the value of a post is not less than Rs.2, and there are often 20 in a cart, the value of the cart-load is often Rs.50. Price of the roots keeps steadily at £3 10s., sometimes £4, per ton.

Site of Plantation.--The plantation is about a quarter of a mile east from the Codoor Railway Station, and may be seen from the line. The land was formerly covered with fair scrub jungle, and is watered by a 'picotta' from the Codoor River, the banks of which are undulating, and the soil gravelly, with an admixture of red earth and sand. The extent is 24 'cawnies (say, 30 acres); half of this is now planted. The whole is being encircled with a bank 3 feet high, and topped with an aloe fence.

System pursued.-The seeds are gathered in May, and sown in July in small beds, about 8 feet square, prepared on the river bank. They are thrust into the light soil perpendicularly, or at an inclination, and about one inch deep, just sufficient to cover the winged seed. About 700 seeds are put in the bed, which is watered every second evening by a watering can. Seeds soaked one night in cold water germinate in 20 to 25 days, and unsoaked seeds in 30 to 35 days. After germination has taken place the beds are moderately watered by a ' picotta,' small channels communicating between the beds. During the first six months particular care in watering is necessary; Mr. Yarde' finds that too much water is equally as destructive as none at all.' The condition of the soil will be the best guide. The plant inhabits a country with small rainfall. The leading shoot at six months has a tendency to droop from the weight of the leaves, and should be supported with a forked stick, which is sufficient to straighten the stem.

Planting out. It is convenient now if rain falls to transplant from the nursery into wicker baskets, supplied at a very low cost, six 'pies' each by the Yanadies, who are skilful in digging up with care the long tap roots with a pointed instrument. The baskets should be watered every second or third day, and kept in the shade. When the plants are 15 to 20 inches above ground, and well rooted, the baskets should be buried in holes I foot by I foot by 2 feet, at 7 feet apart; they must be watered moderately till the rainy season.

Present Condition and Prospects.-There are now 8000 promising plants, of various heights, from 1 to 3 feet. The number would have been larger, but the want of rain for two years prevented planting out, and caused about 2000

casualties. In November, 1865, a sudden rise in the river destroyed a number of nursery beds."

The experiment had been carried on for two and a half years, the nursery being close to the forest Officer's head-quarters, and the total cost worked out to 1 annas per plant raised, which numbered 8000. In view of the results attained a small establishment to cost Rs.300 per annum was asked for and sanctioned by Government.

Some progress had been made with plantation work generally during the period. In addition to the Nilgiri and Wellington Plantations in the hills, there were others in the Wynaad, Madura and Golconda districts, and the casuarina plantations on the coast already mentioned. Many demands for seed were made, and the Horticultural Society was asked to give assistance in this matter in the case of exotic seeds. Eucalyptus and wattles were being requisitioned on a considerable scale for the Nilgiri plantations. Mahogany was being tried in several parts, the seed being indented for from Honduras, whilst it was thought that the Pinus maritima, which was giving such successful results on the sands in the Landes on the west coast of France, might prove successful on the east coast of Madras, and seed was obtained through the Secretary of State for trial.

The Gumsur sâl forests in the northern part of the Presidency have already been alluded to in a previous part (I, p. 323). Cleghorn had visited these forests and had expressed a hope that it would be possible to work them. An enquiry was carried out on this matter, the Ordnance, Public Works and railway officers being referred to. None of these Departments were over sanguine of being able to utilise the sâl from these forests owing to their at present inaccessible condition. In a Despatch (R.F., No. 8, dated 12th October, 1867) the Madras Government wrote to the Secretary of State to this effect, saying:

"It is evident from the papers that the demand for sâl timber from the Northern Districts has to be created; but we see no reason to doubt that when large scantlings of this fine timber are available on the coast, a remunerative demand will spring up.

To facilitate the transport of the scantlings, the Conservator now proposes to provide four strong timber carts with buffaloes, at a total cost of Rs.480, instead of maintaining an establishment of elephants, which would entail

too much expense, and the suggestion made in your Despatch under reply for the introduction of sawyers into the forests will also be kept steadily in view. We have approved the Conservator's proceedings."

The early months of 1866 were said to have been exceptionally hot and an unprecedented drought was experienced. Fires were to be seen burning on every hill. A serious one burnt out a part of Deva Shola and 60-70 " cawnies" of felled timber, which had been destined for the Lawrence Asylum works. The Nilgiri sholas had, by the way, been transferred from the charge of the Forest Department and placed under the management of the Revenue officials. A more serious fire

occurred in the Anaimalai Forests at the head of the timber slip (vide Vol. I, p. 224). Beddome, Deputy Conservator in charge of this division at the time, had a hand in putting this out, and the Conservator in a subsequent Report on this fire to Government wrote as follows:

"Extent of Loss.-The actual loss of timber burnt is about Rs.6,000; the estimated value of the wood, after transport to the coast, would be about Rs.18,000.

