ACACIA 465 



5hows a crop of Eucalyptus Globulus coppice with Acacia dealbata coppice as 

 Mi under-story, and Fig. 175 shows pure coppice of acacia, in which numerous 

 'oot-suckers are intermingled. The tree has been found to have a powerful 

 litrogenizing action on the soil, and is thus a good natural fertilizer. In 

 France it is said not to thrive on soil containing lime ; the soil of the Nilgiris 

 s particularly free from lime, and this may possibly favour its extraordinary 

 vegetative activity on those hills. 



As regards the yield of plantations, Mr. S. Cox ^ points out that it is 

 lardly possible to give accurate figures for A. dealbata by itself, as it has been 

 miversally planted with A. Melanoxylon, and although in the plantations 

 'egularly coppiced for fuel the latter has largely died out there is always 

 I small proportion left. Allowing for error caused by the mixture of the two 

 >pecies, the general average yield of coppice from ten to fifteen years old in the 

 second rotation may be said to be from 2,000 to 3,000 cub. ft. stacked per acre. 



The tree has been commonly planted in the Himalaya, for example at 

 5imla and in the Naini Tal and Almora hills, chiefly between 6,000 and 8,000 ft. 

 elevation. It sufl^ers considerably from snow-break, but where its value lies 

 n its adaptability for afforestation purposes this is not a serious drawback, 

 ^n the abnormal frost of 1905 it suftered to a considerable extent, particularly 

 it the higher elevations, but the check to the growth resulted in the production 

 )f numerous root-suckers. In the Naini Tal hills it stood the abnormal drought 

 )f 1907 and 1908 well where most other exotic species were badly damaged. 

 n the Himalaya the tree flowers from January to March, and the seed ripens 

 n June : in cold situations the fruit fails to ripen. When in flower the trees, 

 aden with yellow blossom, are a striking sight. 



(3) Acacia Melanoxylon, R.Br. Australian blackwood. 



An evergreen tree, in its natural home ordinarily reaching a height of 60 to 

 ^0 ft. and a girth of 6 ft. Exceptionally it is said to reach a height of 120 ft. 

 ind a girth of 10 ft. In the Nilgiris it often reaches a height of 80 ft., but 

 seldom attains a girth of over 5 ft. On rich soil it grows luxuriantly : thus 

 n the Rallia plantation near Coonoor, where it is mixed with Eucalyptus 

 llobidus, occasional trees reach a height of 110 ft. at an age of forty years, 

 ;hough the girth averages less than 3 ft., the trees having been drawn up to 

 leight by close planting (see Fig. 176). The largest recorded measurements 

 n the Nilgiris are those made by Mr. Cowley-Brown in the case of a tree forty- 

 line years old in Bleak House plantation ; these are : (1) height 127 ft., (2) girth 

 it breast height 6 ft. 4 in., (3) estimated volume 212-5 cub. ft. (timber only), 

 rhis tree has since been killed by Lorafithus. Trees fifty-two years old in the 

 Marlimund block on deep moist soil measured up to 100 ft. in height and 5 ft. 

 in girth. 



Acacia Mela^ioxylon is a larger tree, with more erect habit, straighter bole, 

 and denser crown, than A. decurrens or A. dealbata. The dense olive-green 

 foliage, consisting mainly of phyllodes and not of true leaves, forming a sym- 

 metrical tapering crown reaching low down, makes it one of the handsomest 

 of the exotic trees in the Nilgiris ; its general appearance is unlike that of 

 a typical acacia. The young branchlets are angled, minutely grey tomentose, 

 rarely glabrous. Phyllodes coriaceous, glabrous, lanceolate or oblong, usuall^^ 



^ Working Plan for the Nilgiri Plantations, 1913. 



2307.2 jj 



