Forest Composition. 327 
of a great variety of trees unlike in their habit, their 
growth, and their product, and if our hardwoods offer 
on this account considerable difficulties to profitable 
exploitation, the case is far more complicated in India, 
several thousand species entering into the composition. 
In addition to the large variety of timber trees there is 
a multitude of shrubs, twining and climbing plants, 
and in many forest districts also a growth of giant 
grasses (bamboos), attaining a height of 30 to 120 
feet, which is ready to take possession of clearings. 
These bamboos, valuable as they are in many ways, 
prevent often for years the growth of any seedling 
trees, and thus form a serious obstacle to the regener- 
ation of valuable timber. The growth of timber is 
generally quite rapid, although to attain commercial 
size, Teak requires usually a rotation of 150 years. 
But in spite of their rapid growth and the large areas 
now in forest capable of reforestation, India is not 
likely to—at least within reasonable time—raise more 
timber than it needs. In most parts of India the use 
of ordinary soft woods, such as pine, seems very 
restricted, for only durable woods, those resisting both 
fungi and insects (of which the white ants are specially 
destructive), can be employed in the more permanent 
structures, and are therefore acceptable in all Indian 
markets. 
At present Teak is the most important hardwood 
timber, while the Deodar (a true cedar) is the most 
extensively used conifer. Teak occurs in all moist 
regions of India except the Himalayas, grows usually 
mixed with other kinds, single, or in clumps, is girdled 
two or three years before felling, is generally logged in 
