7i8 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[April i, 1891 
that a clean sweep or next to that should be 
made of the woods which they now declare 
are impeding the circulation of fresh air and 
stifling them. Considerable space in the South oy 
India Observer of Feb. 14th is occupied with the 
evils produced by the 
INDISOEIMINATB PLANTING OF TEEE3 
in Ooiacamund. Major-General Jennings had re- 
oemmended : — 
(1) The restriction of all further planting of trees 
within Municipal limits. 
(2) The gradual reduction of the existing number 
of trees to within a certain fixed number par acre. 
(3) The extirpation of the yellow flower Acacia 
{A. bealhata.) 
(4) The gradual removal of the causes ef all under- 
growth. 
These recommendations were unanimously agreed 
to by the Municipal Council, at a meeting at which 
A paper by Mr. George Oalces giving a description of 
the Meianoxylon, the Acacia Dealbata and the Fiucalyp- 
tua, and a brief account of the introduction of these 
trees into Ootacamund was read, and the Sub-Oom- 
uiittee report. ™ 
" The ground within Municipal limits is overgrown 
with tress to ail extent detrimental to health, and in- 
compatible with proper sanitation. 
“• Large areas of land arc shut out from the purifying 
influences of the sun and wind by trees and the under- 
growth from them, which give cover to decaying vege- 
tation, and noxious matter.” 
“ The Melauosyion and Dealbata which are to be 
found growing in every direction, possess the property 
of extending their roots to a considerable distance, 
and of throwing up suckers therefrom, which in places 
have become dense thickets. The ground is penetiated 
in every direction by the roots of these trees and 
thickets springing up from them may be seen in course 
of formation on all sides.” 
“ The examination of the ground under the surface 
reveals a closely interlaced network of roots. The ex- 
tent to which these roots have grown, can only be real- 
ized by inspection. They are ever spreading and 
increasing, and there are now few spots in Ootacamund 
to which they havo not extended.” 
“The Committee are of opinion that an evil of 
serious magnitude has resulted from the planting of 
the Dealbata and Meianoxylon trees within Muni- 
cipal limits, and from the excess to which the plant- 
ing of other frees has been carried ; and that unless 
special measures are adopted, and powers beyond those 
contained in the Municipal Act conferred cn the 
Municipality to enable it to deal with the evil, it can 
neither be checked or remedied.” 
The Sub-Committee suggested; — 
(1) “ That a restriction should be placed on the 
further planting of trees within Municipal limits. 
(2) That the existing nutnber of trees should bo 
gradnally reduced to within a certain fixed number 
per acre. 
(3) That the growth of the Acacia Dealbata within 
Municipal limits should be prohibited. 
(4) That a Committee or five mea.bors nominated 
by Government, viz-, the Co lector of the District, 
or the Chairman of the Municipal Council, as niay 
bo deemed expedient, and of which the Medical officer 
of the station and Fore t Officer residing at Ootaca- 
muml sliull be cx-ojjicio members, shall be appointed 
to rcjiort to, and advi'ic the Municipal Council, on 
mutters coEioc'ed with tlio planting of trees within 
Municipal limits, and wi:h tbo worliiug of such bye- 
laws as may bo passed on this subject. 
(5) That an Inspeclor, to be appointed by the 
tlhiiii-maii of the Municipal Council sball he sano- 
tioned for such time as may be m cessa’-y to carry 
out the jirovi ions of such bye-laws as may be pa-sod. 
Mr. Feet, wlio we Buppoao is the Govcrnmint 
Commiasionor or Collector, wrote a coininonscme 
Minute on the suliject, but even ho demands the 
cxtii jiation of /(. di'ulbaUi, which, to our bewiltlor- 
lucrit ho ouIIh, from its flowers, no doubt, “ tho 
yellow wattle,” while with us “the silver wattle” 
seems the more appiopriate term, judging from its 
foliage and not by its flowers, which are, with us, 
so seldom seen. Mr. Feet wrote 
“I would remark that I took the -opportunity of 
going round with Mr. Goo. Oakes and 3 ourself (the 
Chairman of the Municipal Council) to see some of 
the growth near the station to which attention has 
been drawn by the Mueicipal Council, and it is very 
clear that some remedial measure,s are culled for, 
particularly with regard to the thickets of Yellow 
Wattle (Acacia Dealbata). The suggestions of the 
Municipal Council however go rather fuitlier than 
Government is likely to sanction in my opinion. 
“ I think that suggestion 1 might be feasible and 
would be advantageous, and that Government might 
possibly bo inclined to limit future piautiug within 
Municipal limits. 
“ Suggestion 2 however does not strike me as prac- 
ticable. Keading it with the proposed bye-law 2, 
which proposes that the number of trees per acre 
should be limittd to 50, it seems to me that Cevern- 
ment wculd never sanction such an iuterference with 
private prop.'.rty, and that there would be a very 
largo bill lor compensation. Looking at the quesiion 
from a Forest point of view, I find that the lollow- 
ing reserves are within Municipal limits, viz. : — 
A good -part of Aramby, nearly half Snowdon, half 
of Dodabfctta, more than one-third of Craigmore, all 
E’k Hill, half of Lovodale, the whole of Jkanjimkoia, 
Bathai aod Fern Hill, half of Cairn Hill and parts 
of Malhana Sholah and Fairlawns. 
“Parts of the reserves mentioned are planted with 
exotic trees, but the greater portion is under indi- 
geui.us forest growth. Most of these reserves lie at 
a distance f, om the more inhabited parts of the 
Settlement, but as being within Municipal limits would 
still come under the purview of this far reaching 
suggestion. _ 
“There is another contiderstion namely, that trees 
grown in the opou as a rule, branch extensively, and 
fifty trees put down per acre would with some species 
havs as much etfect in retarding air a.s 200 or more 
which run up as poles. 
“ There aie numerous other difficulties which suggest 
themselves, not the least ot which would result Irom 
a power of inquisition being given to the Municipal • 
Council. Again there would be irritation at the power 
of sanctioning (uuder Bye-law vii.) an excess ot trees 
in certain places, when anotlur claimant might 
consider himself equally entitled to favorable consider- 
ation, and it must not be forgotten that it would be 
necessary in very many cases to grant such exemptions, 
since one of the great reasons for planting criginally 
was to break the force of the wind which would 
otherwist sweep through the station. 
“Dr. Cleghorn records the opinion of three doctors 
on the sui ject of tree planting on the Nilgiris, when 
the expecime/it was in its infancy, One states : ■ I 
consider the subject to be one of great importance, 
both in a sanitary and eoonomio view.’ He then goes 
on to state that his opinion was that tho larger pro. 
portion of disease at Wellington than at the neighbour- 
lug station of Coouoor is due, in a great measure to 
this circumstance, viz : the want of wood ; as in all 
other respects, height, temperature, exposure, &o., there 
is Bcai'oely any iippreciablc difference between the two 
places. 
“I think that by planting trees judiciously great 
benefit would be derived, not only from tho shelter they 
would afford, but from the good effects produced by a 
moderate quantity of vegetation in purifying the at- 
mosphere ! 
This reminds us that when the soldiery in exposed 
barracks in Jamaica were suffering severely and 
many dying from fever, Sir Wm. Fergusson, the 
eminent physician, cured the evil by means of 
A SHELTEE BELT OF QUICK GBOWING TEEES. 
Mr. Feet’s Minute proceeds thus: — 
“The opinion of the other two doctors coincides in 
tile miiin with the abo?e. There is therefore some- 
ihing to be said on both sides as to the planting of trees 
