96 ESSAY ON FUEL PLANTATIONS. 



thus, which, frugiverous birds and bats plant for him, on the 

 boughs of his trees. Acacia Melanoxylon is particularly 

 liable to be injured in this way, the little Nilgiri Flower 

 Pecker, Dicoeum Goncolor, being the culprit usually, who 

 distributes the seeds. All species of Loranthus are the 

 Leeches of the Vegetable Kingdom, and suck the sap 

 out of every plant, they thrust their cruel roots into. The 

 only remedy is to cut them out as they appear if the trees 

 are not too high. Unless a plantation is meant to be a 

 mixed one of fuel and timber, it is not worth while bothering 

 about Loranthus. 



Hares do no damage to young fuel-plantations in India. 

 Deer, Sambur, occasionally rub their horns against a tree 

 here and there, and scrape off a little bark, but this is all. 



Domestic cattle, when they break in, play the very mis- 

 chief, breaking down trees with their horns, barking them, 

 and trampling the young seediugs in nurseries to death. 

 Goats eat nearly everything, and will speedily put an end 

 to a fuel-plantation, if they are sufficiently numerous, and 

 get in very often. 



In the plains the Casuarina seed should be collected in 

 April. If removed much later, 50 per cent, of the cones will 

 have cast their seeds. In the Wynaad, seed can be collected 

 from June till December ! In the nursery beds, if you wish 

 to force your young plants of this species on, a compost 34* 

 inches deep should be made. This, of course, will add 

 considerably to the cost of the plants, but it is a decided 

 advantage if you are late in the season. The compost 

 should be made as follows : 



30 per cent, of rich mould or humus. 



20 per cent, of sand or brick-dust. 



30 per cent, of two years' old cattle-manure. 



20 per cent, of saw-dust not teak. 



If the soil is porous, and water far from the surface, the 

 tap-roof/ should not be shortened, unless it is over 18 inches 

 in length, when tho tap-root mwt\)Q cut if your pit is 18 



