4 
Indian Forest Records. 
[Vol. IV 
Unsuitable 
environment. 
of 40 to 60 feet) to grow in dry gravelly soil, and in 
situations where rain does not fall for months together. 
It is fast growing : the timber is excessively hard and of 
a remarkably durable character. It is used for making 
knees of boats and all work requiring strength and 
tenacity .’ n The results of cultivating this species for 25 
years in India have consisted in the production of i( a large 
straggling bush with bramble-like shoots 10 to 15 feet 
long and 3—4 inches in diameter at the lower ends.” 2 
Bentham described this species in 1876 as a a tall 
shrub or tree, 15—20 feet high, rarely higher ” and notes 
that it is very variable as regards height and other 
characters. 3 Here again it is possible that we have 
obtained a comparatively valueless form of the species. 
The only way of avoiding this difficulty is to insure a 
supply of pure seed of the best forms of each particular 
species. The great importance of collecting seed for sow¬ 
ing only from the best and most vigorous individuals has, 
of course, long been recognised in forestry, but it is 
obviously difficult to insure this in the case of exotics where 
we are usually obliged to depend on unknown corre¬ 
spondents. 4 
(2) That the plants are exposed to an unsuitable environment. 
When mixed seed of various forms of one and the same 
species is received this fact may result in the survival 
of only worthless types, the conditions not being such 
as to allow of the healthy development of the more valu¬ 
able forms. On the other hand, when pure seed is ob¬ 
tained of the best types, the difference in the nature 
1 Indian Forester, X, 1884, p. 293. 
2 Bull. No. 21, Dept, of Land Records and Agri., U. P., 1906, p. 31. 
3 Flora Brasiliensis by C. F. P. DeMartius, Vol. XV, Part II, p. 289. 
4 It is believed, however, that we might well pay more attention to this point in con¬ 
nection with the propagation of our own indigenous species. Thus, in experimental cultures 
which have been carried on at Dehra Dun during the last few years, it has been noticed in 
the case of several species that individual seedlings grown under similar conditions differ 
from each other as regards vigour and rapidity of growth to an altogether remarkable extent 
and also, for instance, that teak seed obtained from Burma has invariably given far more 
vigorous plants than teak seed obtained from the Central Provinces. 
[ 128 J 
