His
statement of the ways in which trees benefit climate is incomplete.
One important function performed by the roots of trees is the raising
of water from the depths below the surface, to be dispersed by the
leaves in the form of vapour. Trees act beneficially in many other
ways also, which it would be tedious to specify.
The Indian Government long remained blind to the importance of the
duty of saving the country from denudation. The first forest
conservancy establishments were organized in 1852 for Madras and
Burma, and, by Act vii of 1865, the Forest Department was established
on a legal basis. Its operations have since been largely extended,
and trained foresters are now sent out each year to India. The
Department at the present time controls many thousand square miles of
forest. The reader may consult the article 'Forests' in Balfour,
_Cyclopaedia_, 3rd ed., and sundry official reports for further
details.
A yearly grant for arboriculture is now made to every district.
Thousands of miles of roads have been lined with trees, and
multitudes of groves have been established by both Government and
private individuals.
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