310 TEAK PLANTATIONS. 



trees should be cut off smoothly with the trunk, was likewise in- 

 judicious ; for by so doing the part cut will always shrink into 

 the trunk, leave holes, and thus aggravate the very defects which 

 were to be avoided. A better plan would be, to leave on the 

 trunk a small projection of the branch cut, so as to allow of its 

 shrinking without injuring the trunk. Mr G-raham concluded, 

 by recommending nurseries at a distance from water, and on 

 the clearest ground that could be procured, in order to avoid 

 the swarms of insects which, he said, devoured anything newly 

 sprung from the ground. He also informed Mr Conolly that the 

 simplest mode of ascertaining whether teak seeds were good, was 

 to throw them into a vessel of water, when the good seeds would 

 sink, and the bad ones float. 



Shortly after writing the above, Mr Graham resigned the office 

 of sub-conservator. Mr Conolly, upon this (with a view to fur- 

 ther experiments in sowing teak seed), urged anew the necessity 

 for an arboriculturist being procured from England. The Board 

 of Eevenue supported this proposition, the Government favour- 

 ably recommended it to the Court of Directors, and, pending their 

 decision, authorised Mr Conolly to appoint a native sub-conser- 

 vator, on a salary of Es.50 a month. 



The experience from subsequent trials near Calicut of thevarious 

 plans suggested by Dr Wight and M. Perrottet for insuring the 

 germination of the teak seed, enabled Mr Conolly "to discern, 

 with considerable accuracy, the best means of arriving at this 

 wished-for result;" and though the discovery took place too late 

 to enable him to profit that year by the proper season for sowing, 

 he was able to put into the ground, in a favourable locality, 

 a few miles below Nelambur, 10,000 young plants, of which 

 7000 were in a healthy and prosperous condition. The sub-con- 

 servator had also put down in the same spot, and elsewhere, 

 3000 saplings, which he transplanted from the surrounding 

 forests. A few of these were reported to be looking well ; 

 but the remainder, owing probably to the injury to which 

 plants are liable on removal to new situations, had drooped, 

 and were likely to perish. Under these circumstances, Mr 

 Conolly did not advise Government to obtain more land, ex- 

 cept on very favourable terms. He however wrote, — " It was 



