40 



NOTES ON DIPTEEOCAEPS. 



Seedling of Shore ? 

 robusta reduced to 



2/3. 



(iii) the hills south west of the Bengal plains, westward to 

 Pachmarhi, and southward into the drears, as far as Jeypnr. 



In a general way these three areas are together the rim of the 

 enp into which the monsoon current from the Bay of Bengal pours 

 its moist air from May to September, with precipitations from 

 June. At the extreme western points the average annual rainfall 

 is reduced to below 40 inches. In other places the precipitation is 

 upward of five times as much. On the hills and also to some extent 

 in the plains, Sal withstands frost. Everywhere it demands good 

 drainage. 



The Sal tree flowers in March or April when the dry season 

 is on, changing its leaves rapidly just previously or at the same 

 time ; and this in every year : but a good seed crop is only yielded 

 about once in three years. Mclntyre (Notes on Sal in Bengal, Forest 

 Pamphlets Series, 1909, p. 2) attributes to unfavourable weather 

 the failure to yield annually : but this is a point which demands 

 investigation. The seeds are ripe in the commencement of the 

 rains, and are ready for immediate growth; in fact they often 

 germinate on the tree (vide Brandis, Forest Flora of the North- 

 west and Central India, 1874, p. 27, and also earlier writers) : if 

 drought follows their fall to the ground, they are likely to die. 



Jour. Straits Branch 



