Working Plans. Only a relatively small part of the total forest area, each year, however, increasing, is as yet worked under plans. In 1885, only 109 square miles, in 1899, 20,000 square miles, and in 1903, nearly 30,000 square miles, about 13 per cent. of the total, or 30 per cent. of the reserved area, were operated under working plans, and each year about 4000 square miles are added, so that now (1909) over half the reserved area is under working plans.
Only gradually was the character of these plans brought into practical form, and their execution, in spirit at least, enforced, the Conservators having the right to deviate from the plans.
A map, prepared by the survey branch naturally forms the basis of the plan. The form of the plan is prescribed by the provincial regulations, and the preparation is also carried on by the provincial service under advice and supervision of the imperial department. The “strip valuation survey,” which Brandis introduced, covering sometimes as much as 30 per cent. of the area, is employed in determining number of trees and sizes, growing stock and cut, modeled after the European practice, except that little, perhaps too little, money is spent on their elaboration, especially on determining the proper amount of cut. That the cut is controlled at all is the most important result.
6. Education and Literature.
In 1866, Sir Dietrich Brandis selected as assistants two young men who had been trained in the forest schools of Germany—in turn his successors—and at the same time arrangements were made for the training of young Englishmen in the Forest schools of France and Germany. At the end of 1875 the professional education was entirely transferred to Nancy. The present force of Conservators is composed largely of these men. For some reason, the training of men in Germany and France became unpopular, and this objection finally led, in 1884, to the establishment of a chair of forestry at Cooper’s Hill College for Engineering in England. At first, the course of study extended over 26 months, during 22 of which the candidates prosecuted their studies at the college; the remaining four months being spent under suitable supervision in selected British and Continental forests.
In 1905, this department was transferred to Oxford University and the course extended to three years, one year to be spent in continental forests. At present this time may, however, be reduced to two years and the vacations in continental forests. This is a government affair, and probationers receive stipends from the government.
Mr. Brandis as early as 1869 saw also the necessity of providing the means of giving the natives of India some sort of technical education in forestry. The first step in this direction was to place natives, selected ones, under one or two officers of the Imperial Service who were deemed fit to instruct them, and in this way a few good men were turned out. Another experiment, after the German pattern, was made by apprenticing likely young men under some forester for a year or two and then sending them to an engineering school for theoretical instruction. This was also a failure. After much hard work, the Indian forest school at Dehra Dun was established in 1878, the forests between the Jumna and the Ganges rivers were set aside as training grounds, formed into a special Forest Circle and placed under the control of the director of the school. These forests have been subjected to regular systems of management, based on European experience, and excellent results have been obtained. The first course of systematic theoretical instruction was opened on the 1st of July, 1881. In 1884 the school was made an imperial institution by the Government of India, and the Inspector-General of Forests was charged with its supervision, under a Board of Control, consisting of the Inspector-General, the Director, and three Conservators, with the Assistant Inspector-General as secretary. This board meets once a year at Dehra, conducts the examinations, and looks into all of the workings of the School very carefully. There were two courses—one in which the teaching was given in English for rangers, the other in which the instruction was given in the vernacular for foresters; courses extending over 24 months. In 1906 the school was raised to the rank of a college and the course in the vernacular abolished. The graduates may aspire to the rank of division officers. The training of lower grade officers is left to the provinces. The Bombay Presidency had for some time their own forest school in connection with the Engineering College at Poona, but this is now abandoned. Another school, however, is located at Tharrawaddy, with a two-year course in Burmese, and one in Madras with a one-year course; so that the education of lower grade officials is well attended to.
Forest Experiment and Investigations have never been systematically instituted, being left to individual initiative, but lately (1909) provision has been made in this direction in connection with the Dehra Dun school by the establishment of an Imperial Research Institute.