TECTONA 759 



found were those which had ah'eady been on the ground prior to the flowering. 

 This indicates that advance growth must play a prominent part in operations 

 for securing natural reproduction of teak at the time of flowering of the bamboo. 

 Mr. Smales, therefore, advocates stimulating advance growth as much as 

 possible, in view of an expected general flowering of Bambusa polymorpha, by 

 cutting gaps in the bamboo cover round teak seed-bearers and elsewhere, and 

 sowing teak seed in these gaps. 



Fig. 292 shows a group of promising advance growth of teak in an area 

 of flowered Cephalostachyum pergracile. The dead culms have fallen or been 

 broken down and undergrowth has been cut. As the young teak is weak and 

 crooked the intention is to burn the area and cut back the teak. 



In Burma great stress is laid on the necessity for carrying out extensive 

 operations for effecting the reproduction of teak when Bambusa polymorpha 

 flowers gregariously, as it is expected to do before very long. This bamboo 

 is certainly of paramount importance, but there are other important bamboos, 

 notably Cephalostachyum pergracile, which, have frequently flowered gregariously 

 in different localities, although the flowering has too often been allowed to 

 pass by without any special operations being carried out in order to take 

 advantage of it and to gain experience of how to proceed in the event of 

 a general flowering of Batnbusa polymorpha. 



Based on such experience as has been gained in the treatment of teak in 

 bamboo-flowered areas, certain measures were prescribed in 1914 in anticipa- 

 tion of a general flowering of bamboo, and particularly of Bambusa polymorpha. 

 These measures comprise the following: (1) collection and storage of large 

 quantities of teak seed annually, utilizing it for plantations and other opera- 

 tions before it deteriorates, in the event of the flowering not taking place ; 



(2) previous selection of suitable bamboo areas in which to conduct operations, 



(3) careful protection of flowered bamboo areas from fire until the end of the 

 hot season, followed by burning before the rains commence, in order to destroy 

 as much bamboo seed as possible, even if dibbling of teak seed cannot be 

 carried out ; (4) removal of low overhead cover as far as possible prior to 

 burning, and girdling of all large trees other than teak at the same time as or 

 as soon as possible after burning ; (5) dibbling of teak seed immediately after 

 burning, roughly 6 ft. by 6 ft., two seeds in each hole not more than 1 in. 

 deep ; dibbling to be confined as far as possible to well-drained and accessible 

 ridges and spurs, and to a distance of two chains on either side of them, broad, 

 flat, badly drained ridges being avoided ; broadcast sowing to be tried only 

 on flat ridges and gentle slopes ; (6) in the first and subsequent years after 

 dibbling, burning to be carried out, if required, early in the season, in order 

 to destroy fallen culms ; Aveeding to be carried out, twice in each of the first 

 two years and once in the third year. The total cost of these weedings is 

 estimated at Rs. 15 per acre. 



These prescriptions appear to be suitable so far as they go except in one 

 particular, in which they are open to criticism, that is in th proposal to con- 

 fine dibblings to a distance of two chains on either side of ridges and spurs. 

 By so doing the mistake made in respect of so many of the Burma plantations, 

 namely in scattering operations and thus greatly increasing the cost of upkeep, 

 will be repeated. Again, the richest areas, where teak reaches its finest 



