Government forest. General description.

280. The Government forests of the District cover an area of 446 square miles or 122 per cent. of the total area. The Ambabarwa reserve lies at the extreme north adjoining the Nimar Government forest and the Melghat, some C forests are in the extreme south bordering on Hyderabad territory, and the remainder lie scattered over the interior of the District. The forests are divided into three groups called A, B, and C classes. This classification is based upon the purpose for which the forests are intended. Thus the A forests are supposed to be reserved for the production of timber and fuel, the B forests for the production of fodder grass, and the C forests for providing pasture for cattle. In practice this separation of functions is not maintained, and forests set apart for one purpose are also used for other purposes whenever necessary or expedient. Thus, the area of B forest being very limited, the A forests are Called on to meet a large demand for fodder grass; for a similar reason grazing is permitted in the A forests and the B and C forests in their turn yield a considerable amount of timber and fuel, no small advantage, when the tree growth in the A forests requires recuperation, for administrative purposes the forests have been arvided into the lour ranges of Chikhli, Mehkar, Purna and Jalgaon, and the following statement gives the area and description of forest in each range:—

Types of forest.

281. The forest growth consists entirely of open scrub attaining a height of 12 to35 feet and yielding principally fire-wood. It consists of the following types, which overlap one another very frequently and in imperceptible degrees:—

I. Teak forest.—This type is found in larger or smaller patches and belts. Owing to the shallow soil and dry climate the teak in Buldana is a small tree seldom capable of yielding anything bigger than round rafters and small posts. The present trees are nearly all crooked and incapable of any improvement, however long they may be left standing. Reproduction by seed as a means of regenerating the forest is quite out of the question, and can only be employed as a supplementary aid. Coppiccing is the only method of improving the growth.

II. Babul forest.—This type is met with over only limited areas called babul bans, but is capable of considerable extension at many points in replacement of type V, where the soil and situation are favourable. The only method of regeneration is clear felling followed by artificial sowing, the soil being, if possible, previously scratched up with the plough.

III. Anjan forest.—More or less pure forests of anjan exist over considerable areas in the District. They occupy the outer slopes of the Gawilgarh Hills and the large tract of hilly country from near the eastern end of the northern Amdari reserve to the centre of the Ghatbori reserve, and the Geru-Matargaon reserve. A large portion of the C forests also are of this type. The type it ft most unsatisfactory one. The species is incapable of attaining the dimension of sawyers' timber, and can at the most furnish small house posts. There has been no reproduction for at least 20 years, although there has been abundant seeding every three to five years. After each seeding numbers of seedlings come up, but all disappear before the end of the ensuing hot weather. The tree will moreover not coppice. The treatment of this type is hence for the present a puzzle, and only tentative methods can be adopted until the right one has been found.

IV. Salai forest.—This type occupies principally ridges, spurs and other exposed situations. There is no demand for the species, except in the shape of beams, which it is unable to produce in Buldana. As a firewood, it has no value in these parts. The type is hence for the present unworkable.

V. Miscellaneous forest.—This type is met with chiefly in the basins of ravines. Here the four preceding species are absent or all but absent. This type can yield chiefly only firewood and all the component specks coppice well. Here also regeneration by seed can be looked upon only as a means of replenishing the coppice.

VI. Bamboo forest.—Only a few insignificant patches of the type south of the railway line are met with, and practically the only source of supply of this useful produce is north of the line in the Ambabarwa reserve. It has been greatly over cut and requires conservative exploitation.

Produce and markets.

282. The markets are the large towns and villages situated within easy reach of the forests. The population is mainly agricultural and its requirements are timber, grass and gracing. The better class cultivators generally build flat-roofed houses called dhabas, the beams, scantlings, posts, etc., required for which are obtained from babul, mahua, nim, and well-grown anjan, or from teak imported from the Central Provinces. Teak rafters and the small timber that is required for the huts of the poorer classes are taken from the forests of this District. The consumption of firewood is restricted to the larger towns. Gran is removed for thatching purposes but in ordinary yean the demand for fodder grass is small, as the cultivators rely on their stock of karbi. It is not the custom to stall-feed cattle except working bullocks, and the demand fox grazing is in consequence very heavy. The cattle are taken to the grazing areas early in June and are kept there till the end of October. More than half the forest income is derived from grazing dues. Very little attention is paid to the collection of minor produce, as the profits of cultivation are too attractive. Lac and rusa oil are extracted only in the Ambabarwa reserve. At present the revenue from these articles is small, Rs. 100 from lac and Rs. 200 from rusa oil a year. There is scope for considerable development of both these industries, and it is proposed to bring down some professional lac cultivators from Jubbulpore to instruct the local forest villagers in lac cultivation. Lac cultivation is also being extended to the Ghatbori forests in the Mehkar range.

