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coupe than was previously realized for the whole, and better work is being accomplished. But such a procedure is complicated. Its practice not only points to the urgent need of a new Working Plan but seems to go further and to indicate that Divisions in this condition require splitting up into smaller charges.

The reason for the introduction of this division of the coupes is explained by the Chief Conservator as follows: "As regards our Teak Forests, it became evident during the year that with the exception of the Allapilli Forest we are attempting to work over areas that are too large for efficient control and full working, and a Report was submitted to Government. The readjustment of areas on a longer felling cycle has been approved for certain forests and coupes will be confined to areas that can be worked over in one year. It is hoped that the past neglect to tend felled areas in subsequent years will also be remedied, even if it entails further curtailment of coupes in the main fellings and the abandonment of recently opened felling series. There can be no excuse, except the realization of immediate revenue at the expense of the future yield, for expansion in the latter direction while worked areas demand further treatment." Which bears out the remark already made anent overfelling in the absence of the safeguard of an up-to-date Working Plan.

The present Chief Conservator, as has been shown, was strongly of opinion that Working Plans work is an urgent need of the Province from the forestry point of view. The Government had, however, taken up the attitude that owing to the large number of young officers in the ranks progress in Working Plans must cease until the junior officers had experience of divisional work. It will be admitted that the attitude was sound from one point of view. But all Provinces were in the same position, and yet some are carrying out most important work of this nature. Recently, in 1925, the Government changed their attitude. It is proposed to form a Working Plans Division under an Imperial Officer, including three parties, each consisting of an Extra Assistant Conservator and two Rangers. These parties were to commence Working Plans work in the cold-weather season of 1925-6. This is certainly a step in the right direction, and we may hope to see this Division blossom out into a Working Plans Circle in an early future. For such a Circle is undoubtedly required. The following intensive plan merits mention.

South Raipur Working Plan.-The first tentative Working Plan for these forests was made in 1900. It proposed three Working Circles, only one of which was worked on the Coppice with Standards system. Little work was undertaken under the plan, but fire protection was extended to cover most of the area. A revised plan was made in 1914. It provided for a Sâl Working Circle of eleven felling series and a Mixed Forest Working Circle of many felling series. This plan failed owing to insufficient Stock-mapping and smallness of demand. The plan sanctioned in 1925 applies to the sâl areas only. Conversion to Uniform is prescribed. The local demand is small and sleepers are to be the main output, the success of the plan being dependent on the construction of a 2-foot gauge light railway into the forest. There are three overlapping Working Circles. (1) High Forest Working Circle, including the whole of the sâl areas, the prescriptions applying to all areas where they are obviously relevant. (2) The Lac Working Circle, including all areas where Schleichera trijuga and other lac trees are found. (3) The Bamboo Working Circle, including compartments where bamboos occur in workable numbers. The forest has been allocated by compartments to five Periodic Blocks of twenty years each. The oldest block is to be first converted, thinnings and improvement fellings being undertaken in the other Periodic Blocks. Regeneration is said to be fairly abundant over a large part of Periodic Block I. No procedure has been laid down as to the manner of removal of the overwood. To some extent the problems here are similar to those of the United Provinces Terai sâl areas. Fire is made use of and early burning prescribed. In the Lac Working Circle regeneration of Schleichera trijuga, the most important lac tree, is to be assisted. Cultural operations, such as lightening the shade, pruning, and so forth, to be undertaken. In the Bamboo (D. strictus chiefly) Working Circle there are two felling series, each with three annual coupes. One coupe in each felling series is cut annually, the others being closed. Grazing is regulated.

WORKING PLANS IN ASSAM

Working Plans work in Assam has not got very far beyond the elementary stage. It is somewhat difficult to say to what the very backward state of this Province in forestry is due. The show Division has always been Goalpara, which is analogous to and properly belongs to the Bengal Eastern Duars (Buxa). Mr. W. F. Perree made the Working Plan for this Division which received sanction in 1906-7. It expired in 1920-1. It was revised, but it is understood that the revision did not go up to the Inspector-General of Forests and the Divisional Officer is in practice still working under the prescriptions of the expired plan. The Goalpara Forests

have a very high value; it is thus obvious that the revision of this plan is an urgent matter. Other plans by Mr. Milroy are in existence for Kamrup and Shillong, and this exhausts the number. Some enumeration surveys in evergreen forests are being carried out. Of these the Sadiya one for 752 square miles appears to have been done on rather wide lines. Others are as follows: 1922-4, Lakhimpur, 5393 acres; 1921-4, Sibsagar, 6401 acres; and 1922-4, Darrang, 10,308 acres, or an area (with Sadiya) of 786 square miles in all.

