demarcating and reserving forest areas. It is probable that these opinions may have led Brandis to secure his transfer to Bengal. In any event, in his 1866-7 Report (his last for Burma) Leeds advocated the formation of teak plantations in Burma in place of the demarcation of reserves from the existing forests. He made the remarkable statement that the plantation system would very soon entirely change the opinions held on the subject of the speediest and best mode of reproduction." It is very evident that holding these views his heart was not in the demarcation and reservation work, which had made little progress. The Chief Commissioner correctly held the opinion that both systems could go on together, as they were sufficiently distinct in their character not to influence each other in any manner. He added, "only the experience gained over a series of years will determine under which system the reproduction of teak will advance the faster." During the year that curious malady, apparently a form of anthrax, had broken out amongst the elephants employed by the Department which had suffered heavily. Wild elephants were also dying from it; the disease is known also to attack bison and other wild game. It was decided to stop the purchase of all elephants until the disease had abated. In connection with the plantation work being carried on Leeds gave some notes on the rate of growth of the teak tree in various parts of Burma, as then observed. The Government of India's comment was as follows: "The results show, as might be expected, a wide divergence according to the locality where the tree was grown. Thus, trees five years old in the Myodwin plantations had attained a girth of 18 inches and a height of from 33 to 40 feet; at Prome, trees nine years old had attained about the same size, and showed an average annual increase of from two to three inches in girth. On the other hand, a number of teak trees measured annually near Way village, in the Thoongay Forests, show a yearly increase of only half an inch in girth. The Conservator might be requested to collect all data which illustrate the rate of growth of the teak tree in different parts of Burma. Some attention should also be paid to the question whether the concentric rings in teak wood correspond to one year's growth, or whether sometimes two rings are formed within the same year." On the same Report the Government of India remarked on the attempts which had been made to introduce the cultivation of cinchona into the hilly parts of Burma. The attempts had failed, but the Government expressed a hope that the experiments will be vigorously and steadily continued, until more experience on the chances of success has been obtained. The production, at a moderate expenditure, of the bark (for quinine) in Burma, would doubtless be a great boon to the inhabitants of the country, who are reported to suffer from fever and frequently severely." This subject was again alluded to in a Despatch (Home Department, No. 92, dated 4th July, 1868) from the Government of India to the Secretary of State. It had been decided to continue the experiment in Burma, and Captain Seaton, who had been appointed Conservator on the transfer of Leeds to Bengal, was deputed to Madras "to acquaint himself with the method of treating and cultivating the cinchona and to take charge of the cases containing the plants in their transit to Rangoon." It was also proposed to have a couple of Karen lads regularly trained under the Superintendent of the Cinchona Nurseries at Ootacamund, for service in the Forest Department of Burma. This step was taken on the advice of Brandis, who had visited the Nilgiri nurseries and wrote a letter on the subject (No. 13, dated 17th March, 1868) to the Chief Commissioner of Burma. That the introduction and cultivation of this valuable plant was of first importance in India is beyond dispute. But it is difficult to appreciate the reasons which saddled the already overburdened Forest Officers with the work, which could have been more effectively undertaken by the Superintendent of the Botanical Gardens. Doubtless, however, it was in pursuance of Brandis' tactful policy to undertake any work suggested to him by the Government of India in order to strengthen the position of the infant Department with the local administrations throughout the country. The year 1868-9 brought to an end the systematic operations of the Department initiated in 1855-6, and an interesting review of these operations is given by the Chief Commissioner who had succeeded Sir Arthur Phayre, together with a tabular statement showing the results of the working of the twelve years. The Chief Commissioner had become strongly influenced by Leeds' ideas on the question of plantations versus reserved forests. He had strenuously opposed, without success, Leeds' transfer from Burma. He differed, however, from the latter's expressed opinion that the blasting operations in the streams had been nearly sufficient. The Commissioner contended that the work had only in reality commenced, and that much remained to be done on such rivers as the Salween and elsewhere to render them satisfactory for floating purposes. On the subject of plantation work the Chief Commissioner