Part III. ] Witt ; Sylviculture of Hardwiclda hinaia. 125 
(6) The shoots of seedlings protected by a long growth of grass 
do not dry up so early as those from around which (though 
on precisely similar soil) the protecting grass covering has 
been cut away. 
(7) Seedlings up to an age of 3| years are not smothered and killed 
by a dense growth of grass weighing down upon them. 
(8) The removal of a covering of grass, from seedlings which have 
developed under its protection, may be distinctly harmful. 
(d) Explanation for Absence of Natural Regeneration. 
With the above facts before us, we will endeavour to explain what 
we believe to be the true reasons for the dearth of natural regeneration 
in many of our existing Anjan forests. 
{i) Insufficiency of moisture in the sub-soil. — As already stated, the 
Anjan when it seeds reproduces itself prolifically. We may look on this 
as a dispensation of nature to aid the Anjan in its task of reproduction. 
Nature never intended that every seed should develop into a mature 
tree. The growing space would never suffice to permit every seedling to 
reach maturity. The myriads of seeds are strewn by the wind in all 
directions, and fall alike on good, bad, and indifferent soil. 
As soon as germination sets in, the tap-root starts on a race, which 
has, we believe, for its object the reaching of a permanent water level be- 
fore the dry hot season commences. Failing in this object, the seedling 
perishes, being unable to replenish through its tap-root the moisture lost 
by evaporation. 
Naturally the seed which has fallen on rock and very poor shallow 
soil is the first to succumb, for not only will the permanent water level 
be low down, but the resistance afforded by the rocky nature of the soil 
to the penetration of the tap-root will be very great. This •wull partially 
explain the death of all seedlings on Plot I and on similar soil. But even 
on such soil a few seedlings may be found to survive. Here the prodi- 
gality of nature comes to the rescue. Out of the myriads of seeds that 
germinate, one or two find themselves in a favourable position, where an 
existing fault, or crack, or other weakness in the underlying rock, enables 
the tap-root to develop and reach a permanent water-supply, where 
otherwise it could not possibly do so. 
Some of the seed, however, is more fortunate, and falls on richer and 
deeper soil, where it is in a very short time able to drive its tap-root down 
