10 



26. From the above statement it will be seen that the financial position 

 was at its worst in 1898-99 when the accumulated arrears of interest amounted 

 to Bs. 4,78,018. It is perhaps not a coincidence that in the year from which 

 the position begins to improve the fellings were in compartments which had 

 all previously been cut over, whereas in 1897-98 some of the compartments 

 were still being felled for the first time. By 1913-14 the whole of the arrears 

 of interest had been paid off and up to that date the plantation had just paid 

 4 per cent, on all the money invested in it, leaving Rs. 17,710 as profit. 

 Continuing the statement to the year 1915-16 it will be seen that in a very 

 few years at the present rate the plantation could pay off the whole of its 

 capital and there would remain a property the value of which has increased 

 enormously since the plantation was started in 1867. . 



27. The timber produced in the plantation is the most paying product 



and it is more readily disposed of than firewood, 

 hence every endeavour should be made to in- 



erease the supply of timber at the expense of firewood. The following classes 



of timber are sold : 



28. The firewood is cut into billets of 5 feet length and is classified 

 into thick firewood *and thin firewood. The former consists of billets over 

 2 inches diameter at the thin ends and the latter of billets 2 inches or less in 

 diameter at the thick ends. The thick firewood is further classified into thick 

 sissoo and thick mulberry. Both thick sissoo and thick mulberry firewood on 

 being bought by a trader are carefully sorted and all the thicker and straighter 

 pieces are removed and used for timber, mainly in making legs of native 

 bedsteads. The price of the stacks varies enormously according to the amount 

 of thick straight pieces they contain. Of recent years it has been the custom 

 to collect dry and windfall wood of which there are immense quantities, especially 

 in compartments about 12 to 16 years old. The price obtained for this wood 

 varies more than the price for other classes, as a stack containing thick billets 

 from a dry standard is eagerly bought by furniture makers for the thick 

 timber pieces, whereas many of the stacks only contain wood which is more or 

 less rotten and for them the price is low. 



