would be plain and simple, and readily understood by the people. In the present Reserves improvement would progress gradually on systematic lines, but it was too early to say in which of the Reserves such work should be commenced. In the area proposed for demarcation of Reserves in the Thayetmyo, Prome and Tharrawaddy Districts an outer line running along the foot of the hills had already been agreed upon. Part of it from the frontier south to the Minhla River had been marked on the ground, and it was to be carried south as far as the boundary between Henzada and Rangoon. The forest situated between this outer line and the Yoma Range, an area of 930 square miles, was to be declared a Reserve under clauses 13-16 of the Forest Rules of 1865. It may be mentioned that Burma had two sets of rules to work by, those of 1865 and the new ones of November, 1875 (II. 469, 471). It was not intended to enforce all the provisions of the rules within the abovementioned area. But the Department would be empowered to prevent any further extension of permanent cultivation, save in the case of old settlers residing in the immediate vicinity (either within or without) of the line, as well as the cutting of taungyas; also to prohibit the cutting of all reserved trees or the collection of their produce for trade. The main idea underlying the laying down of the outer line was to prevent the further immigration into the forests of squatters from the plains to undertake taungya cultivation in the valuable teak areas. This easy and lazy way of earning a livelihood appealed to the idle portion of the population (as had been the case in Madras). Numerous instances could be quoted as, e.g. the destruction of a large portion of the forest in the Shwaylay District in 1860 owing to the immigration of Burmese from the plains. Before considering the suggested method of treatment of the forests within the line it will be necessary to mention that Brandis wished to conserve existing areas of forest situated in the plains without the line. Some of these had been already created Reserves or were under consideration. Including Brandis' proposals the total area amounted to 220 square miles situated between the Irrawaddy and the outer line. The reservation of these areas was not suggested mainly for their teak-bearing capacity, but for their general utility in providing for the requirements of the people of the plains. Brandis was not optimistic on this small area being able to furnish the future requirements of this population, once all the private forests had been cut out, but he remarked: “This limited area of forest proposed to be reserved in the plains will be of incalculable value, when the railway is opened, if properly protected and improved."-And he suggested that a very much larger area might be taken up with advantage. As regards the reservations within the outer line, the whole crux of the position lay with the Karen people and their method of livelihood by shifting cultivation (taungya). The Karens were indispensable in the forest. They were sometimes partners in the timber operations; they were employed to find the timber, devise the best dragging paths, in felling and lopping and so forth. They were intimately acquainted with the forests, and Seaton, the Conservator, had already induced them to plant teak in their taungyas (Vol. II, p. 209). It was obvious at the time that in all attempts to improve the forests by fire protection, sowings, creeper cutting, etc., the aid of the Karens would be indispensable to the Forest Staff. This was one side of the case. The other was the realization of the fact that save in a few instances the time had not arrived at which it could be hoped that the Karens would abandon shifting cultivation and settle down to a permanent form of agriculture. With these conflicting points to deal with it was realized that all good teak areas selected for Reserves must be closed entirely to taungya cutting. Three alternative methods were open: (1) Strict enforcement of the Forest Rules-properly relegated as out of the question. (2) Allotment of taungya grounds to the Karens for permanent cultivation-regarded as impracticable. (3) Select from the area the best teak localities and other valuable forests and demarcate them as Permanent Reserves from which taungya cultivation would be excluded. Brandis proposed the third method. To a slight degree it was complicated by the fact that Seaton, with the admirable object of getting the Karens to start planting teak in their taungyas, had inclined to the plan of assigning taungya lands to the Karens in return for the teak planted in their taungyas, and in some cases had promised to the Karens certain defined tracts of land if they planted a certain area with teak, and Government had sanctioned this step. The Demarcation and Settlement Officers, when selecting the proposed Reserves, would have to adjudicate on such areas, which would not be included within the Reserves. On this matter of teak planting in taungyas Brandis also laid down that no more work of this kind should be undertaken save within the areas to be reserved and fire protected. In the future, when necessary, taungya cultivation would be permitted by the Forest Officer with the object of obtaining young crops of teak. But it would be useless to go to the expense of raising young crops outside the Reserves which would be burnt in the first fire-since the expense of fire-tracing numberless small plots of teak would, of course, be prohibitive. Brandis advised the addition of the very valuable Zamayee teak forest to the area included in the three districts above mentioned, which would bring the total area up to 1130 square miles. Prome and Thayetmyo, 350; Tharrawaddy, 580; Zomaye, 200 square miles. "This area," he said, "comprises the best teak forests in British Burma, and a large extent besides of excellent forest of bamboo and trees of other kinds, which, in course of time, will become very valuable. But it also comprises a large extent of forest which is probably valueless, and which never can be valuable for any purpose whatsoever. The good forest worth preserving does not probably comprise more than 600 square miles. . . . Even with this area reserved and properly conserved it would only be capable, for many years to come, of furnishing a small portion of the present timber exports from Rangoon and Moulmein." Some interesting information anent the Karen population of this area is available. In the Tharrawaddy Forest Division there were reported to be 40 tays (Karen hamlets), estimated to contain about 400 dahs or taungya-cutters, who were supposed to cut on an average 5 acres annually; the Zamayee, 10 tays with 64 dahs, giving a total annual cut of 2320 acres. In the Prome hills the estimated number of tays was 50, cutting, on an average, an area of 2500 acres annually. The area cut annually was therefore under 5000 acres, required to maintain a total population of 5000 souls, including women and children. Allowing for a rotation in cutting of 20 years, the maintenance of this population by taungya cutting would require an area of 100,000 acres or 156 square miles; or, to allow for steep slopes, poor ground, etc., an area of 300 square miles, and it was well known that even with such an area assigned to them, they would not be likely to keep within it. The task set to the Demarcation Officers was therefore, Brandis fully recognized, a difficult one. To select and demarcate 600 square miles of the best teak forests, if such an area was obtainable, to arrange for the total exclusion of taungya cutting within these Reserves, whilst keeping the Karens happy and ensuring their co-operation in guarding and helping to work the Reserves. |