The total area of the Reserved Forest is 6353 square miles and the area of the Unclassed Forest, 15,855 square miles. In 1921 only 29 per cent of the Eastern Circle was under Working Plans, and 24.6 per cent of the Western Circle. A Province with the large amount of undeveloped forest wealth such as Assam possesses can only hope to realize its assets by a progressive policy backed by sufficient funds.

The Kamrup Sâl Working Plan, 1919.-There are several interesting points in connection with this plan, the drafting of which was governed by limitations in staff, labour and money.

Three Working Circles were formed: (A). Established Plains type forest Working Circle. (B). Potential Plains type forest Working Circle. (C). Hill type forest. (A) consists mainly of pure sâl poles, originating since fire protection was introduced soon after 1870 with small remnants of primeval forest. It includes all the pure sâl pole areas in the hills. (B) consists of the most recently reserved areas, consisting of clumps of poles standing in a sea of thatch grass, much of which is full of young sâl plants. (A) type has risen from (B) type within the memory of man. (C) comprises areas of steep rugged hills with isolated clumps of sâl on hilltops and ridges, only the finest stems of which are saleable. Bamboos and inferior species occupy the rest of the area. (A) Working Circle. The treatment prescribed is heavy thinnings with annual burning, the latter to get rid of the dense undergrowth of evergreens which fire protection has given rise to. The burning has proved successful in its object, which is to gradually bring the forest floor into a state to obtain natural regeneration where required. Thatch grass has come in and burning will be continued as long as required. (B) Working Circle. Fire protection is all that is required. Given protection for five to six years the sâl poles are out of danger. This is difficult, as the local villagers are not educated enough yet to appreciate this necessity. (C) Working Circle. Areas opened in rotation for sale of standing trees, which are mostly made into boats. Taungya was started here, but the cutters gave it up when the Forest Officers required them to put in the plants at the usually accepted spacing. Had the latter been content with rigid conditions considerable

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progress, it is said, might have been made. Milroy writes: The question of taungya is of the greatest importance, seeing that the area of the Hill type forest is 91,404 acres, against 30,902 acres of Established Plains type and 14,217 of Potential."

Shillong Pine Forests Working Plan, 1922-3.—A point of interest is the realization, from the working of the old plan, that the forests were kept too dense and that regeneration is easily obtained after agriculture. Attention had to be paid to amenity considerations owing to the presence of the station to which the pine woods add beauty. Wide vista lines were cut and leased for potato cultivation for three years. It has become evident that abundant regeneration will be obtained at the end of the period. Broad fire lines are maintained, and where possible these are placed under potatoes and add to the revenue. Timber is required for the station and is readily saleable.

These plans indicate, when added to the much-needed revision of Perree's fine Goalpara plan and the taungya work being undertaken in Cachar and Sylhet, that a start, small though it may be, has been made in Assam, and that given staff, funds and leadership the management of the Assam Forests should rapidly improve, with a resultant increase in revenue.

CHAPTER XIX

THE RECORD OF THE FOREST DEPARTMENT DURING THE GREAT WAR, 1914-19

S was the case in other Departments of the Civil
Administration in India, the Forest Department

A

was called upon to take its part in the momentous struggle which opened in August, 1914. The first call upon the Department came when many of the junior officers joined the Army, being granted commissions in the Indian Army Reserve of Officers. Since recruiting for the Imperial Service ceased between 1915 and 1918, this in itself threw additional work on the more senior officers, in many cases Circles having to be doubled up and, far more commonly, a Divisional Officer having to take charge of two or more Divisions. Professional work perforce came to a standstill, as was the case in France, where practically the whole of the junior gazetted ranks joined the fighting forces. Later on, when the enormous demands in timber and other forest produce required by the Military Authorities to carry on the work of War became apparent, a very large amount of additional and urgent work was demanded from the personnel of the Department and several Provinces were called upon to play an exceedingly and quite unforeseen part in the War. It would be difficult to speak too highly of the zeal and energy and patriotism of the officers who successfully coped with the operations required, many of whom had wished to join the forces in the field. The Department will for ever honour its representatives who, away from the limelight and glamour of active service, carried out, amidst the solitude and hardships inseparable from such work in great forest tracts, duties in connection with the supplies indispensable to the prosecution of the War. The following brief summaries from Reports which Sir Peter Clutterbuck, Inspector-General of Forests, and Chief Conservators kindly collected for me will display both the nature of the work, the provision made for

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