651 



In 1892 it was reported that during the previous two years 

 efforts had been made to establish this tree on the West Coast 

 of Africa, large supplies of seed being received through the 

 India Office from the Agri. Horticultural Soc. of Madras and 

 distributed from Kew to all the West African Settlements (Kew 

 Bull. 1892, p. 73), 



In 1891, trees on the embankment at Lagos were stated to 

 be laden with fruit and could be multiplied to any extent, and at 

 the Botanical Station, Gold Coast, 5000 young plants were on 

 hand (I.e. 1893, p. 25). 



At Aburi, Gold Coast, in 1910, the tree was doing well and 



development 



o 



Plains, for the first stages in creating wind-breaks along the 

 exposed sea-coast, and for firewood (Thompson, Col. Rep. JNlisc. 

 No. 66, 1910, p. 14). Irt 1918 in the Southern Trovinces, 

 Nigeria, the plantations of forest trees covering an area of 

 828 acres were mostly jilanted up with this tree together Anth 

 Teak, Mahogany, Albizzia Lebbek, and '' Afara " {Terminalia 

 ■superba), the growth of all species on the whole being reported 

 as excellent (Col. Rep. Ann. No. 1030, 1920 (for 1918) p. 9). 



Timber heavy— green wood on an average, weighing 70 lb. 

 and seasoned wood 50-60 lb. per cubic ft. — hard, difficult to 

 work, that of the Malabar coast plantations used chiefly for fuel ; 

 but some of it for poles and rafters (Gamble. Man. Ind. Timb. 

 p. 666) ; used hke " Teak " {Tectona grandis) for making dr\ing 

 sheds for tobacco in Sumatra (Journ, D'Agric. Tropicale, 1912, 



P 



mallets 



of the 



'/' 



for making spears and war clubs in Samoa, and for fuel in Guam 

 (Safford, PI. Guam, p. 220). In the plantations of the North 

 Kanara Coast, India, the tree is 

 yields, which is excellent, the w 



grown entirely for the fuel it 

 >od will burn well even when 



green (Indian Forester, 1913, p. 143) and in Mauritius the majority 

 of sugar factories burn considerable quantities of " filao " wood 

 (Inter. Sugar Journ. 1910, p. 15). 



The bark is used for tanning and for various medicinal 

 purposes in India (Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. India), formerly used 



Sea 



Kew Museum there 



dyed with the bark from Pondicherry (Dr. Cleghorn) — the 

 is '' madapoUam,'* colour Khaki. 



The tree is valuable for shelter-belte, reclaiming sand-wastes 



and for ornamental purpose 



Propagated by seed, which gemainates quickly; raised in 

 Nursery beds or bamboo pots, the young plants may be ready 

 for planting out in from 6-8 months, the distance apart should 

 be from 5-10 ft. with periodical tliinning as required. The 

 growth is very rapid, 40-50 ft. with a girth of about 18 in. at a 

 few feet from the grormd in 4| y^ars, has been recorded (Indian 



