76 



INDIAN FOREST MEMOIRS. 



fire damage is greatly diminished and an early fire is often almost innocuous 



on such soil. 

 (b) Owing to vegetative activity being fairly vigorous in February, the growing 



points of the young culms, commencing their second season's growth, are often 



2 — 3 inches above the ground surface in that month, whereas in S. Narenga 



they are as a rule still below the surface. 

 As in S. Narenga, the shoots which are most subject to fire damage are the one year 

 culms which, in the ordinary course, would produce the long, flowering culm and panicle the 

 following season. Thai early fires on sandy soil are capable of destroying these culms and 

 thus of greatly diminishing the production of flowering culms (and consequently of the 

 commercial munj fibre) has been observed again and again. Clumps recently burnt have 

 been examined in the field and the terminal buds of the one year culms frequently found to 

 be brown, discoloured and obviously damaged, while unburnt areas can often be at once 

 distinguished in Lhe forest from adjacent burnt areas owing to the far more numerous 

 flowering culms in the former. This is most marked in November — December before the 

 grass is fired and when the green areas which are annually burnt are sharply defined from 

 the adjacent unburnt tracts which resemble a white sea on account of the multitudes of 

 fluffy panicles. 



Cases however do occur where occasional firing is apparently beneficial. 

 Mention has been made above of the fact that where the leaves of this grass are cut 

 for thatching purposes, the clumps, which are occasionally and not regularly cut, frequently 

 show congested growth and a very poor production of vigorous young culms, owing to the 

 presence of an unusually large number of flowering culms, the leaves of which prevent the 

 young culms at the base of the clump obtaining sufficient light for their development. The 

 burning of such clumps which contain an excess of old flowering culms, results in more or 

 less effectually cleaning the clump of the dead leaves, old culms and debris and is frequently 

 followed by a very vigorous production of young culms during the next season. In this 

 way occasional burning in areas worked for thatching grass is probably beneficial, but the 

 most satisfactory treatment for such areas probably consists in endeavouring to prevent 

 the production of flowering culms and to obviate the necessity for firing by cutting over 

 the immature leafy culms regularly every year. One year culms which are cut over usually 

 produce only leaves and short internodes again during the next season and by continuing 

 to cut these at a suitable height it should be possible to prevent the production of flowering 

 culms. 



Intentional burning should be carried out early in the season before the clumps get too 

 dry, as otherwise there is a danger of the rhizome being destroyed by the intense heat. 



Any factor which interferes with the natural outward growth of the clumps and 

 causes the young culms to appear inside the clump and under the shade of older culms, 

 instead of just outside the clump at the periphery, as is naturally the case, also results in 

 a similar congestion of growth and inferior production of vigorous young culms. Such 



[ ™ ] 



