44 SECOND REPORT ON FOREST OPERATIONS 



27. Minor Jungles. — The shrubby copsewood, which is so use- 

 ful for fuel, is protected in some degree from wasteful cutting 

 and conflagration. The management of these jungles, however, 

 must always remain with the local authorities, who, in commu- 

 nication with me, promulgated rules according to the necessities 

 of their districts. No circular that could be devised would be 

 generally applicable. 



28. Sandal-wood. — The preservation of young plants, and the 

 means of ensuring a regular income from this source of revenue, 

 have engaged my attention. The system adopted in Mysore for 

 this purpose appears to be judicious. Colkars are employed to 

 destroy the strong creepers, which tend to choke the young 

 plants springing from seed dropped in hedgerows by birds. It 

 is their duty also to cut annually all ripe trees twenty years old, 

 and no other, and to take care that the billets are properly pre- 

 pared and sorted, and brought into the sandal godown. The 

 sandal tree grows to perfection in Mysore, and yields a large 

 annual revenue to the State. It also thrives well in some parts 

 of Salem, Coimbatore, and North Canara, in which district it is 

 now under the charge of Mr Miiller. I have been in correspon- 

 dence with the collector of Coimbatore, and have instructed 

 Lieutenant Beddome to visit the taluks (Danaickencotta, Andyur, 

 Collegal, Suttimungalum) in the Coimbatore district, and to sup- 

 ply full and accurate information — (1.) As to the size and abun- 

 dance of the trees ; (2.) As to the method of curing or preparing 

 the wood adapted in the district ; (3.) As to the means most 

 likely to improve the quality of the billets, and to secure a regular 

 revenue to the State. Mr New, superintendent of the Lall Bagh 

 Garden, Bangalore, has raised a large number of seedlings in a 

 nursery, and finds the seeds germinate readily if sown within a 

 fortnight after removal from the tree ; but they do not bear car- 

 riage well to a distance, and few germinate if a month old. 



Illicit Traffic in Sandal-wood. — On different occasions, while 

 travelling down the Cartir Ghat, I met parties of Mapillas with 

 fresh cut sandal-wood on their backs. On inquiry, I ascertained 

 that these men barter the wood with the Kurumbers for salt fish 

 and cocoa-nuts. I addressed the commissioner of Mysore, the 

 collectors of Malabar and Coimbatore, requesting their co-opera- 



