XX.] INDIAN TEAK. 189. 



become brittle and inelastic, and leads frequently to the 

 loss of many fine trees by breakage in falling ; further, it 

 must be regarded as so much time taken from the limit 

 of its duration, which is of great importance. 



Girdling has been discontinued in the Annamallay 

 forests of Malabar, under the impression that it causes, 

 or at least extends, the heart-shake. It is, however,, 

 practised in Cochin, Travancore, and a few other places ; 

 but, as the evidence of its utility goes no farther than, 

 to show the advantage gained in being able to float the 

 timber immediately it is felled, it seemed probable that 

 it would eventually be given up entirely. Such, how- 

 ever, is not the case, and it is universally the practice in 

 Burmah to girdle, in order to render the timber floatable. 

 Experiments have been made in Burmah* in felling 

 green Teak, but, as out of 100 trees so felled, twenty- 

 seven in number had extensive heart-shake, and ten 

 others were less seriously affected, it was thought de- 

 sirable to carry the experiments farther before deter- 

 mining the matter in question. 



Although imported and known under the general 

 name of Teak, there are many varieties, if not distinct 

 species of it, the Burmese naming those found in their 

 country after the districts in which they grow ; thus, in 

 the Moulmein district there are the Thoungyeen, the 

 Salween, the Karanee, the Attaran, and the Laingbooe 

 Teak ; and in the Rangoon district, the Irrawaddy Teak, 

 all difTering slightly in colour, grain, texture, and specific 

 gravity. 



The Thoungyeen and the Salween Teak timber are 



of a yellowish-brown colour, smooth and uniform in 



their texture, with a fine long grain. The Karanee Teak 



has alternate shades of dull brown and yellow colour, 



* Forest Reports. 



