80 
Indian Forest Records. 
[VoL, II. 
V.— Locality. 
(1) Soil Requirements. 
(a) Depth of Soil. 
The Anjan, as will be described further on, develops a moderately 
long tap-root, and for this reason prefers a deep soil into which the 
tap-root can easily penetrate. At the same time it cannot be said 
to be exacting in this respect, for it is commonly found on trap rock 
where the surface soil is very shallow, and it thrives particularly well 
on the hard crystalline Vindhyan sandstones, which disintegrate with 
difficulty and have as a consequence a shallow soil covering. On this 
latter formation it would appear that the chemical composition of 
the soil and underlying rock plays the most important part, for it has 
been noticed that whereas the forest growth on this formation is generally 
of the Salai {BosueUia serrata) tjrpe, and teak is scanty and of poor 
quality, Anjan grows to its very best. The trees are very scattered in 
such areas, and there is a notable absence of natural regeneration, but 
such trees as do establish themselves grow to very large dimensions. The 
fact that the Anjan can thrive on shallow soils is also very probably due 
to the extraordinary power of the tap-root, which seems to be able to 
bore its way even through hard rock down to a permanent water-supply. 
(b) Porosity of the Soil. 
A porous soil with a well -fissured underlying rock is required for 
the best development of Anjan. 
This statement must not be thought to contradict what has been said 
in the preceding paragraph regarding the development of Anjan on the 
hard crystalhne Vindhyan sandstones. True, the development of in- 
dividual trees cannot be bettered on this formation, but on the other hand 
on the loose-structured formations in the Punasa and Chandgarh Ranges 
of the Nimar Division, on the conglomerates and shales, we have not only 
an equally good individual development, but what is of more importance, 
ample natural regeneration in addition. For this reason a porous soil 
with a well-fissured underlying rock is preferable to a firm soil over- 
lying a hard non-disintegrating rock. Nowhere on the trap formation, 
with as a rule an impervious stratum a short distance below the surface, 
does the Anjan develop to anything like the size it attains on the more 
loose -structured formations. 