Principal forests.

283. The principal forests with their markets are as follows:—

The Geru-Matargaon reserve, area 89 square miles, in the Chikhli range, consists to the extent of 78 per cent. of anjan forest, the remainder being a mixed teak forest. This forest supplies Buldana, Chikhli, Amrapur, Pimpalgaon, and other important villages in the Khamgaon taluk.

The Ambabarwa reserve, area 54 square miles, lies On the Satpuras in the Jalgaon range. This is a mixed teak forest with a considerable quantity of bamboos, and its timber is principally extracted through the agency of the aboriginal Korkus and Nihals, who occupy forest villages in the reserve. Depots have been established by the Forest Department at Wasali and Pingli, where the timber is brought for sale. The purchasers come from the Jalgaon and Akot taluks in the plains below and they pay the forest duty at the nakas which they pass on their return to the plains.

The Ghatbori reserve belongs to the Mehkar range with an area of 45 square miles. The western half of this forest contains almost pure anjan, and the remainder almost pure teak. The produce is consumed by Ghatbori, Donegaon, and Mehkar, and also by the villages in the Balapur taluk of the Akola District.

North Amdari reserve, area 24 square miles, is in the Puma range. This contains mixed forests and supplies Malkapur, Nandura, Motla, and other prosperous villages in the Biswa valley.

The South Amdari reserve in the Chikhli range, area 4 square miles, is a mixed teak forest, and supplies Buldana and Deulghat.

The Gumi reserve in the Chikhli range, area 15 square miles, is almost a pure forest of teak, and besides Supply-tag the neighbouring villages, sends a quantity of timber into His Highness the Nizam's territory.

The Bhongaon reserve, area 3 square miles, in the Purna range, supplies the factories of Shegaon and Khamgaon with babul fuel.

The Babul bans, area about 2 square miles, stretch along the Purna river in the Jalgaon range. From this the factories of Shegaon and Jalgaon are supplied with wood.

The principal B forests are the Buldana ramna, area 390 acres, which supplies Buldana with grass; Hiwarkhed and Janona ramnas, area 5 square miles, the principal source of supply to Khamgaon for grass. The other ramnas are small in extent and serve only to meet local demands.

In the Chikhli range the C forests are situated in three main blocks, one to the east of Buldana, the other to the north and east of Amrapur, and the last in the south-west elongation of the Chikhli taluk. The block close to Buldana contains partly teak and partly anjan, that near Amrapur contains almost wholly anjan, and the last block contains only mixed species with hardly any teak as this has already been cut away. These C forests serve principally to meet the local demand. The C forests in the Mehkar range are situated close to the Ghatbori reserve and round about Lonar and Sindkhed. They contain a considerable quantity of teak. The demand from Mehkar and the larger villages in the taluk is met from these forests. In the Purna range the C forests lie at the foot of the Ajanta Hills, and stretch right across the Malkapur and Khamgaon taluks. They contain principally anjan, and the villages of the plains form their market. In the Jalgaon range there is an extensive strip of C class forests consisting of anjan on the outer slopes of the Satpuras. This supplies Jalgaon, Asalgaon, Adul and other large villages to the south.

Forest administration with income and expenditure.

