FOREST. ORGANIZATION, 111

unclassed woods the Colony exported during the period in
question Rs. 1,366,846 worth to various parts of the world.
This enormous exploitation of timber by untrained timber
men led to the careful consideration of the conservation and
systematic working of our forests, and to that end in 1887
serious attempts were made by the Ceylon Government,
following an exhaustive and deeply scientific report on the
“Conservation and Administration of Crown Forests” by
Mr. F. D. A. Vincent of the Indian Forest Service.
As far back as 1873 Sir Joseph D. Hooker pressed upon
the then Secretary of State for the Colonies (Lord Kimberley)

FOREST BRIDGE.

the importance of protecting the hill country from further
denudation of forest, and the forests themselves from loss
of valuable woods, so that to him is due the primary
initiation of the steps that followed. It was but natural that
the different Governors of Ceylon should push forward the
development of agricultural enterprise in Ceylon, and it
followed in consequence of this policy that between 1855
and 1895 land to the extent of 1,116,411 acres was sold to
various purchasers. Large as this extent undoubtedly is, it
is probably considerably below the area cultivated in a
desultory way by the native inhabitants of the country—a