Page:The Journal of Indian Botany.djvu/516

88 TEE JOURNAL OF INDIAN BOTANY. and the grasses on it flowered late. In it were found Poly gala chinen- sis, Alysicarpus rugosus, Justicia guinquefolia and Alysicarpits tctragonolobus. The grasses visible in October were Tripogon Jac- quemonti, Iseilema laxum, Andropogon pumilus, A. caricosus, Apluda varia, Lopliopogon tridental us, and the sedge FimbryatyUs diphylla. These outside quadrats will be kept up as controls to see what happens outside as compared with the protected area. It is also proposed to denude a quadrat each year at the side of the already mapped quadrats in order to see the nature of the succession more clearly.

From the first year's work on the vegetation by means of the quadrats just described we learn, of course, little except the com- position of the vegetation. The most interesting thing is the great variation to be found within a quite small area, if the soil conditions alter. The lower part of the plot is filled with excellent grass in good quantity. There is therefore considerable hope that if the actual soil conditions can be altered by judicious treatment, there is nothing in the climate to prevent the development of really good grass land out of the present useless surfaces, in years of normal rainfall.

This study has not yielded anything very startling, except the fact that there are definite races of Evolvulus alsinoides, Andropogon eontortus and A. monticola. These are being further investigated.

This study is also not far advanced. One or two societies have been delimited and their spread or otherwise will be watched. The boundary between the hill flora and that of the lowlying area has been carefully marked.

In the early part of the season plant- growth on this strip was sparse as compared with that on the untouched ;• trips. This was due to the thorough ploughing and harrowing given, and the apparently feeble germination of the sown seeds. The plant Lochnera pusilla however appeared in profusion, probably from seeds buried in the soil. By Sept. 1, the Lochnera had disappeared. Of the artificially sown grasses only one, Andropogon purpurco-scr icons, came up thickly. It has done best on the lower levels, and made little progress on the hill. It has again proved its value as a pioneer grass in artificial seedings, as it had previously done in the Ganeshkhind experiments.