The Hawaiian gazette., 1868-12-16
Conservation Of Forests.


Among the reports prepared for the Science
and Art Department on the various classes
in the Paris Exhibition of last year, and
which have now been published among the
Parliamentary papers, is one upon forestry,
by Mr.. Webber, of the Forest Department Of
India. The writer questions whether wood
Is not of more importance TO man than iron.
He remarks that in Europe, for several cen
turtles, governments have found IL necessary
10 interfere to protect the forests from de-
struction. In other countries, not long since
covered with dense forests, where the con-
stant cutting of timber has been going on, II
Is found that timber is getting scarce, even
for present use; no thought has been taken
at all of the future. India, the great coun-
try Of jungles, mas awakened, and established
a system of forest conservation, but not un-
til pine had TO be imported from Norway.
America still boasts of her inexhaustible
forests and her vast elearings, and goes ON
hacking away. Californian sawyer, who
has made his fortune In 10 years ont of 100
acres of forest grant, picked on the bank Of
a nayigable river, will tell you that the tim
Der is inexhaustible; that his saw-mill still
stands in forest so dense that you would
scarcely know tree had been cut; and that
since he came there every facing to water
carriage is occupied by parties who are at
work clearing their grants. But these are
bare statements. 1t is thus that all timber
gets carried away or destroyed in the most
magnificent forests, and period comes when
it is found that all the trees are cut down,
and none have grown to replace them. Such
probability would have been laughed at in
India 80 years ago, yet now it has actually
occurred in some of the finest forest Sys-
tematic forest management cannot be too
early set-a-going in new country, based
upon the principles which have been tried
with the most beneficial results in European
countries and m int oluanst a
after several centuries experience. In
France and Germany, forestry is one of the
State professions of the highest scientific
character, and filled from the better and edu-
Gated class who are trained for the purpose.
1t will give some idea of the importance at
tached to forestry in these countries, that
France has 2, 10000 acres of State forest,
and revenue of i, FAC, ,000l., in the conserva-
tion and management of which, 500, 900 is
annually expended. Prussia has 500, 900
acres, Bavaria ], ,962, 900 acres, while the for
est area of Austria is 1900, 900 acres, with
an export value of 8 O00, ,000 sterling annual
ly realised. Systematic conservation in Eu-
rope has restored forests to an area OF cor
rect proportion to the cultivation of the
country, and secured a supply for profitable
export. Under British rule, India has begun
to look after her valuable forests, but not
until most of the teak and sal districts had
become unproductive from reckless cutting,
and scarcity and consequent high price
been the result. These two timbers, which,
with oak and two others, rank No. / at
Lloyds for shipbuilding, are only found in
our Indian possessions, and an idea may be
formed Of the importance of forest conser-
vation from the facts put forward in the re-
port of DIR. Brands, Inspector General Of
Forests in India, that the average of first
class teak trees found in a normal uncut for
est at Beeling was II per acre; while over
the entire area of Government teak forest
lately taken into management at Mulmain,
552 square miles in extent, the irst-class
trees which remain standing are only Is in
10 acres, while stumps and damaged trees
everywhere abound. The sal forests Of Up
per India might be shown to be even in
worse plight through reckless cutting and
and utter neglect. There were in 1890 prob
ably 1000 square miles of pure sal forests
along the foot of the Himalayas, besides
those in Central India available TO Govern
ment. The sal timber Is the only one found
capable Of standing the Indian climate for
railway uses; yet now the East Indian rail-
way has been Obliged TO import pine sleepers
from Norway, sal being scarcely procurable.
Government has therefore become alive to
the importance of forest conservation In In
dia, it being almost too late, and the work
Of the new Forest Department will be for
many years that Of restoring rather than
working the magnificent Jungles Of India
Let it be remembered that 40 years ago these
forests were mostly untouched by man, and
supposed to be inexhanstible; now they are
simply worked out regardless Of future pro-
duetion., The importance of the study and
practice of foresting Is proved alike by what
has been effected by 1t in Europe and by the
result of its neglect in Asia.-British Trade
Journal.