opinion; but the fact is indisputable that Burma teak is sold in the Bombay market at an immense discount upon the price of Malabar teak. In the Conservancy Department in our Presidency, on the other hand, all the rules and operations are more in connection with the general conservancy of the various valuable timbers, the prevention of all clandestine felling, the preservation of saplings and trees of immature growth, the taxation of firewood, the working of valuable products such as sandal-wood and red sanders, the formation of plantations, etc. It seems, therefore, impossible to compare the two systems; nor can I, after the perusal of the Report alluded to, point out any improvements that could be introduced from Burma into our Presidency." From the Manual prepared by Beddome it becomes apparent that at this period the forests of Madras were divided into two classes. The first class forests were worked by the Forest Department itself; the second class on the voucher and license system. The following forests belonged to the first class: (N.B.-The Nallay Mallay Forests will probably at a future date be brought into Class I.) " The following extract from the Manual on the subject of the importance and method of obtaining crooked timber is of interest, owing to its marketable value at the period; a product which, for years after its value had disappeared, had so deleterious an effect on the management of woods in Britain : "Owing to the reckless destruction of the forests previous to the organisation of the Conservancy Department, crooked timber is now scarce and difficult to find, whilst formerly the abundance of natural crooks contributed greatly to the excellence of Indian teak-built ships. Nearly one-half of a vessel consists of the curves and ends, and the other half of straighter timber; therefore, as regards the supply for naval purposes, the production of crooks is as important as the production of planks, and higher prices are given. This description of timber being so valuable in shipbuilding, it is desirable to watch the progress of young crooked saplings, with reference to future supply, both of the Indian navy and of shipbuilders on the western coast. In Burma, and in the Anaimalai Forests, it is from the stouter branches and tops of old and lofty trees that crooks are chiefly obtained, but in Canara and in the Circars it is the entire tree which yields the crooks. In some districts the teak trees are naturally so bent as to render any assistance to nature in fashioning them unnecessary. To procure a sufficiency of excellent crooks, all overseers in charge of plantations having access to the coast ought to mark such vigorous plants as seem suitable for bending; not selecting the straight saplings which seem favourable for the growth of plank timber, but tying down the outside and exposed plants which will not probably grow tall and straight. The plants require to be fixed down for at least two years, and bent a little more than is requisite, as saplings have a tendency to straighten themselves. A fine regular curve may be obtained by bending a plant for several successive years, lowering a little every year. This gradual lowering does not so much check the growth of the plant. When teak trees are bent, great attention must be paid to cut away all ground shoots, and also all strong exuberant suckers which stand perpendicularly on the upper side of the tree. It is not wished that promising young teak trees should be thus bent, unless they show a natural inclination to grow in a curved form, in which case nature may be slightly assisted. At present, for convenience of carriage and other causes crooks are half cut away on either side to form straight timber, thus losing half their substance. Under the economic use of the timber, this would not be the case. As crooked timber is extremely unmanageable, and its distant transport very expensive, it is desirable that it be squared and cut in lengths suited to its ultimate use where grown; but this requires either a knowledge of ship carpentry or a careful study. To procure good crooks and knees, the best way is to look into the forest for such plants as divide into two or four branches and train them in a manner to produce the article required." The question of taking action to increase the amount of firewood in the Presidency, and so checking the habit of the cultivator of burning cow-dung as fuel with the consequent decrease in the amount available for manuring the fields, had been dealt with by Cleghorn. The matter had been referred to the revenue officials for their opinion, and many of them considered that it would be advisable to give the ryots areas of waste land adjacent to their fields, either rent free or at a small rent, in order that wood for fuel might be grown on them. This suggestion did not meet with the approval of either the Governor of Madras or the Secretary of State. In a Minute by the Governor on the subject he wrote: " The first step towards increasing the quantity of manure would be to provide the population with a better description of fuel. The loss of labour in bringing in the small amount of wood now consumed, and of preparing the cow-dung, is enormous. Some arrangement might be made for planting a portion of the waste land of each village with casuarinas, or other trees. I mention casuarinas, for these seem to grow equally well at Madras, in the low country on a level with the sea, on the Mysore plateau, 3000 feet above the sea, and on the Neilgherries, 3000 feet higher still; it would seem to be a tree very well suited to the climate, and being indigenous, or thoroughly acclimatised, there could be no difficulty in propagating it to any extent from seed. It is a tree which grows rapidly, does not cast much shade, and would not therefore do much injury to crops growing near it; besides all this, it furnishes the very best kind of firewood. In Australia an extra price has always been paid for she-oak, as the casuarina was there called. It might also be as well to use trees for the boundary-marks of the different holdings; the present stones, or mounds of earth, are of too slight a character to be maintained for any time, whereas a tree is a lasting mark, which the owners of the land would be induced to maintain by the promise of being allowed to make use of it on condition of planting another in its place. The effect of planting upon the climate cannot but be beneficial, and it would be well worth the consideration of the Government whether it might not be advisable to provide nurseries of such plants, as might be best suited to each district, at all the stations where there is an officer who could be trusted to look after them; the cost would be very trifling, and the young trees might be given to the natives upon the sole condition of planting them. With a large supply of firewood the necessity of employing cow-dung for fuel would cease, and this would be turned to its proper use as manure; the labour of manipulating and bringing this into the form of small cakes would be saved, and the cost of collecting it would not be more than at present. Changes, however, such as this require time, but this would seem to be a good reason for anticipating the results, and for taking the necessary steps to secure them with as little delay as possible." The planting of the casuarina had been already taken up keenly in the Madras district, and in reply to a request by the Secretary of State for information on this work the Collector of Madras gave the following details on the subject: "I have the honour to state that within the last five or six years land to the extent of 5000' cawnies' has been given in grants for that purpose to private individuals. Of this, by far the greater portion was given on 'tope rules'; but latterly, owing to the great demand for the best casuarina land in the immediate neighbourhood of the sea, I have been able to dispose of some land on the full assessment. Of these 5000 'cawnies,' 1682 'cawnies' have been already planted, and as, according to the terms of the tope rule grants, each grantee is obliged to plant 20 per cent of his grant each year, in four or five years we may expect the whole will be planted, or the grants of the defaulters will be resumed. At present there is only one plantation of any size of more than six years' growth, and that is 400 acres north of Ennore. |