Origin of Fire.-About four or five days before the fire was discovered, several Chettys went through the forest to purchase cardamoms from the Kadirs; it is supposed that in cooking food the long grass was carelessly set fire to, which spread through the whole forest.

Jungle Fires.-Fires originating from lightning, carelessness, wilful burning to improve pasturage, or, more rarely, from the friction of bamboos, sweep over the hill-sides every year, and great precautions are necessary to prevent loss by combustion of forest. It has been the custom to clear, with great trouble and considerable expense, round the timber depots and outlying logs. The Duffadar states that efforts had been previously made and money spent in clearing the brushwood, but Captain Beddome reports that the stack had been again choked by teak-leaves blown on by the high winds.

Natural Causes.-It appears to me certain, after consulting the Collector of the district and the Inspector-General of Police, that the fire arose from natural causes, and that the exceptional circumstances of the season favoured the conflagration. Fires have been unusually prevalent all over the hills, extending to parts difficult of access, as Hoolikuldroog and Lambton's Peak.

Extraordinary Drought.-In my previous visits to the Anaimalai Hills, I never witnessed such excessive drought as this season. At Oodoomalpettah there is a great scarcity of drinking water, and at Polachy it was only at an early hour that bathing water was procurable. The fire was extinguished by digging pits in the channels of the mountain streams.

Conclusion. The abolition of the Indian Navy, and the long period which elapsed before the Lords of the Admiralty decided not to take the Anaimalai timber, except at unremunerative rates, led to the forest being overstocked.

It seems most important to devote our energies to clear this rented forest of the large stock of timber now on hand, and in future not to fell beyond two or three years' consumption.

It also appears that, in unfrequented forests, planks and logs are much less liable to injury by fire when detached than when piled into a stack; this practice shall be forbidden by Circular from the Office, except on banks of rivers where water is procurable and space valuable."

In 1867, owing to the decrease in elephants and the increasing price of these animals, it was suggested (by Beddome apparently) that an elephant-breeding depot should be started in the Anaimalais. In support of the suggestion the Acting Commissary-General, Madras, wrote that "in Burma it is no uncommon occurrence for elephants in the tame state to breed. Of those animals purchased in that country, and sent to this Presidency in 1858 and 1859, several females dropped calves. To the best of my recollection, one was born on board ship, one at Masulipatam and three or four after the lot arrived at Hoonsoor. The subject of rearing these young ones then occupied my attention and I made an estimate of the probable cost, which, even at Hoonsoor, where abundance of excellent forage is procurable gratis, so far exceeded the usual prices then paid that the project was abandoned. I believe it to be perfectly feasible, and have reason to think, that elephants so reared will be found to be harder and work better than animals captured in the jungles. The question, therefore, is one of expense only, and if Captain Beddome can hold out any hopes of rearing animals to a size fit for the Service for a reasonable sum his suggestion is deserving of an early trial."

The Government of India did not approve of the suggestion, thinking it would be a very expensive one. If, as was held, the Madras elephant was better than the one from Ceylon for

working purposes in the forests and elsewhere, they should set to work to catch them in Madras as was done in Bengal.

As regards the advice tendered by some of the Collectors and officials in Madras on the subject of the decrease in numbers of the wild elephants and the necessity of legislation to protect them from being shot, the Government of India said they would be prepared to support Madras in this connection. As an outcome a rule, which was badly needed, was ultimately brought in prohibiting the shooting of elephants, unless any beast had been specially proscribed. This rule was made applicable to Mysore and other parts, but not to Travancore. In the correspondence on the subject we find a Collector of Malabar stating that persons had actually taken to elephant shooting in these forests as a livelihood. This he was able to stop but it proves the extent to which the animals were being persecuted at the time in what, for such an animal, was a comparatively narrow range of country. There can be little doubt that but for the wise rule ordering their protection they would have been exterminated. As the Secretary of State correctly remarked: "The correspondence now forwarded seems to show the necessity of legislative measures being taken to prevent the destruction of these valuable animals, which has been going on with great rapidity for some years.'

It will be remembered that Cleghorn had visited the Ootacamund Hills and "sholas" and had drawn up recommendations for their management and for planting work to be undertaken in 1859 (I, 307). The management then introduced had worked well for some time. But with the grant of shola lands all round Ootacamund for cinchona and tea cultivation the Forestry Department experienced considerable trouble in managing the shola forests. Cinchona plants and seed were first brought to India by Sir Clements Markham from Peru in 1860. The trees died, but the seed was sown and the plants put out in the Nilgiri Hills. In 1867 Cleghorn himself proposed to give up the shola areas to the care of the Commissioner in charge of the hills. In the following year the Officiating Conservator (Beddome) wrote as follows:

I When Forest Forest Conservancy was first introduced at Ootacamund, it worked well, all, or nearly all, the 'sholas' belonging to Government, and there was very little attempt at smuggling, as all wood could be seized if entering without a pass, our receipts were comparatively large, and the Depart