284. The following statement shows the average revenue under various heads for the five years ending 1907-08:—

The average expenditure of the division is about Rs. 55,ooo, and there would thus ordinarily be an annual surplus of about half a lakh. The division is held to be a minor control and the staff consists of one Extra Deputy Conservator, two Rangers, three Deputy Rangers, 14 Foresters, and 38 Forest guards and 13 clerks. The outdoor staff is inadequate, and proposals for its reorganization are under consideration. Improvements to the forests in the way of cartroads and water-supply and buildings for forest subordinates are greatly needed, and a five years' programme has been sanctioned with these objects in view. It is proposed to spend annually in this way a sum of Rs. 15,000, about 33 per cent. of the total expenditure. In 1907-08 a beginning was made, and Rs. 7170 were spent in the construction of 9 miles of cartroads, chiefly in the Geru-Matargaon and Amdari reserves, and 29 miles of bridle paths in the Ambabarwa reserve. A tank at a cost of Rs. 12,000 was also constructed in the Ghatbori reserve. One hundred and ninety square miles of the A class forest are fire-protected at an average cost of Rs. 15 per square mile, and it is proposed to extend this protection to the whole of the A class forest. A sanctioned working plan exists for the Bhongaon reserve on the Purna, a babul forest 3 square miles in extent. The preparation of a working plan for all the remaining forests in the division was begun by Mr. Fernandez in 1902 but was not proceeded with in consequence of the amalgamation of Berar with the Central Provinces and the resulting alterations in the limits, of forest divisions. The matter has been taken up again and a preliminary working plan was prepared in 1908. The main problem of the forest administration is to reconcile the interests of the cultivator, who relies on the reserves for grazing, with the interests of the forests, which require to be closed to grazing if they are to have a chance of reproduction. Cattle are not usually taken into the Ambabarwa reserve, but the aver-age head of cattle grazing in the other A and B forests is about 65,000, which gives an incidence of 1.1 acre per head. In the C forests the incidence is as heavy as 1.2 acres per head, excluding the sheep and goats. This heavy grazing, which has gone on for years, is the cause of the absence of reproduction in the bulk of the A class forest.

Private forests.

285. The only private forests in the District are those belonging to the two jagirs of Bhingara and Kuardeo. They are situated in the Satpura Hills abreast of the Ambabarwa reserve in the Jalgaon taluk. The area of the Bhingara jagir is 17 square miles and of the Kuardeo jagir 9 square miles, and 80 per cent, of the total area is estimated to be under forest. The forests are of the same type as Ambabarwa, but have been depleted of all timber by reckless working. The jagirdars have full proprietary rights over forest produce within the jagir but in the case of Kuardeo the Government levies royalty on produce leaving the jagir limits. The forest income of the Bhingara jagir is estimated to be Rs. 5000 per annum, and of the Kuardeo jagir Rs. 1600.

Arboriculture.

286. Arboricultural operations are carried on by the Public Works Department on the seven roads in their charge with an aggregate length of 195 miles. Of this length no miles are supplied with established avenues, but these are incomplete and contain numerous gaps. The Malkapur-Mehkar road has an avenue for 45 miles of its length, the Chikhli-Jalna road for 14 miles, and the Nandura-Jalgaon road for 11 miles. On each of the other roads stretches of 7 or 8 miles of avenue exist. The planting of trees is chiefly confined to filling up gaps and the trees usually planted are the nim, the mango, and the tamarind. The trees are maintained for three years and then left to themselves. The total expenditure incurred in 1906-07 on tree planting and maintenance was Rs. 2085. No permanent nurseries are maintained on any of the roads, but temporary ones are from time to time established near the roads where avenues are being laid out. The seedlings are kept for two years in the nurseries and are planted out during the monsoon of the third year. The expenditure incurred on the upkeep of nurseries in 1906-07 was Rs. 389. The District Board also carries on arboricultural operations. The whole length of the circular road outside Buldana has been lately planted, and gaps have been filled in on four miles of the Buldana-Deulghat road. But the three important roads Nandura-Motala, Shegaon Khamgaon, Khamgaon-Nandura require a great deal of attention; there are some trees on these roads but the gaps are so frequent that the term avenue cannot be applied to them. The total expenditure incurred by the District Board in 1906-07 on arboricultural operations was Rs. 2103, and in 1907-08 it was Rs. 3480. No nurseries are kept up by the District Board. The trees principally planted are the nim, shisham, and mango, but the babul tree grows indiscriminately on all the roads. The mango does not appear to thrive very much as many die after reaching a height of 12 to 15 feet. Of the four Municipalities of Shegaon, Malkapur, Buldana and Khamgaon in the District there are no avenues on any of the roads in the first three. The Shegaon Muncipality has made small occasional experiments in tree planting but with little success, while in the Buldana Municipality the scheme entirely failed and there is no likelihood of its being revived unless and until the present scarcity of water is removed. In 1906 the Malkapur Municipality planted some nim trees within the bazar area and intend to extend the operation. The Khamgaon Municipality has a good avenue of about two miles in length from the cotton market to the Janona tank planted in 1885 under the supervision of Mr. R. D. Hare, Assistant Commissioner. During the last ten years the same Municipality has spent Rs. 60 a year in planting trees along the roads near the dispensary and Anglo-vernacular school, and in and near the weekly market. In 1906-07 the Committee started a three-years' scheme for planting, protecting and watering 434 new trees in the weekly market, the cattle market, along the western road to the tank, and at other places. The trees will be principally raw, but mango and other trees will also be tried. A few bamboos planted in 1904-05 near the tahsil are doing fairly well.