324 TEAK PLANTATIONS. 



noticed by me in a previous Beport,* namely, the inferior size of 

 the fruit or nut, which I found to be about 50 per cent, inferior 

 in size and, weight to that of the natural forests of the Tenas- 

 serim provinces. Latitude, and mere temperature, within a few 

 degrees, would seem to be of less importance, for it is well known 

 that excellent teak timber is grown in the valley of Nerbudda."f 

 . . . . " But there was a grave error in thp early planting ar- 

 rangements, which was fatal to success. The trees were planted 

 at intervals of 10 feet apart, and as they grew up, it never ap- 

 pears to have been thought necessary to thin them. The conse- 

 quence was, that the trees choked and starved each other, and 

 the plantations were irreparably injured. In these plantations, 

 the trees, after many years' growth, were allowed to stand at 10 

 feet apart, whereas it has been stated in a previous communica- 

 tion to Government,! that ' first-class teak cannot be grown at a 

 less distance apart than 40 feet, or 27-2 trees to the acre, or for 

 useful timber of smaller scantling, 30 feet interval, giving 45-4, 

 or in round numbers 50 trees to the acre.' 



" Planting operations on a large scale have been commenced 

 on the Madras side since 1843, with the same laudable design 

 that led the Government of Bengal to attempt the same thing 

 here in 1800 and 1812. The young trees have been planted to 

 the number of 450,000, at 8 feet apart. It is to be hoped, that 

 the failure on this side will be before them, as a beacon to warn 

 them from committing the errors which were fallen into here, 

 and which proved so ruinous in the end. 



" H. Falconer, M.D." 



TOEEST RULES IN PEGU. 



1. The forests of the province of Pegu being the property of 

 Government, the following rules are published for their conser- 

 vation, and in order to ensure success for the measures taken for 

 their future extension. 



» Report on the Tenasserim Teak Forests, par. 70. 

 t The northern limit of teak is in Bandalkhand. Vide Hooker and 

 Thomson's Flora Indica, p. 147. 



I Report on the Tenasserim Forests, par. 88. 



