TEAK PLANTATIONS. 



In several parts of this work, reference is made to the 'experi- 

 ments made (in the Madras Presidency) to propagate- teak. Of 

 these the most important and most prosperous were the efforts 

 made by Mr Conolly, the late collector of Malabar. His object 

 was to establish nurseries, in order to replenish the teak forests, 

 which were rapidly becoming thinned; the demand for the 

 timber being so great, and so steadily on the increase, as to indi- 

 cate, at no distant period, a scarcity of large-sized logs much to 

 be deprecated. This scarcity is being realized, especially now 

 that so much is required to meet the purposes of the Kailway De- 

 partment. Besides, from the fact that teak, and, par excellence, 

 Malabar teak, is acknowledged to be the most valuable timber 

 for ship-building purposes yet known, and consequently always 

 preferred at our Government dockyards, it is evident that all 

 efforts tending to preserve and propagate trees so important to 

 the State, and so valuable in commerce, cannot be over-e6timated. 

 Mr C.'s first experiments were made nearly twenty years ago ; 

 these, however, were on a very limited scale, and attended with 

 very partial success. Subsequently a large tract of land, in the 

 neighbourhood of the Beypur Biver (25 square miles in extent), 

 was selected by that gentleman for the purpose of converting it 

 into teak plantations. Large quantities of seeds were sown, 

 and thousands of saplings were planted ; but the former failed 

 to germinate, and the latter did not present a thriving appear- 

 ance. This state of things was ascribed to a variety of causes, 

 and led to a series of changes both of men and expedients. At 

 this stage of matters, and while Mr Conolly was feeling the want 

 and advocating the necessity of a trained arboriculturist, the 



