84 



removed by cutting down the trees to a moderate size as they grow 

 up, and so preventing them ever casting an appreciable amount of 

 shade. They may even be entirely cut down after three year's 

 growth, if only a new lot are growing up to replace them. It has 

 again and again been found that their beneficial action remains 

 after the tree has been removed. Such was found to be markedly 

 the case on the Seleng garden of the Jhanzie Co., and I am likewise 

 informed that this continuance of benefit after removal of the trees has 

 been noticed on the Moran Tea Company's gardens. It would there- 

 fore appear to be good policy to have a regular rotation of trees, 

 none more than three years old, at 1 5 feet apart in the rows, the 

 various lots being newly planted seedlings, one year old plants' 

 two year old plants, and three year old plants ready for removal. 

 At any rate this would be a simple method of obtaining the benefit 

 of the sau tree in situations where shade would be harmful. 



A second objection is that these trees, as well as any shade, 

 encourage various pests and blights of vrhich the chief are mosquito, 

 faggot worms and similar caterpillars, and blister blight (Exobastdium 

 vexaus). With regard to faggot worms I have never been able to 

 trace a connection, If mosquitoes are systematically caught, as 

 they ought to be in an affected district, these should cause little more 

 trouble under trees of this character than elsewhere. But all 

 these pests would be prevented from benefiting by the shade, if only 

 the trees were cut down in rotation as above suggested. 



SELECTION OF TREES TO BE USED. 



Among the trees recommended I think there is little to choose 

 between the sau (Albizzia stipulata) and the medeloa (Dalbergia 

 assamtca). The " koroi " (Albizzia odoratissima) is distinctly inferior 

 to these two, as its form is quite different and not nearly so suit- 

 able. Personally, from what 1 have seen, I prefer the sau itself, 

 because the foliage gives a slighter shade than the medeloa, but 

 really both are so equally valuable that there should be no hesitation 

 in putting in either. Other trees than the leguminosae cannot be 

 recommended as a rule, as they have practically no manurial value. 

 The Silver Oak (Grevillea robustd) has been shown to do no harm 

 to tea,* and makes a good windbelt, but I have never seen any 

 benefit accrue from its presence. Several other local trees have 

 no harmful effect, but nevertheless do no good, and their shade 



I have been recently informed by Mr. C. J. Dunlop, of Monobarie, that tea is 

 apt to die out round the decaying stumps of Grevillea. This is a serious objection to 

 these tiees. 



