26 



MANAGEMENT OF TEAK FORESTS. 



The slip is no longer used, as a road at an easy gradient has 

 been made, and the carting is done at one-half the cost of 

 the slipping. 



I observe that in rny Forest Report for 1872, at page 62, 

 I calculate the cost of slipping at 1-3 the cubic foot. I am 

 certaiu the carting can be done for about one-half. Some 

 Seasoning Teak, years ago a number of trees on the Anamallies were girdled 

 with the view of seasoning them standing, as was done in 

 the Burma Forests, it was not found to answer for when 

 felled, the wood was found to be brittle, to have lost all its 

 oil, and the axemen could not get a plank oul of a log, of 

 course, the system of girdling was abandoned. In 1862 

 the Admiralty sent out to India to enquire why Burma 

 timber was so dry and brittle, whilst Malabar timber was 

 full of oil and very tough. The papers were sent to me 

 asking if the trees had not been tapped for oil, and I 

 answered them to the following effect: " That Malabar 

 timber was always left on the ground to season, lying in a 

 horizontal position, so that all the sap and moisture was 

 evaporated out of the log, whilst the oil remained, that the 

 Burma timber was girdled and left standing for two years, 

 that in consequence of this vertical position of the log, not 

 only was all the sap drained away, but through the tubes 

 all the oil was also drained away. That there was no reason 

 why Burma Teak should not have as much oil as Malabar 

 Teak if treated in a similar manner." 



The advocates of girdling in Burma stated, " That as the 

 timber had to be floated, it was necessary to leave it girdled 

 for two years to reduce its weight. That if the timber were 

 felled and left lying on the ground, it would infallibly be 

 burnt as the area of the forest are so great that they could not 

 afford watchmen to look after the felled timber." They did 

 not seem to be aware that their system reduced the value of 

 the timber by 50 per cent. I am of opinion that it would 

 have been better to have formed large depots and watched 

 them, or to have put the timber on board flats and have 

 towed them to the port. 



Girdling. 



