LIGNUM SANTALI. GO] 



monopoly has been maintained to the present day. The Mysore 

 annual exports of sandal wood are about 700 tons, valued at £27.00(K^ 

 They are shipped from Mangalore. 



A similar monopoly existed in the Madras Presidency until a few 

 years ago, when it was abandoned. But sandal wood is still a source 

 of rev^enue to the Madi^xs Government, which by the systematic 

 management of the Forest Department has of late years been regularly 

 increasing. The quantity of sandal wood felled in the Reserved 



the vear 1872-3 was returned as 15,329 niaunds (547i 



2 



tons). 



The sandal-wood tree, which is indigenous to the regions just men- 

 tioned, used to be reproduced by seeds sown spontaneously or by birds; 

 but it is now being raised in regular plantations, the seeds being sown 



two or three in a hole with a chili (Capsicum) seed, the latter producing 

 a quick-growing seedling which shades the sandal while young.* It Is 

 probable that the nurse-plant affords sustenance, for it has been 

 shown * that Santalum is parasitic, its roots attaching themselves by 

 tuber-like processes to those of many other plants ; and it is also said 

 that young sandal plants thrive best when grass is allowed to grow up 

 in the seed-beds. 



The trees attain their prime in 20 to 30 years, and have theu 

 trunks as much as a foot in diameter. A tree having been felled, the 

 branches are lopped off, and the trunk allowed to lie on the ground for 

 several months, during which time the white ants eat away the greater 

 part of the inodorous sapwood. The trunk is then rouglily triinmed, 

 sawn into billets 2 to 2* feet lon^, and taken to the forest depots 



second and more carelul 



There the wood is weighed, subjected to a second and more careiui 

 trimming, and classified according to quality. In some parts it is 

 customary not to fell but to dig the tree up; in others the root is dug un 

 after the trunk has been cut down,-the root affording valuable wood, 

 which with the chips and sawdust are preserved for df '^^^^1,^°°' "I' 

 for burning in the native temples. The sap wood and branches are 



worthless.' • . /„ -.oo^ 



In 18G3 a sort of sandal wood afforded by Fusanus spicatus (p. -J J 



was one of the chief exports of Western Australia, J^^T'lJ.^, 

 shipped to China. A trifling payment f- ^ J--"^^\ « 

 timber of any kind was the only barrier placed o»^*f /^^j ^4^^^ 5n 

 trees. The fkrmers employed their teams during the ^YeTfelled 



bringing to Perth or Guildford the logs of ^^^^^^^.^^^^^^^It W ^ 

 and trimmo/l ^r. fi.. k.,cT.. nnd fherc was a flourishmg tiade so ion 



and trimmed in the bush; and there was a tiounsn n, - ^^ ^^^.^. ^^ 

 trees of a fair size could be obtained within 100 oi ev en ^^^ 



1 TT /* 



/B. H. Baden Powell, lieport on the , ) Scott jj. ;^^;;r;'; ^{,e{;tta, vorii. part*l 



-Administration of the Forest Department in '■"'(l.^oA: . . 



f'' several provinces under the Government of <^^'^ .J" / " Ejperience>i of a Planter m IM 



rndia 1872-73, Calcutta, 1874. vol. i. 27. jJ^:%-%sore, u. (1871) 237 ; al^ 



-I'port of the Adminidratlon of the '''SJ^^^tioxiCOimnnm^^^ii-hyC^V^ 



^[adra, Premdency durina the year 1872-73, ]^^'^^i^\ Walker, Deputy Conservator of 



India, 1872. 2oG. 



outhern 



