grand, noble stem, straight up with scarce a branch. I have seen some 16 feet in girth, sound and healthy, 60 to 70 feet in height, with straight stems to first branch. It is impregnated with a resinous, highly scented gum, called ral, which the natives draw from the stems, which is like pitch, and is put to similar uses."

This description sufficiently indicates that the sâl forests of the region had been subjected in the past to the same merciless exploitation which had ruined so many of the teak forests in the south and in Burma. It also corroborated the fact, already recorded, that the sâl possessed greater recuperative power than the teak, owing to the ease with which the seed germinated.

THE OUDH FORESTS

The information regarding the early operations in the Oudh Forests is very fragmentary and scattered. Fortunately Cleghorn, in reviewing one of the earlier Progress Reports on the forests, wrote a summary of their more recent position.

In 1860 the most valuable of the Oudh Forests, viz. those situated in the Terai at the foot of the hills, were ceded to

Nepal; a portion of the forests more remote from the hills was retained, but this was of less extent, and the soil was inferior, the trees being smaller in size, and the vegetation less luxuriant than in the ceded forests.

In January, 1861, Mr. Wingfield, the Chief Commissioner, submitted to the Government of India a scheme for the systematic working of the forests within British territory. His proposals were approved, and Mr. F. Read was appointed Conservator of Forests on 15th September, 1861. The first Progress Report was submitted in June, 1862; this contains an outline of proposed operations, with an estimate of the financial results of managing these forests.

Surveys and Maps. The demarcation and survey of the tracts considered worth preserving was then commenced and carried on by the Conservator and Captain J. C. Anderson, of the Revenue Survey. Read first demarcated the forests, and then the professional survey was made. This work was continued during 1862-3 and 1863-4, and was reported to be completed on 1st May, 1864. Detailed maps of the forests had been prepared, and two abstract maps of the districts between the River Sarda and a point east of the Raptee, named Bhagora Tal, comprising about two-thirds of the forests, had been lithographed.

Read proposed the following preliminary measures:

(1) To work the different forest tracts in succession. (2) To clear away creepers which had done great injury to the forests.

(3) To publish a set of forest Rules.

The timber was to be felled and brought to depôt for sale on account of the Forest Department. The financial result of the operations in 1861-2, as estimated by Read, was:

The value of the stock was considerably overestimated, as may be seen by the actual results of the first three years, given on p. 512.

DR. J. J. HOOKER, F. R.S., IN THE RHODODENDRON REGION IN THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS

From an engraving at the India Office. Engraved by W. Walker from a picture by Frank Stone, A.R.A. August 1, 1854

In April, 1863, a portion of the Oudh Forests was inspected by Brandis, then on deputation. The suggestions of this officer are embodied in two Reports to the Chief Commissioner, one dated 22nd April, treating of the system of accounts and financial results; the other, dated 23rd June, discussing the general measures of forest management to be introduced. These are recorded in Proceedings, Government of India, Public Works Department, July, 1865, Appendix.

At this time also a series of valuation surveys was made by Brandis and Read, in the best stocked part of the forests, situated between the Sarda and Koorialee rivers. The area

of sâl trees in this locality is about 150 square miles, or 96,000 acres, estimated to contain upwards of 300,000 first class trees, and a much larger number of second and third class trees.

From observations made in this and other localities, data were obtained regarding the rate of growth of sâl trees, and from these the age of a tree 4 feet 6 inches in girth was assumed to be fifty, and of a tree of 6 feet in girth to be eighty years. Based upon these assumptions, and the estimate alluded to above, it was arranged that, until more complete data concerning the yield of the forests were obtained, the number of trees felled should not exceed 4000 per annum. The forest tracts east of the Koorialee River contained sâl mixed with other trees, but no estimate of their capabilities had yet been made. This work remained to be done.

In Brandis' Report, above referred to, were proposals regarding the erection of boundary pillars, the arrangement of divisions to be worked in succession, the cutting of creepers and thinning operations and the placing of subordinates in charge of different portions of the forest. These Reports were submitted to Government of India by the Chief Commissioner in two letters of the 1st and 4th September, 1863.

Mr. Wingfield expressed his concurrence on all essential points, and orders were subsequently passed by the Government of India with reference to the keeping, rendering and auditing of the Forest Accounts.

On 1st February, 1864, Read obtained leave on medical certificate for eighteen months, and Captain E. S. Wood, 93rd Highlanders, who had been employed on the canals of the North-Western Provinces, was appointed to officiate as Conservator. The season was far advanced, and much of his time being occupied in demarcating the reserved forests, no