The finest stock is found on the plateaus and in elevated situations generally, and the size of the trees increases as one goes northwards; but the growth along the western edge and near enclosures has greatly deteriorated from having been subjected to excessive pódu cultivation. Great difficulty is experienced in putting the working plan into practice, owing to the difficulty in extracting the produce from the more remote parts of these hills.
At present the Bhadráchalam forests give no large timber. Teak is rarely obtained in logs more than 30 inches in girth and 25 feet long, and even then is crooked, unsound, knotty and fibrous, and, except for boat-building, is unable to compete in the markets with Burma teak. That from Marrigúdem, however, is prettily grained and suitable for furniture. Terminalia tomentosa (nalla maddi) is procurable in about the same sizes and is useful for building; Dalbergia latifolia (iruguduchava) is usually in shorter logs and is poor, unsound in the centre, and chiefly employed for furniture; and Pterocarpus Marsupium (yégisi) is procurable from 10 to 15 feet in length and from 4 to 5 feet in girth and is much used for planking, ceiling-boards and the like.
The chief markets for timber are Rajahmundry and Cocanada. Of these, the first is much the more important, and the timber is taken thence to Cocanada, Bezwada, Masulipatam and Ellore, as well as to smaller dépôts at Narasapur, Amalápuram and Rámachandrapuram.
The bulk of the marketable minor forest produce comes from the Rampa and Yellavaram forests, Bhadráchalam and Pólavaram producing very little. Tamarind, gall-nuts, nux vomica, honey, wax, soap-nut, sikáy, platter leaves and skins and horns are the chief items, and the bulk of the revenue under this head is derived from tamarind and gall-nuts. The chief markets are again at Rajahmundry and Cocanada, whence the produce is distributed to many parts of India, Ceylon and Europe. Large quantities of nux vomica and gall-nuts are sent to London and Hamburg; wax goes to London, Colombo, Calcutta and Bombay; horns to London and France; skins to Madras; and sikáy to Madras, Cuddalore and Tuticorin. Most of the other produce is consumed locally.
The total revenue from the forests of the district amounted in 1904-05 to nearly two lakhs, of which Rs. 56,000 were derived from the sale of bamboos, Rs. 43,000 from minor forest produce, Rs, 35,000 from timber, Rs. 27,000 from firewood and charcoal, and Rs. 16,000 from grazing-fees and the sale of grass for fodder.
