The best land for growing casuarinas is close to the sea, and extends the whole length of this district, both north and south of Madras. This land, however, is a mere strip of about a mile in breadth, and is bounded nearly its whole length on the west by the coast canal. All the land within easy access of Madras, and especially to the north, has already been taken up and is being planted. On the south of Madras, the canal not yet extending into town, the lands are not so much in demand, but even there, as far down as Covelong, none but very small portions are available.

The chief holders of the Government grants are Europeans or East Indians; the native landholders are, however, turning their attention to this subject, and have given grants on similar terms to those given by Government.

'Corakapillay' (Inga dulcis) is also being grown in this district, but as this plant does not thrive near the sea, the lands for this purpose have been taken up more inland. At the Red Hills, about 12 miles from the sea, about 300' cawnies ' are planted with this description of tree, and as it flourishes on a poor gravelly soil, of which there is a great deal in this district, I am doing my utmost to encourage the planting of it. The casuarina is grown chiefly for firewood, but is also well adapted for rafters and building purposes. The corakapillay is solely grown for firewood, and has the merit of growing stronger after every cutting, and is a famous coppice wood."

So serious had become the decrease of fuel throughout many parts of the Presidency, with the consequent increase in price, that the correspondence on the subject extends throughout the period under review.

In a communication (R.F., No. 2, dated 5th June, 1866) to the Secretary of State, the Governor forwarded a letter from Mr. Dykes, Collector of Nellore, dealing with the steps taken by him for planting wood in that district. The Collector had evidently given a great deal of consideration to this matter, and in ideas and suggestions was far ahead of most of his contemporaries in other districts. To the Secretary of State's obvious surprise he had expressed the opinion that the formation of plantations of casuarina by private individuals near Madras did not affect the general question of the maintenance of fuel supplies iu other parts of the Presidency. Dykes gave the following reasons for his opinion:

"In other countries where the people depend on firewood

for fuel, it is on the Government that the duty devolves of preserving a sufficient supply. If in France and Germany, where there is more moisture, and wood can be grown more easily, the Government forests are the chief sources of supply, it seems little use to hope that this Government can, with safety, avoid a similar responsibility; whilst, as regards the particular instance brought forward as a proof to the contrary, I was of opinion that the rapid growth of a particular kind of tree did not affect the general question, first, because the tree specified only grows so rapidly on the coast; secondly, because the price it will fetch as timber places it out of the reach of the bulk of the population as fuel; and thirdly, because grown in the neighbourhood of Madras, it may be with the avowed object of being used as fuel, it by no means follows that similar steps will be taken where there is not so large a demand, and in such neighbourhoods the question of reproduction, if neglected now, may have to be taken up hereafter under such adverse circumstances as may baffle the attempts of either private enterprise or Government.

It is needless for me to refer to the effect of wood in preserving moisture in the ground; and, in submitting in detail the reasons why I am of opinion that the casuarina movement in the neighbourhood of Madras, and on the sea-coast, does not affect the general question, especially when no such rapid growing tree has been found inland, I would respectfully submit, as an additional reason for husbanding the wood we have got, the effect that such a measure must have on the country at large, and more than all on our irrigation works. That the ryots, when they see that the wood is brought nearer to their homes, will thank us for the exercise of an authority that prevents everyone cutting what remains as they like, is, I think, a matter of little doubt. That those who do wish to plant trees, and that crops generally will be benefited by wholesome restrictions on the present system of denudation, is perhaps equally clear; and that more moisture being retained in the ground the channels and tanks for irrigation will be better supplied and kept running longer, seems to follow as a matter of course, and is an additional reason for immediate action, if such were required, when the question at issue is of such vital importance as the supply of fuel."

Dykes' planting experiments, to which only one year had as yet been devoted, had not proved successful, owing chiefly to

a failure of the rains after the seed had been sown. He had enclosed and sown up in one case 100 acres and in another 30 acres, including a nursery-but although the seed germinated the plants withered away. The seeds sown were Corakapillay (Inga dulcis), Parkinsonia, different species of Acacia, and the Vepa (Azadirachta indica) and others. Dykes' opinion on the experiment was as follows: "The season, it is true, has been against us, and the seed was also too old. But the principal reason is probably that, under the most favourable circumstances, it is a difficult matter to plant wood successfully in the plains of India, save at a heavy expense, and the longer we neglect the wood we have, the more difficult, we may infer, will be reproduction. There is nothing to prevent the sun burning the rain out of the ground as soon as it falls, and with no moisture vegetation becomes impossible.

The Collector expressed the opinion that better results would be obtained by carefully enclosing natural areas of jungle copse. There were some 6000 acres, including the hill to the westward of the Nellore tank, excluding the position occupied by the Narasimmakonda Temple. This land was so situated that, with the aid of the village authorities and four woodmen whom he had appointed to supervise the area, it could be successfully watched. Dykes fully appreciated the destruction caused by unlimited grazing in such areas, for he added: "When the cattle tax is abolished on the introduction of the new settlement, and we are able to exclude cattle so far as necessary, the experiment will be still more complete. I have made wood roads, 30 and 15 feet wide to facilitate watching, which will hereafter be available for the measurement and removal of the wood. These roads have been formed by cutting down the wood, stubbing up the trees after the rains and levelling." A sketch map had been prepared for the area. On 7 acres of this jungle tract, which was in effect a copse, Dykes had enumerated the stock. It comprised thirty-seven species of small trees and thorny bushes, nine of which yielded small timber, one fruit, and the rest firewood. He had made a thinning on these 7 acres, and his plan of operations proposed extending this thinning gradually to the west of the area. This was a remarkable piece of work to have been carried out at the period by a Collector on his own initiative, and the Conservator on visiting the area expressed high approval of the operations. Dykes' opinion on the best methods to ensure the fuel supplies were

also sound, and received the endorsement of the Secretary of State.

The latter (in a Despatch to the Governor of Madras, No. 29, dated 16th August, 1866) expressed the following opinion on the Collector's conservancy work: "I agree with Your Excellency in Council that no correct conclusion can be drawn from the failure of the plantations in a single year, especially if in that year the season was, as it seems to have been, adverse to the object in view. It is probable, however, that, for some time at least, the great source of supply will be derived from the preservation of the naturally formed jungles, and the measures taken by Mr. Dykes for this purpose seem to have been both judicious and economical. The small outlay which you have sanctioned seems to have been well employed, and Mr. Dykes deserves commendation for the interest which he has displayed on this subject and the judgment with which he has planned and executed his project.

The account of the success of the casuarina plantation near Madras, and the manner in which the natives have followed the example set them, is very satisfactory. This experiment, it may be hoped, will have a similar result to that which has attended the like measures on the coast of France, where the inroads of the sand have been stopped by the planting of the Pinus maritima, and a large extent of country been thereby brought under profitable cultivation, besides the considerable revenue derived from the plantations themselves."

The reference to the famous maritime pine forests in the Landes on the west coast of France gives evidence of the fact that pains were now being taken to obtain a knowledge of the conservancy methods in force on the Continent of Europe. It was natural that experiments should accordingly be made with the object of introducing such a valuable conifer into India; it being remembered that at the period little knowledge existed on the climatic requirements of such species and the only too probable failures which must result from the introduction of species unsuitable to Indian conditions. At the end of the year we find the Secretary of State forwarding 2 cwt. of Pinus maritima seed to the Governor of Madras to be sown in that country.

In a Despatch (R., No. 2, dated 12th February, 1867) the Governor of Madras forwarded to the Secretary of State an extensive correspondence received from the Collectors of districts containing information as to the steps taken to