9i Captain Munro on the Timber Trees of Bengal. 



rived from my observations. There are several trees, no 

 doubt, possessed of equally valuable properties, but they are 

 only known b}' uncertain native names. I would respectfully 

 suggest that Government be requested to direct their officers, 

 located in favourable positions, to send in leaves, flowers, 

 and fruit of the trees reputed in their neighbourhood to be 

 useful for timber. As it may be seen above, that peculiar 

 uses seem to run in the same natural family, a botanist could, 

 in every case, indicate the probable valuable of the timber. 

 I would observe that it is a well-known fact, that wood grown 

 in hilly countries is far superior to that grown in the deep 

 soil of the plains. The trees are longer in coming to perfec- 

 tion, and mature their juices more slowly and solidly. This 

 is particularly exemplified in the Sandal wood, which never 

 is possessed, in the plain, of the good rich scent that it has 

 when growing in the hills of Mysore, about 2000 feet above 

 the sea. The Cedar of Lebanon also, which I believe to be 

 identical with Cedrus deodar of the Himalayas, is almost 

 valueless as a timber tree, unless grown in rocky, stony 

 places, where there is but little soil. It is very remarkable 

 to observe the diff'erence of the quality of the Deodar wood 

 which is grown on the south side of the snowy range, from 

 that produced in Kunawur, on the precipitous sides of the 

 Sutledge. Another remark I would particularly call atten- 

 tion to, is the felling of timber at the proper season when the 

 sap is at rest. It requires no botanist to point out when this 

 is to be done ; although the leaves do not fall off in India, as in 

 more temperate climates, it is impossible to find any difficulty 

 in deciding, from the appearance of the tree, when the time 

 for felling has arrived. When the sap is rising, the leaves 

 are generally somewhat soft and perfect. When it is at rest, 

 the leaves are harder, and, in India, almost always corroded 

 by insects. In consequence of the facility of barking a tree 

 when the sap is rising, oaks are often felled at this season in 

 England, always with disadvantage to the timber, and this 

 same facility of barking may also be an inducement to others 

 in this country to fell timber at improper periods of the year. 

 — {Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, No. xi.. New 

 Series, p. 1.) 



