LANTANA 783 



disease of sandal, a question which is discussed under Santalum album. 80 

 far as the forest is concerned, in areas where it has already monopolized the 

 ground, the problem to be solved is how best to take advantage of its beneficial 

 qualities and to minimize its injurious effects. Complete eradication over 

 large areas is certainly a mo-t expensive operation, but it may be justified in 

 order to prevent the further spread of the pest, or where the risk of damage 

 by fire is very serious, that is, where the forest crop is a sufficiently valuable 

 one, for it may be regarded as almost certain that a lantana-infested area will 

 be overrun with fire sooner or later. In Coorg, at all events, the forest manage- 

 ment aims at a vigorous war of extermination against the lantana. On the 

 other hand, the eradication of lantana over definite coupes annually, combined 

 with the complete restocking of the areas taken in hand with valuable species 

 by natural and artificial means, would be a satisfactory method of taking 

 advantage of the special qualities of the lantana as an aid to reproduction. 

 Apart from the question of fire, however, objection might be taken to partial 

 eradication of this kind on the ground that the uncleared portions of the forest 

 will remain centres of infection to cultivated lands in the neighbourhood or 

 to recently felled coupes in the forest. The matter still requires much study, 

 particularly in the direction of ascertaining the conditions of light and other 

 factors under which lantana is unable again to take possession of the ground 

 when it has once been eradicated and where its presence is undesirable. The 

 planting or underplanting of an existing forest crop with heavy-foliaged 

 species under which the lantana cannot thrive, is indicated as a possible 

 subject for experiment. Ficus elastica has been tried for this purpose in 

 Madras, but the successful establishment of this tree was not effected, and 

 the experiment came to nothing. Mr. Tireman notes that the castor-oil plant 

 checks the growiih of the lantana considerably, but does not kill it. 



Suggestions have been made that the lantana might be utilized com- 

 mercially for the distillation of essential oil from its leaves or perfume from 

 its flowers ; there may be possibilities in this direction. It is already used to 

 some extent as fuel by villagers, but the amount consumed is negligible com- 

 pared with the enormous quantities available. 



