TEAK PLANTATIONS. 321 



Bombay Government has now an agent, whose head-quarters are 

 at Calicut. If this officer could not undertake the duty, a sepa- 

 rate agent, on say Es. 400 per mensem, with an establishment of 

 100 more (in round numbers), would be required. This officer 

 would receive from our depots, or buy from private owners, and 

 ship the timber procured. 



Looking at the increasing scarcity, and the greatly augmenting 

 demands for timber, I think Government should begin at once to 

 plant freely. The Conolly plantations are now beginning to pay 

 and promise well. I would urge the doubling of the grant for 

 this. We now plant nearly 70,000 trees annually for about 

 Es. 3000, which include the care of those already planted ; with 

 Es. 6000, or only £50 per mensem, we could almost double the 

 rate of progress, and I am confident it would prove a good in- 

 vestment. I have explained my views to Lieut. Beddome, who 

 will arrange satisfactorily for this extension of operations, if 

 Government sanction it. 



Order of Government. 



12th October 1860. 



1. A copy of this letter will be forwarded to the Secretary 

 of State, in reply to par. 5 of his Despatch of the 21st August, 

 No. 60. 



2. Dr Cleghorn states, that about 70,000 trees are annually 

 planted in the Conolly plantations at a cost of about Es. 3000, 

 and he is confident that nearly twice as much could be done were 

 the allowance raised to Es. 6000. The Governor in Council con- 

 siders this proposal to be one which ought certainly to be adopted. 

 The proposed outlay is trifling, while the advantage, indepen- 

 dently of the ultimate money profit, will be incalculable a few 

 years hence. 



1 Native Sub-Conservator, . . Es. 50 



1 Assistant, . . 10 



2 Overseers at Es. 8, 16 

 1 Do. . . .5 



Carry forward, Es. 81 



