142 COLLECTION OP SEED. 



cannot, under any circumstances, be reached with the hand, an 

 implement similar to that used by mango-gatherers may be employ- 

 ed (Fig. 3). The bag (&) receives the fruit or seeds, and prevents 

 them from escaping or falling to the ground, while the peculiar- 

 shaped opening (o) catches the stalk just above the fruit or bunch 

 of fruits and breaks it off. Fig. 4 represents a modified form of 

 the same implement; s s are fine sharp saw-edges which cut through 

 the stalk as the man draws the implement towards himself. 



(ii) GATHERING OFF FELLED TKEES. Trees that are to be cut 

 for export in the ordinary course of work often yield a consider- 

 able supply of good seed. They should be felled or lopped im- 

 mediately the fruit is ripe. A pruning bill or hook often facilitates 

 very materially the collection of the fruit. This is the only method 

 applicable to the various kinds of bamboos. 



(lii) GATHERING FROM THE GROUND. The seeds that fall first 

 are generally barren or worm-eaten ; they should invariably be 

 rejected. To this end the dead leaves and early-fallen fruit or 

 seed should be swept away from under the selected trees. This 

 method of collection is very economical, and is peculiarly suited 

 for large heavy fruit that falls more or less perpendicularly, and 

 does not break up and allow the included seed or seeds to dis- 

 perse; e.g. those of Quercus incana, the saiidalwood tree, sal, Termi- 

 nalla Chebula a Jid beL-rica, $c. To help the fall of the seed or fruit, 

 the branches of the trees may be shaken. 



(iv) PLUCKING THE FRUIT OFF FORCIBLY FROM STANDING 

 TREES. When trees marked to fall within a year or so are chosen 

 as seed-bearers, it may be found inconvenient or impossible to 

 wait, in order to collect the seeds, until the trtes are felled. On 

 account of the nature and small size of the fruit and seed, method 

 (iii) may also be inapplicable, while (i) would be unnecessarily 

 expensive, since there is no reason, in this case, for sparing the 

 fruit-bearing branchlets and twigs. The fruit may then be broken 

 off singly or in bunches with the aid of a strong hook, forming a 

 sharp angle of about 30 and firmly attached to one end of a long 

 sapling or bamboo. To enable the hook to catch the branch firm- 

 ly, the inside edge should be sharp or serrated and slightly curved 

 inwards. In using the implement, the hook should be passed over 

 the fruit-bearing branchlet or twig at the point at which it is to be 

 broken off, and then jerked sharply downwards ; or it that does 

 not suffice, it should be worked round once or twice until it firmly 

 catches the branchlet or twig, as the case may be, when a single jerk 

 will suffice to cut the latter through. Where small wood has no 



