1 10
2 part of the felled trees has rotted, this source of supply is generally cut off. The question
3 of establishing plantations for the future fuel supply of Mercara is now being mooted—
4 meanwhile, 1t would be woll that the presont treeless state of the immediate neighbour-
5 hoed of Mercara, should be remembered by those who can see nothing but what they
6 call useless reservation and usurpation of forests by this Department. The blackwood
7 tree grows well about Sontikoppal in the north-east, and in the northern and castern
8 portions of the talook the sandal troe Js abundant and well grown. Other characteristic
9 trees are in the drier parts, geru (anxacardium occidentale), matti, vellandi, dindiga, and
10 among smaller trees, bikke (gardenia gummiéfera), and the showy Indian Laburnum
11 (cassia fistula).
12 To the west of Mercara is the large talook of Padindlkndd, which lies on both sides
13 of the Western Ghats Its population is scanty, and it has no towns. The dense forests
14 in the west are at present valuable chiefly on account of the cardamoms grown in them.
15 There are in them many valuable woods, such as poon, wild jack, &c., but most of them
16 are, and always will be useless as timber from the fact of their growing in localities
17 most difficult of access. Standing timber 1s sold ina few of the forests where water
18 carriage exists. The requisitions from Bombay and the Western Coast generally, have
19 lately stimulated the demand, but to no great dogreo. The whole of the western and
20 southern slopes of theso ghats were traversed by me in 1868—69; and the result report-
21 ed. Inthe south of this talook and just balow the great mountain of Tandiandamol
22 (rising 5,680 feet above the sca) is Nalknid, where is an old palace, a favorite retreat of
23 the Coorg Rajas. It is surrounded with several cultivated trees among which aro some
24 cocoanut and several areranut palms. The eastern portions of tho talook are very
25 beautiful with long sweeping hillstand forest glades. Below and to the west of the
26 ghats the low lying forests are almost ontirely deciduous, with fine large streams fringed
27 with bamboos. Here there was in former years much kumri cultivation, which is how-
28 ever now checked.
29 Tho fifth talook Yedandlknid 1s very valuable from a forest point of view. In the
30 south west are the Vurtiand Kerti forests whence poon and jack trees aro sold, and
31 taken by water tothe Western Coast. A little further in the interior are several fine
32 cardamom holdings ; and coffee plantations line the ghat roads, and those leading to
33 Mysore. Inthe east are the valuable deciduous forests of Dévamurchi and a small
34 portion of Mavukal, and here and there is some scattered sandalwood. Virajénderpéte
35 (population 3,024 souls) the second town in the Province is in the centre of the talook.
36 Its supplies of timber are drawn from the east, from the Dévamurchi and Attiru forests,
37 from those near Tittimatti, from the Government Depdt there, and from private holdings.
38 There is at present no lack of fuel, but the jungles round the town are fast receding.
39 Several influential Coorg families reside in this talook, and the rice fields in it are wide
40 stretching and fertile.
41 The last talook is Ktggatndd in the south east. The whole of the east and south-
42 east of this talook 18 filled with valuable deciduous forest in which is much well grown
43 teak, blackwood, honne, matti, and arsentéga. These forests are almost continuous, with
44 at rare intervals small patches of private lands. Great quantities of rice are here grown.
45 The only town is new Ponnapéte, a lately established and apparently thriving place. It
46 is well supphed from forests close by with all its present requirements in the way of
47 timber and fvel
48 10. Deévarakédu—~A Coorg Forest Report would be incomplete without some re-
49 ference to the sacred forests or Devarakddu. These aro supposed to be the residence of
50 certain demons who are held in great reverence; and also to bo the hunting grounds of
51 departed heroes of Coorgs. To fell a tree in such forests is considered an act certain to
52 entail misfortune on the hardy wight who should dare the displeasure of the gods.
53 Some of the more sacred ones, like, Kariarbine in Yedandlkndd, are never entercd by
54 human beings. The result has been the proservation of these forests, but this supersti-
55 tious fear is gradually dying out, and the Coorgs themselves are beginning to be tempted