98 ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF FOKESTS IN INDIA. 



mainly because the stock of good timber in the vicinity of the river 

 and its tributaries had gradually become less. Soon after the annexa- 

 tion of Pegu, in 1853, the forests of that province were placed under 

 a regular system of administration, and in 1858 this system was ex- 

 fcended to the forests in the province of Maitaban and Tenasserim. 

 The result has been, that, without impairing their productiveness, the 

 out-turn of the forests in British territory has gradually been raised 

 from an insignificant figure to a very considerable amount; so that 

 within the last five years they have yielded between one-third and 

 one-half of the total quantity of teak timber brought to the principal 

 sea-ports. The timber trade of the Burma ports is not large as com- 

 pared with that of Canada, yet it is of considerable importance, the 

 export amounting to about 100,000 tons annually, with a value of 

 about L. 700, 000. The forests in the king of Burma's territory, in 

 Siam and the Karenee country, are much more extensive and rich in 

 fine timber than those in our own territory ; yet, unless placed under a 

 regular system of management, they will surely be exhausted before 

 long, and on that account we must, to a great extent, look to the 

 forests wdthin British territory for the maintenance of the supply in 

 future. It is satisfactory that the efforts to protect and improve the 

 forests in British Burma have also financially been remunerative. 

 Within the last four years the gross revenue from these forests has 

 fluctuated between L.64,700 and L.98,400, and the net annual sur- 

 plus to the State has been between L.31,900 and L.56,500. 



The teak tree in Burma, as elsewhere, is found in the dry decidu- 

 ous w r oods, never forming pure forests, but always growing in com- 

 pany with a large number of bamboos and other trees. Its growth 

 is rapid while young, but slow at a more advanced age. In 1862 I 

 sent a few teak poles, thirty feet long, to the great London Exhibi- 

 tion; they had attained that size in two years, in a moist part of the 

 country, on rich soil, and protected from fire. On the other hand, 

 the results of researches made regarding the age of mature trees have 

 led us to the conclusion that more than 100 years are required on an 

 average for the teak tree to attain a diameter of two feet. The fires 

 clear the ground annually of dry leaves and grass, which would 

 otherwise form vegetable mould, enrich the soil, and keep it moist 

 and loose. The bare ground, exposed to the full force of the sun, 

 dries up rapidly with a hard baked surface, the rains of the monsoon 

 rush down the hills and slopes, and (lie ashes, the remains of the 

 fires, are washed away, without contributing much to the nourish- 

 ment of the trees. Thus the fires do not only injure the regenera- 



