SANTAL. 317 
Hemsley says * :—“ Dr. King, Superintendent of the Calcutta 
Botanic Gardens, assures us from his own observations that the 
S. album is sometimes parasitic on the roots of other plants when 
young. This assertion is borne out by the frequent failure of 
cultivators to raise seedlings of this plant when its seeds are sown 
alone, also by the fact that its usual habitat in a wild state is in 
hedges and thickets. But that it is not always so is evident 
from the fact that germinating seeds sent from Ceylon to 
Mauritius in 1877 have since grown, and fruited twice a year. 
On the other hand, as we learn from an article in the current 
volume of the ‘Indian Forester,’ decaying vegetable matter is 
necessary for the successful raising of seedling santal trees. The 
editor of the serial named inserts the following note (p. 205) on 
this subject :—‘ Colonel Doveton, Conservator of Forests, found 
santal seedlings growing as a roct-parasite on the wild Date-palm 
(Pheniz sylvestris), and such seedlings were more vigorous than 
others rooted independently in the soil.” In regular plantations 
the seeds are sown two or three in one hole, with a chili seed. 
It is certain that other genera of this order are parasitic, and, 
indeed, other species of this genus, for Nadeaud has stated 
(‘ Enumération des plantes indigénes de |’Ie de Tahiti’) that the 
Tahitian santal wood (Santalum insulare, Betero), is parasitic on 
the roots of other trees, generally on Cummersonia echinata or 
Alphitonia ziziphoides. Also Scott showed in 18717 that 
Santalum was parasitic, its roots becoming attached to those of 
many other plants by tuber-like processes. 
When santal-wood trees have reached perfection, which they 
do in from 20 to 30 years, having then a diameter of from 9 to 
12 inches just above the root and a height of about 25 feet, they 
are either cut down, at the latter part of the year, or dug up; 
if the former, the roots are generally dug up afterwards. If a 
tree be allowed to exceed these dimensions it is generally found 
rotten at the core, which is the most valuable part. The tree 
being felled, worthless branches are removed, also the bark, and 
the trunk is either buried for 6 or 8 weeks, or left lying on the 
ground, in order that the white ants may eat off the inodorous 
sap-wood. It is then taken up and sent to the Depdét, where it 
is cut into billets of from 2 to 4 feet long, carefully trimmed, 
* Challenger Reports, Botany, vol. i. 1885. 
7 Journ. of Agricult. and Horticult. Soc. of India, ii. part i. p, 287. 
