410 XXIII. LEGUMINOSAE 



SiLVicuLTURAL CHARACTERS. The tree is a shade-bearer, particularly in 

 youth, although in this respect it cannot compete with the more shade-bearing 

 evergreens. It is sensitive to drought in youth. For its best development it 

 requires a moist, deep, well-drained soil ; it is sometimes found on dry shallow 

 soils, where, however, it never reaches large dimensions. Owing to its thin 

 bark it is readily injured by fire, large wounds due to this cause being frequently 

 found at the base of the tree, as shown in Fig. 155. The tree is attacked by 

 a parasitic fungus, Fomes fulvus, Fries, the spores of which probably gain 

 admission through wounds (see Indian Forester, xxvi. 19 and 160). The tree 

 coppices well up to a moderate size : it is not known if it produces root-suckers 

 like the Indian species. 



Natural reproduction. Experiments at Dehra Dun gave the following 

 results : (1) Germination takes place very readily at the commencement of 

 the rainy season. (2) Bare ground favours germination, but if the ground is 

 hard the germinating seedling is liable to dry up before the radicle penetrates 

 the soil ; loosening the soil greatly helps matters. (3) Mortality also takes 

 place during germination owing to (a) the rotting of the radicle or the seed 

 in heavy wet weed-growth or on badly-drained ground, (b) the destruction of 

 the radicle by birds and insects, (c) the drying up of the radicle or the swollen 

 seed if exposed to the sun after germination has started ; this is a very fruitful 

 cause of death. (4) Under shade (other than that of heavy wet weed-growth) 

 germination takes place readily, and the seedling can establish itself without 

 difficulty ; in shady places the radicle may creep along the ground for some 

 distance before it gains admission to the soil, and even roots and leaves may 

 form before the seedling gains a footing, which would be impossible in 

 the sun. 



These results appear to indicate that natural reproduction is favoured by 

 loose bare ground under shade where the drainage is good. The question of light 

 necessary for its establishment is considered below. 



In the forest young pyinkado seedlings are often found in large quantities 

 under these conditions. On the surface of a new road under construction 

 through the Konbilin forest in Tharrawaddy, where the soil had recently been 

 dug up and levelled, in June 1904 I observed seedlings in countless numbers ; 

 these were so numerous that it was impossible to walk without treading on 

 them at every step. In the same forest pyinkado seedlings have frequently 

 been observed in quantity under the shade of teak plantations of different ages. 



The effect of fire-protection on the natural reproduction of pyinkado is 

 often most pronounced, and annual reports frequently contain references to 

 the quantity of seedlings appearing in fire-protected forests. It is an undoubted 

 fact that in the moister types of deciduous teak-bearing forest in the Pegu 

 Yoma teak is to a large extent being replaced by pyinkado mider the influence 

 of fire-protection, which, while greatly assisting the reproduction of pyinkado, 

 has a correspondingly adverse effect on that of teak. The stimulus given by 

 fire-protection to pyinkado reproduction has been observed in moist and dry 

 upper mixed forest, both with and without bamboos, as well as in lower mixed 

 forest. On the other hand, cases of good reproduction in areas annually 

 burnt may also be observed, though such cases occur only where the 

 state of the soil-covering is such as to preclude severe fires. The effect of 



