LIST 01 I -MFC I. TKKEb WITH REMAi 



as often in soft luterito, which lias all the appearance of a 

 stiff clay. Though in Wynaad there is no visible lime to be 

 found in the soil; this tree has tho singular property of 

 Absorbing liiuo from the soil which forms iu the shape of 

 long strips, encrusting the outside of the tree iu lengths of 

 three and four feet, and in width from three inches up to a 

 foot, and two aud three inches in thickness. The Curumbers 

 use it instead of lime for betel chewing. Teak cannot be 

 grown amongst bamboos, nor indeed can any other forest 

 tree. It is a fallacy to suppose otherwise, and wherever the 

 contrary has been observed, it is due to the fact that the 

 trees were established there before the bamboos appeared, 

 for though bamboos may grow amougst trees, young plants 

 of trees are poisoned by the acid emanations from bamboos, 

 the same is the case with the Tamarind tree under which 

 even grass will not grow. The mode of growth of the Teak 

 tree depends very much on its situation, such as at Nell urn- 

 bore, for instance, where the climate is exceedingly forcing, 

 the trees are drawn up to a very great height at forty years 

 of age, being something like hundred feet high, after which 

 age, their vertical growth is slow, and the boles begin to fill 

 out. In Wynaad owing to the difference of climate, the 

 growth is much slower, probably not quite two-thirds of the 

 above rate. In the Anamallies the growth is between that 

 of Nellumbore and Wynaad and at the same time the trees 

 attain a gigantic height. In testing timber at the Neil- 

 gherry Barracks, it was found that the long straight grain 

 of the Anamallie timber deflected more than that of Wynaad, 

 thus showing that the Wynaad timber of slower growth 

 was more rigid and better adapted for girders in fact, if 

 all things are considered ; very probably, Wynaad Teak is 

 superior for building purposes to any other Teak timber. 

 The carpenters at the Wellington Barracks always com- 

 plained that the Wynaad timber was far more difficult to 

 work up than that from Anamallie. 



A great many complaints have been made that " Tukkui" Tukkul 

 or native clearings in the forest destroys the Teak ; this 



