Six extra Sub-assistant Conservators would be required. As regards the subordinate staff, the details were greatly complicated by the inclusion of the Jungle Conservancy Forests with the Forests. Brandis' forecast of receipts and expenditure for the ensuing five years for the amalgamated forests under the Department was: Receipts, Rs.9,00,000. Expenditure-Conservancy and works, Rs.3,83,000; Establishments, permanent, Rs.4,76,000; Forest Settlement Officers, temporary, Rs.41,000 total, Rs.9,00,000, Brandis, however, thought that with expensive demarcation work in full swing the expenses would probably be heavier than his forecast-but he had his remedy. The Jungle Conservancy Fund being a local one, the surplus was carried forward from year to year. There was an outstanding balance in this fund of Rs.3,70,000. He suggested that this balance should be used to defray some of the capital expenditure of the work which had now to be undertaken by the Forest Department.

At this distance of time the other matters discussed with reference to the duties of the staff, organization of forest business, and so forth, need not be entered into.

Consideration of space render it impossible to deal with the progress made up to the end of the century on the lines recommended above. Unquestionably the forestry position and atmosphere changed in the South and the Department worked hard to recover the time and position lost. The results achieved will be dealt with in a subsequent part. If revenue is, however, any criterion to sanity in forest management the following figures speak for themselves :

At the close of the century the total area of forests under the Department amounted to 19,649 square miles, of which 15,862 square miles were Reserved forest and 3787 square miles of what were known in Madras as "Reserved Lands"; in all 13.9 per cent of the Presidency.

Of this area 2536 square miles only were under sanctioned Working Plans or plans were under preparation.

MYSORE

The distribution of the forests in Mysore has been described in earlier parts of this history. The Forest Rules came into

force in February, 1869. One of the most valuable timbers in the State was the sandal wood, which was a Government monopoly, and the annual revenue realized in 1870-1 was about Rs.1,60,000. In this year the Chief Commissioner of Mysore proposed to the Government of India, in order to stop the waste of timber taking place, that as all the forests of the country were public property they should be placed under the charge of Forest Officers, a number of depots being established throughout the country, where wood would be sold to allcomers. Extensive plantations were also to be formed. The Mysore Railway was to run from Bangalore to Mysore. "Its sleepers (of teak and blackwood) will be provided from the local forests of Ashtagram and Nandidrup Divisions. Teak for carriage building will come chiefly from Nagar" (Rev. of For. Adminstr. by Inspector-General, 1870–1).

The "district district" system of forests was sanctioned on 12th March, 1872. Its main object was to abolish the system of licences and introduce a system of proper selection and felling of trees. The new departure was much opposed, but Van Someren, the Conservator, appears to have exercised tact and to have taken pains to explain to the people the objects of the new departure. All forests were placed under the Department and divided into " circles of supply," each in charge of a Forest Officer and with one or more depots. The revenue in Mysore in 1873-4 was just short of 5 lakhs of rupees and the expenditure Rs.1,12,460.

From the Government of India's remarks on the administration of the forests in 1876 progress appears to have been slow. Only 449 square miles of State Forest existed and the "District" forests in some parts of the country would not be able to continuously supply the wants of the people. Many of the forest areas were so small that their management could never be profitable. True protection was in its infancy and the Government of India suggested that Van Someren should visit the Central Provinces and study their methods.

The value of sandal wood sold in 1878-9 in Mysore was Rs.3,65,188 out of a total revenue for the year of Rs.4,52,575. This wood was a wonderful asset but an equal danger as it in fact delayed real forest progress to some extent. In 1879-80 sandal wood produced Rs.4,34,712 out of a total revenue of Rs.5,43,312.

Subsequent to this year the Mysore Forest Department was

no longer under the Government of India, the State being restored to the Maharaja.

