Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-06-04

W y
pendent on the services of an
81 animal than is the teak indus
try or those of the elephant.
in Java, it Is true. the timber, being
smaller and the conditions different,
hand labor and implements are en-
ployed, and in parts even of Burma
and Siam the country is sufficiently
fiat to permit the carting by buffaloes
being used as method of extraction.
But these parts are comparatively few
and far between, and the obstacles in
the way of introducing heavy plants
into country deficient in good roads.
bridges or facilities for transport must
be at once apparent, writes CORE
spondent of the London Times. Even
without these obstacles 1t is doubtful
whether teak. being so scattered as
It is, could ever be profitably worked
up and down steep hillsides by ma.
chinsry, while 1t is as certain as any
thing can be that no machinery could
ever devised TO perform the part
played by elephants in the water.
Apart from the enormous bodily
strength which enables 1t to drag, an
elephant can, with its forehead, trunk
or tnsks, push and roll enormous logs
ab0at as if they were playthings, nor
does it mind working in water five
feet, and even more. in depth.
Asiatlc Differs From African.
The Asiatic elephant, which belongs
TO an entirely different species from
tho African and resembles the latter
hardly more closely than the buffalo
does the OK. is. like the teak tree. con-
fined mainly to India, Farther India
and the Malay peninsula. Wild herds
are still found in Burma and Siam,
where they are carefully protected. a
special license being required to shoot
them in the former country and the
law forbidding their destruction ex-
cept in cases of necessity, or for self
defenes in the latter. Every few
years the Siamese government holds
'.keddah' operations or catches at
Ayuthia. and by their agency the do
INVESTIGATED are recruited from the free
herds.
That apart from it's work, the condi-
lions under which the elephant is to
live in captivity should as closely as
possible resemble those OF it's wild
state will naturally be the owners
first care 1t is a purely herbivorous
animal, and thrives well on the ordi-
nary jungle plants and creepers, the
juicy "kaing" grass. young bamboo
shoots and wild plantain being among
its favorite foods. In Siam. it is
hardly ever stall fed. as it is in India:
in the neighborhood of town or vii
lage. when 1t has to be tied up, food
must, of course, be brought to it. But,
as a general rule, the animal is SIM
ply turned out int othe jungle to find
its food for itself, the forefeet being
hob5!ed to prevent its straying too far.
Among lis primary requisites are
shade and abundance of water. Given
these and good grazing. an elephant
has a fair chance of keeping its con-
dition throughout the seven months
which constitute its working season.
The latter begins. as already stated,
in June. From that time onward, the
animals daily and weekly routine is
something as follows: Directly it is
daylight the rider leaves his camp.
goes out to track his charge. which.
despite his hobbled condition, will
often succeed in stTaying distance
of several miles; battles him all over
IN the creek-this is one of the most
important of the mahout's duties-and
brings him to the scene of the days
work. Operations begin at seven a.
m, or a little before. and go on TIL
II. by which time the power of the
sun generally renders it imprudent to
continue further. For 1t must be re-
membered that the elephant is natur-
ally a nocturnal animal and extremely