wrote: "This subject is, in my opinion, one of the highest importance. I have repeatedly expressed myself in favour of an extensive plantation scheme for the Province, and the Report of Captain Seaton on the teak plantations of the Madras Presidency materially confirms my views. It seems selfevident that, provided thoroughly suitable localities are selected, the supervision and conservation of compact plantations can be managed with far greater success than scattered forests extending over an area of thousands of square miles. On this point I would refer to the remarks contained in the letter, No. 545-45F., dated 18th August, 1868, submitting the revised plan of forest operations; and I would also invite attention to Mr. Leeds' suggestions, which appear to me worthy of all consideration. I may here remark that I have called upon the Conservator to submit a scheme for the wide development of plantations throughout the Province. For the ensuing year, 1869-70, I have sanctioned the inclusion in the Budget of a sum of Rs.20,000 for their extension which, I am glad to find, has been approved by the Government of India. Captain Seaton is fully alive to the advantages of the plantation system. He reports that 420 acres have been added to the plantations already existing, so that, up to the close of the year, 765 acres, or something over one square mile, were under cultivation. The following details of them will be found useful for future reference : Forest Divisions.-Rangoon, 45 acres; Tharrawaddy, 351; Prome, 66; Sittang, 285; Salween, 18: total, 765 acres. This total is less than the recorded total of operations in the earliest Reports. The difference is due to some of the areas prepared having been abandoned, or having been destroyed by floods. On the area now under cultivation it may be hoped that 80 years hence, or even 60, upwards of 38,250 first-class trees will stand available for the market, supposing a minimum number of 50 trees per acre to reach that age. This number may represent about 191,250 cubic feet, or 38,250 tons, of timber, which, at Rs.50 per ton, amounts in value to Rs.1,92,250. It is not possible to give with much accuracy the probable cost of rearing this number of trees, though up to the present time the outlay amounts to Rs.23,067, as follows: 1864–65, Rs2,248; 1865-66, Rs.3,203; 1866–67, Rs.7,273; 1867-68, Rs.10,343: total, Rs.23,067. The outlay on the existing plantations will, it is hoped, diminish year by year, and within a very few years we may reasonably expect that some of the earlier plantations will return a revenue from the sale of thinnings." On page 199 is the interesting tabular statement submitted with the Chief Commissioner's review of the 1867-8 Report. The following note by the Chief Commissioner is a valuable record of the twelve years' work: "The main features of it are, that 294,778 tons of timber have been extracted from the forests within British territory that this timber has realised a gross revenue of £542,705, and that the outlay incurred on its extraction, including the general supervision of all the forests of British Burma alone, amounts to £306,494, leaving a clear balance of £236,211, the whole of which has flowed into the State coffers as absolute gain to the Imperial Revenue. These figures are arrived at irrespective of the large revenue derived from foreign-grown timber which will be referred to further on. The value of the timber is stated to be £1,222,650. To obtain this return the State has sunk no capital, whilst the purchase of the small stock, plant and elephants, together with a small sum for the clearance of hill streams, have been met from the current revenues. The operations undertaken to replace this vast quantity of timber are so minute and insignificant, that up to the present time it may almost be said no attention whatever has been paid to a systematic course of reproduction. Bearing in mind the high net revenue realised from the home-grown timber during the past twelve years, realised without any risk whatsoever, I have no hesitation in declaring that the time has arrived for a liberal outlay on the Department generally, whether as regards the prosecution of plantations on a large scale, the improvement of some of the larger streams down which the timber is rafted, or the improvement in pay and position of the officers of the Department. On the former point, distinct propositions will, as intimated in the eighth para. of this letter, be submitted, and as regards the latter, the opinion of the chief engineer, Colonel Fraser, will be solicited ENCLOSURES IN No. 198 STATEMENT EXHIBITING RESULTS OF FOREST OPERATIONS IN BRITISH BURMAH FOR TWELVE YEARS, 61,704 Tons. Tons. Rs. Rs. Rs. 2,52,698 274 3,98,481 2,24,462 2,47,618 28,068 8,98,629 2,14,647 6,47,591 2,40,699 63,760 23,928 3,28,387 8,12,917 11,07,695 39,16,693 15,10,356 26,29,536 1,76,307 82,32,893 25,46,745 5,18,201 2,04,065 32,69,011 British Timber-Government-Agency Tons 1,48,879 average market value 45 rupees per ton= Rs. 66,99,555 Permit " " Compiled from Statements submitted by the Conservator of Forests, with Letter No. 99A, dated 18th January, 1869. Inland Customs Office at Theyetmyo, with his No. 136, dated 25th January, 1869. |