NOTE ON SAIN OE SAJ. 



7 



years. On the other hand numerous shoots are sometimes produced which 

 remain small and weak and may only be a few feet high after 10 years' 

 growth. He also makes the following note : " In the Central Provinces 

 the main stem is frequently a sympodium made up of the lower parts 

 of repeated leaders which have bent over at the top while lateral buds 

 have in their turn assumed leadership." In 1895 Mr. H. C. Hill noted 

 that this and other species formed dense thickets of seedlings in the 

 Central Provinces where the beneficial influence of an old mohwa tree 

 was found. Mr. J. W. Best notes as follows on the growth in the 

 Bhandara Division, Central Provinces, in the Indian Forester for November 

 1909 : 



" Another phenomenon due to excessive grazing is the carious growth of young Saj 

 trees. I have in many places seen considerable areas of forest, the soil of which is 

 completely covered by young Saj trees up to 18 inches in height, very much branched and 

 stunted in growth. On being dug up these plants will be found to have a thick and 

 distorted stern at or just beneath the surface of the ground. It is possible to ascribe this 

 condition of growth solely to forest fires. 



I think that excessive grazing has more to do with it, however, became the pheno- 

 menon is as common inside forests which have been successfully protected from fire for 

 a number of years as it is in forest where protection has not been attempted, and one 

 would expect these young trees to recover after protection from fire for a number of 

 years. Our best forests in Bhandara are always protected from fire, but with the excep- 

 tion of the small area taken up by the high forest working circle in Gaikhuri Eange, 

 none of our forests are protected against cattle-grazing for a greater period than 10 

 years. 



In the high forest circle, where protection from, cattle has been carried out for the 

 last 1 1 years, this condition of the Saj regeneration although present is not common ; 

 it must, however, be borne in mind that previous to protection the ground was probably 

 grazed as heavily as elsewhere. 



In places such as steep hills where, owing to their inaccessibility, cattle never graze, 

 stunted growth of young Saj ia absent and incidentally the regeneration of all species 

 is in a considerably more satisfactory condition than in forests situated on level ground. 



'The cause of this abnormal growth of Sqj can be ascribed not so much to the 

 browsing of animals as to their continuous trampling. This would account for the 

 thick stem at the surface of the ground. If steins are continually, year after year, 

 trodden down and mutilated, they could not be expected to send out a strong leading 

 shoot, more particularly as the soil over the roots becomes hard through continuous 

 trampling. 



On the sides of steep hills where cattle seldom if ever graze there are usually a 

 sufficient number of stones to prevent the trampling down of the seedlings as well as df 

 the soil, hence the comparatively good regeneration on the hillsides." 



