ESSAY ON FUEL PLANTATIONS. 



75 



no mention is made of charcoal, but the wood cau always 

 be made into charcoal, and the cost of making it is met by 

 the saving of the carriage of the wood. Really good char- 

 coal will always bring 30 rupees a ton, that made in iron 

 kilns is always superior to that made in holes in the ground 

 and deluged with water; the one looks bright and glossy 

 black, the other dull and a grey black. In Salem and in 

 Kurnool, where native iron is largely made, the saving to 

 the jungles, by making charcoal in a scientific manner, 

 would be very great. The native fashion certainly causes 

 a waste of from 75 to 100 per cent. 



Balance Sheet of a Fuel Plantation for 20 years. 



Dr. 



One head gardener and 2 



men at 10 Rs. -f 6 Rs. = 



for 1 year 264 X 20 years . 

 8,000 yards trench at 1 anna 



per running yard ... 

 12 Chatty wells at 20 rupees 

 Gardener's hat Rs. 50, tools 



Rs. 30 



6 Charcoal iron kilns at 150 . 

 Carnage 640 tons at 1-8-0 ... 

 Carriage 9,600 tons at 1-8-0 . 

 Selling charges, supervision, 



&c 



Rent for 20 years at 8 annas 



per acre 

 Interest 10 per cent, for 5 



years on Rs. 6,000 



RS. 



5,280 



500 

 240 



80 



900 



960 



14,400 



10,000 

 6,4CO 

 3,000 



Cr. RS. 



10th year 640 tons at Rs. 8 5,120 

 10 to 20 years, average of 

 fuel per acre, 15 tons on 



640 acres at 8 Rs. ... 76,800 



Total... 81,920 



Deduct charges... 41,760 



Profit on 20 years... 40,160 



Total charges in 20 years. . 41,760 



The profit shown after deducting all charges is about 3 

 rupees an acre a year. This by superior supervision might 

 easily be increased, or by inferior supervision be turned 

 into a loss. I attach the greatest importance to skilled 

 supervision. I shall now discuss the vexed question of tap- 

 roots, as so much has been written on the subject and so 

 great stress laid on the preservation of them, that I feel it is 

 incumbent on me to show why, in most cases, they must be 

 cut, and why nature has given to certain plants powerful 

 tap-roots and to others none. I shall show the uses of the 

 tap-root and why certain plants can do without them, but to 



