288 



VERBENACE^. 



[Tectona. 



Outside the range of the natural growth of teak, the following data, regarding its 

 rate of growth, are available : 



The growth at that early age is fairly good ; hut it does not follow from these figures 

 that teak in Bengal and Assam will attain a great age, and produce good timher. 



The following instances of older trees of known age in Assam and Bengal are on 

 record : 



The trees at Gauhati were on an average 30 50 feet high. 



The trees in the Botanical Garden, Cilcutta, were measured in January 1856. 

 The older trees have since been blown down by the cyclones of 1864 and 1867. 



On the banks of the Hooghly at Mohesh, below Serampore, stands a grove of teak 

 trees planted in 1828. Their mean girth, breast high, taken by measuring 27 average- 

 sized trees, was 52 inches. The trees were measured in January 1878, and were there- 

 fore 50 years old. They are from 40 50 feet high. 



In paragraphs 177 and 183 of Dr. Schlich's report for 1872-73, the dimensions of a 

 large number of Teak trees at different stations of Lower Bengal are given ; but 

 unfortunately no trustworthy information regarding their age is available. 



Cubic contents of trees at different ages . In paragraph 4 of Colonel Beddome's 

 report a statement is given exhibiting the dimensions of the trees, sections of which 

 were sent to the Paris Exhibition. As already stated, these trees were selected as 

 samples of the dominant trees, viz., of those which will eventually be selected to remain 

 on the ground as the ultimate crop ; but, with few exceptions, they were not selected 

 from among the largest individuals which had much outrun their neighbours. 

 Arranging them in groups from 10 to 10 years, the following results are obtained : 