COORG

In 1865 the forests of Coorg formed a Range under an Assistant Conservator who was subordinate to the Conservator in Mysore (Van Someren). It was known as the Forest Conservancy Department. The forests consisted of three main types (1) sandal wood and small jungle in the north; (2) fine deciduous forest of teak, rosewood, etc., in the east and southeast; (3) large evergreen forests on the Ghâts along the west. Up to about 1871, except for a little planting, the main operations of the Department consisted of departmental felling and extraction of timber chiefly in South Coorg, the material being carted to Hunsur, where it was annually sold by auction. The fellings were of the usual type of the period, the finest accessible trees being selected. Fellings were also undertaken by timber merchants who could obtain licences to fell in any Government forest. West Coast merchants felled in the Ghât forests in this way. Timber required for house-building could be obtained free. These methods were doubtless in force in the time of the Rajas of Coorg. Reservation was first commenced in the eastern forests in 1870. Demarcation and survey work was carried out, and by 1875-6 an area of 308 square miles of reserved forest had been surveyed and the demarcation of all the deciduous forests of the province had been completed. Owing to realinement of boundaries the area was reduced to 295 square miles in 1877-8. The following year the demarcation of the Ghât forests commenced. In 1886-7 these forests, area 309 square miles, were declared Protected forests. The next year an area of 308 square miles of Paisaris (lands outside Reserves not included in revenue-paying or revenue free lands), Urudves (village forests) and Devarakadu (sacred groves) lands were handed over to the Department. Thus by 1888 an area of 859 square miles was under the Department. The Paisaris lands were subsequently re-transferred to the Revenue Department. In 1890-1 the Government proposed the formation of the protected forests in the Ghâts into Reserves. Settlement work was commenced the following year, but the proposal had not been given effect to at the close of the century. In 1871 Forest Rules were introduced and the issue of licences ceased, the Department opening a number of small timber depots. These were closed in 1876. In 1878 a commencement was made to localize the felling areas. This effort

was persisted in, though, in the absence of efficient communications, the provision of which proceeded but slowly, it was found difficult to exploit valuable areas bearing teak, honne (Petrocarpus marsupium), biti (Dalbergia latifolia) and matti (Terminalia tomentosa). In 1879-80 the sole right to exploit timber in the Kerti and Urti Forests in the Ghâts was granted to a Mr. Tod, who paid a fixed sum per tree subject to a minimum of Rs.3,500 per annum. Mr. Tod soon gave up the contract and in 1896-7 the licence system was reverted to, an attempt being made to locate the fellings. This was not successful and the end of the century witnessed the unrestricted fellings in full swing once more-a deplorably retrograde step. But want of communications was the main obstacle to progress. The introduction of fire protection proved difficult. The southern portion of the Anckad Reserve was first attempted in 1876-7. From this year to 1901 the methods employed were to cut both external and internal lines and to burn them when dry, fire-patrols being also appointed. Fires more or less severe occurred annually until in 1896-7, all the areas burnt in the previous year were closed to shooting in the fire season and the subordinates in whose areas fires had occurred were severely punished. This action met with a considerable measure of

success.

The first artificial regeneration work undertaken was the teak plantation in Karmad formed between 1868 and 1876. Between 1872 and 1884 ten other teak plantations were formed. In 1890 the policy was changed and the teak "taungya method was introduced. The Kurubars practised shifting cultivation (Kumri) in the forests and were persuaded to sow teak seed with their crops of ragi and hill paddy (rice). The sowing was done in the hot weather. The area was again burnt and cultivated during the following year and casualties amongst the teak replaced. The Kurubars tended the plants until the close of the second hot weather, when they were paid at the rate of Rs.1.4.0 per every 100 surviving plants. This method proved very successful. Planting of teak in the Ghât Forests (Kutumpole) was commenced in 1870 and continued up to 1898. The attempt to raise teak was not very successful; the method of regeneration of these evergreen forests belongs to the work carried out after 1900. Attempts were also made to regenerate sandal artificially, and between 1880-3 an area of 15 acres was successfully planted with sandal at Karmad, and by 1898 over 500 acres of sandal plantations existed. The

sandal here, as in Mysore and all the sandal areas, suffered throughout the period from the serious disease known as "spike." Efforts to deal with this pest proved ineffectual and its scientific cause remained unknown.

The Forests of Coorg were first alluded to as a Forest Division in 1876-7. An administration report being drawn up by Van Someren, Conservator of Mysore and Coorg. The receipts for that year were Rs.76,000 and expenditure Rs.33,000. In 1878-9 the Annual Report for the Province was prepared by Mr. F. B. Dickinson, Conservator in charge, and the Department in Coorg severed its relations with the Mysore Conservator. The staff was increased by a Sub-Assistant Conservator. In 1879-80 the revenue and expenditure were Rs.1,00,000 and Rs.55,000 respectively, and in 1899-1900 Rs.1,62,410 and Rs.88,190; the total forest area under the Department being 899 square miles or 56-82 per cent of the country.

The first working plan (that for the Hatgat and Nalkeri Reserves) was prepared in 1886; it was followed by plans for part of the Dubare Reserve in 1892, for the Anckad and Athur Reserves in 1894, for the whole of the Dubare and Arkeri Reserves in 1898 and for the Devamachi and Mawkal Reserves in 1899. The plans prescribed selection and improvement fellings by area. The fellings were made, but as was the common practice at the time, they were practically restricted to the saleable timber, i.e. the best trees in the forests, and improvement fellings to favour the young crop were not made. By the close of the century an area of 178 square miles was under Working Plans, others were under preparation for 22 square miles, whilst 699 square miles were without Working

Plans.