Tectona.] LX. VEEBENACEiE. 355 



The Teak tree is indigenous in both peninsulas of India, in the eastern drier 

 part of Java, in Sumatra, and in some of the other islands of the Indian Archi- 

 pelago. In Western India it does not extend far beyond the Mhye. In Feb. 

 1870 I found it in the Sadxi or Santola forests a few miles north^of that river, 

 about 20 miles south-west of Neemuch. In Central India it attains its northern- 

 most poiut in the Jhansi district at lat. 25° 30', and from that poiut the line of • 

 its northern limit continues in a south-easterly direction to the Mahanadi river 

 in Orissa. In Burma proper. Teak is known to extend to the 25th degree N.L., 

 and it is reported from Munipur at about the same latitude. There is no proof 

 of its being indigenous in Bengal, though there is a report of its having formerly 

 been found wild in Assam, between Tezpur and Bishnath. It is, however, 

 cultivated throughout Bengal, Assam and Sikkim, and in north-west India, 

 without difficulty, as far as Saharanpur. In the Panjab it is difS.cult to raise, 

 and it has not been grown west of Lahore. "As regards moisture. Teak seems to 

 require a rainfall of 30, but to thrive best under a mean annual fall of 50 to 

 120 inches. 



The temperatiire of the Teak-produciag districts may be illustrated by the 

 following statement of the mean temperature [during the four seasons at the 

 following ^stations, — ^four of which, Cannanore, Bombay, Rangoon, Toungoo, 

 represent a climate where the tree thrives to perfection ; and three, viz., Baitul, 

 Nursingpur, and Sagar, being situated near the northern limit of its area. 



Cannanore. Bombay. Bwgoon. Toungoo. Baitul. Nnis. Sagar. 



Deo., Jan., Feb., mean, 80"0 TS"? 76"6 72°1 60'8. 62'4 64"5 



March, April, May, „ 84.4 83.0 80.7 84.3 80.9 80.6 83.5 



June, July, Aug., „ 78.9 81.8 80.1 80.4 77.6 82.5 86,4 



Sept., Oct., Nov., n 79.9 80.7 80.9 78.6 71.8 76.9 72.8 



Tear, ir 80.8 80.3 79.3 78.9 72.5 75.4 76.8 



Thus it may be said that the Teak tree thrives with a mean temperature during 

 the cold season between 60° and 80°, during the hot season between 80° and 85°, 

 during the rains between 77° and 87°, during autumn between 71° and 81°, and 

 that the mean annual temperature which suits it best lies between 72° and 81°. 

 The absolute extremes of the Teak districts are illustrated by the foUpwing 

 statement of maximum and minimum temperatures observed at three of the 

 above-named stations during the 12 months of the year c — 



Teak, however, can bear temperatures considerably lower than those indi- 

 cated by these figures. In the vaUeys of the Satpura range and on thenMhye 

 river in Western India frost is not imcommon in the Teak -producing d&tricts. 

 In Burma, Teak ascends to 3000 ft. in the lulls east of Toungoo, and in a few 

 other places, but does not attain large size at that elevation ; and in the Pegu 

 Yoma lulls, a different description of forest, composed partly of evergreen trees 

 with a great deal of Xylia dolabrif<yfmiSi takes the place of Teak at elevations 

 above 2000 ft. On the Anamallay moimtains it grows to perfection at about 



