prietors, there is nothing to prevent them from planting as much
land as they like with trees, although the State has not always been
willing to exempt the whole planted area from assessment. No one ever
objected to the renewal of trees except on the ground that the area
under trees might be excluded from assessment. For many years past
the Government of India has been most anxious to encourage tree-
planting, and has sanctioned liberal rules respecting the exemption
of grove land from assessment to 'land revenue', or 'rent', as the
author calls it. The Government of the United Provinces certainly is
not now liable to reproach for indifference to the value of groves.
Enormous progress in the planting of road avenues has also been made.
The deficiency of trees in the country about Agra is partly due to
nature, much of the ground being cut up by ravines, and unfavourable
for planting.

8. The Aligarh district lies to the north and east of the Mathura
district. The fort of Aligarh is fifty-five miles north of Agra, and
eighty-four miles south-east of Delhi.

9. 'pakka' here means 'burned in a kiln', as distinguished from 'sun-
dried'.

10. The 'bigha' is the unit of superficial land measure, varying, but
often taken as five-eighths of an acre. The 'jarib' is a smaller
measure.

11. The rules now in force require assessing officers to make
allowance for permanent improvements, such as the well described in
the text, so as to give the fair benefit of the improvement to the
maker. In the early settlements this important matter was commonly
neglected.

12. Tolerable bullocks, fit for use at the well and in the plough,
would now cost much more. This conversation appears to have taken
place in the year 1839, The famine alluded to is that of 1837-8.

13. This conversation gives a very vivid and truthful picture of
rural life in Northern India. Most revenue officers have held similar
conversations with rustics, but the author is almost the only writer
on Indian affairs who has perceived that exact notes of casual chats
in the fields would be found interesting and valuable.

14. The early settlements were made for short terms.

15. The certificate would not be of much avail in a civil court.

16. The Aligarh district is now irrigated by canals.

17. This is the lender's view of his business; the borrowers might
have a different story.

CHAPTER 62

Public Spirit of the Hindoos--Tree Cultivation and Suggestion