TECTONA 761 



These sowings have proved a great success, and are now represented by 

 large areas of well-grown teak poles. 



In the same neighbourhood, and to the north of Nyanle, where Dendro- 

 calainus strictus flowered in 1893-4, teak seed was dibbled among the unburnt 

 bamboos in June. This proved a failure owing to insufficient felling and 

 burning. 



These examples will serve to show that very successful plantations can 

 be estabhshed in flowered bamboo areas, provided operations are commenced 

 as soon after the seeding as possible, that all overhead cover is cleared and 

 thoroughly burnt, and that regular weeding is carried out in the young crop. 

 Among other successful works of this kind may be mentioned the sowings in 

 the Bwet reserve, Prome, following on a flowering of Dendrocalamus strictus 

 in 1876. These would probably have been even more successful had not 

 a good many large trees remained unfelled on the area. Recent flowered 

 bamboo sowings in Prome have been supplemented by the transplanting of 

 teak seedlings ; of these natural forest seedlings have been found more success- 

 ful than nvirsery seedlings, and of the former plants one year old or more have 

 proved superior to young seedlings of the first rains. A successful example 

 of the use of transplants in stocking a flowered bamboo area may be quoted 

 from Katha, Upper Burma : ^ ' In the Katha division tin bamboo {Cephalo- 

 stachyum pergracile) flowered in 1905 in the northern part of the division. 

 The area was burnt in the hot weather, which stimulated the growth of coppice- 

 shoots from teak stems burnt back. As natural teak seedlings did not spring 

 up, nurseries were made and seedhngs planted out in the rains of 1906 and 

 1907. The area was cleaned from time to time, and there is now (1914) a fine 

 crop of young teak on the ground which only needs an occasional cleaning. 

 The area treated was about 500 acres. The cost of the operation was about 

 Rs. 10 per acre.' 



Fig. 293 shows a young crop of teak mixed with cutch raised by sowing 

 in a flowered bamboo area in the Bwet reserve, Prome. A dense growth of 

 young bamboo will be noticed springing up under the teak. 



Statistical. Under favourable conditions the rate of growth of teak in 

 its earlier years is very rapid, a mean girth of 2 in. and a mean height of 6 ft. 

 per annum for the first few years being not unusual in well situated and tended 

 plantations. Later the growth becomes somewhat slower, though in plantations 

 which have been formed in favourable localities and have been regularly 

 tended a girth increment of 1 in. a year or more may be expected. It will be 

 convenient to consider statistical information separately for plantations and 

 natural forest. 



1. Plantations. Burma. The most recent statistics of a more or less 

 complete nature relating to the teak plantations of Burma are those compiled 

 by Mr. F. A. Leete - from data collected up to 1909. These statistics were 

 prepared from measurements made immediately after thinning in selected 

 fully stocked sample plots in teak plantations of different ages in various 

 localities. As Mr. Leete remarks, it is as yet too early to determine whether 

 all plantations throughout the province should be grouped together in one set 



^ Forest Administration Report, Burma, 1913-14. 



- Memorandum on Teak Plantations in Burma. For. Bull, new ser., No. 2, 1911. 



