ON THE TIMBER SUPPLY OF AUSTRALIA. 119 



sown round the seedling sandal for a shade, as the leaves of this 

 plant remain always green, and are not large. At Parapa 

 70,471 teak (Lagerstroemia) were planted on 30 acres, and these 

 trees attained in six years a height of 20 feet, and more than 

 7 inches in girth. At Gooty the plantation is 404 acres and 3 

 roods. The soil is a stiff black clay, with an admixture of sand, 

 salt, and lime, on which scarcely anything appears to thrive. 

 During the early rains of June, 23 acres were sown broadcast with 

 Acacia arabica and speciosa seeds, which have grown successfully, 

 although in other places they have generally failed if so sown. 

 Of other trees transplanted, it would not be a wide remai'k that, 

 with the number of substituted plants in the place of those which 

 failed, the whole land could have been planted once again. Sowing 

 in trenches has there been found to be the most suitable and 

 simple mode of planting. The expense of these nurseries and 

 plantations is, even with the low rate of wages in India, very 

 considerable, yet the success of the plantations as an ultimate 

 source of revenue to the State, becomes more and more certain 

 every year, since even failure one year with one kind of tree, leads 

 to the adoption of another mode of sowing or planting, or the 

 substitution of other trees more likely to succeed the next year. 

 Nurseries in India or here, are not likely to produce any consider- 

 able revenue, although such is the case with forest nurseries in 

 Europe. I find that the average cost jaf keeping the Royal nur- 

 sery for forest trees at Kiel, in Holstein, consisting of only six 

 acres, was about 400 dols. a-year, and the income from sales, at a 

 very low figure, about 700 dols. If we can manage to keep such 

 nurseries, after a few years, without a pecuniary loss, I dare say 

 nobody will complain in view of the advantages which we shall 

 derive indirectly. The salaries of the Conservator of Forests and 

 of the men constantly employed at the forest reserves, will be 

 afterwards the chief expenditure, and nearly all the work can be 

 done by common labouring men, or even boys. In the details I 

 cannot agree with Mr Goyder's estimate of the first year's expense ; 

 but oiu' sum total is nearly the same. Mr Goyder omits all refer- 

 ence to a matter which is an absolute necessity in most places — 

 the sinking of wells for watering, or the forming of large reser- 

 voirs of rain-water. My estimate of the first year's expense for 

 each nursery will be £1530, irrespective of salaries and wages, 



