Forest Composition. 337 



of a great variety of trees unlike in their habit, their 

 growth, and their product, and if our hardwoods offer 

 on this account considerable difficulties to profitable 

 exploitation, the case is fajMnore complicated in India, 

 several thousand species entering into the composition. 

 In addition to the large variety of timber trees there is 

 a multitude of shrubs, twining and climbing plants, 

 and in many forest districts also a growth of giant 

 grasses (bamboos), attaining a height of 30 to 120 

 feet, which is ready to take possession of clearings. 

 These bamboos, valuable as they are in many waji^, 

 prevent often for years the growth of any seedling 

 trees, and thus form a serious obstacle to the regener- 

 ation of valuable timber. The growth of timber is 

 generally quite rapid, although to attain commercial 

 size. Teak requires usually a rotation of 150 years. 

 But in spite of their rapid growth and the large areas 

 now in forest capable of reforestation, India is not 

 likely to — at least within reasonable time — ^raise more 

 timber than it needs. In most parts of India the use 

 of ordinary soft woods, such as pine, seems very 

 restricted, for only durable woods, those resisting both 

 fungi and insects (of which the white ants are specially 

 destructive), can be employed in the more permanent 

 structures, and are therefore acceptable in all Indian 

 markets. 



At present Teak is the most important hardwood 

 timber, while the Deodar (a true cedar) is the most 

 extensively used conifer. Teak occurs in all moist 

 regions of India except the Himalayas, grows usually 

 mixed with other kinds, single, or in clumps, is girdled 

 two or three years before felling, is generally logged in 



