Part III] Rama Rao : Notes on Sandal. 15? 
them appear to me to be sufficient to indicate briefly which o£ the two 
methods of propagating sandal- wood should be adopted. From the 
knowledge derived from these experiments, I feel no doubt in my mind 
that the method of in-silu sowing is better than planting out nursery- 
raised seedlings, because, firstly, it is very much cheaper than the latter ; 
secondly, freedom from damage to the roots and root-attachments of the 
seedlings and their nursery hosts — a very important point on which the 
success of the whole undertaking would depend ; in the case of nursery 
seedlings, damage to roots cannot be avoided even with the best of 
skilled labour, which is hardly available ; thirdly, the ease and quick- 
ness with which the sowing of seeds of sandal and its hosts can be 
performed even by the most ignorant and unskilled labourers ; fourthly, 
the great advantage the seedlings will have of starting their life on the 
very spot where they are to spend their existence without change of soil 
and of their early associates { hosts ) j and fifthly, on account of superior 
and trained supervision not being necessary especially during transplant- 
ation — by no means a small consideration in these days of an inadequate 
Controlling staff everywhere in the Department. 1 lay some stress on 
this point because I have found by experience that even ordinary Rang- 
ers do not exercise sufficient care in lifting sandal seedlings from the 
nursery and in planting them out. 
