90 Captain Munro on the Timber Trees of Bengal, 



timber is required. It is not proof against white ants. The 

 tree is found all over this Presidency, either cultivated or in 

 its native jungles, but is rare in Southern India. Kunkur 

 appears to be prejudicial to it, for, in the neighbourhood of 

 Agra, as soon as the roots reach the Kunkur, the tree which 

 up to this time had been quite healthy, suddenly dies off. 

 The Calcutta climate seems to agree very well with the Sis- 

 soo, as there are some magnificent trees in the neighbourhood. 



14. Sit Saul — Dalbergia latifolia. — This is called Black- 

 wood and Rosewood, and sometimes, when well worked, is 

 fully equal to the finest description of the rosewood of com- 

 merce. The tree attains a larger size in Southern India 

 than it does in these provinces, and the wood is more com- 

 monly used there. The tree is common in Central India, 

 and also, I believe, in Assam. I imagine the " black rose- 

 wood," mentioned by Captain Baker, to be this wood, and if 

 so, its specific gravity is 875, and it requires 11961b. to 

 break it. It is a remarkable fact, that up to this date it has 

 not been ascertained to what tree we are indebted for the 

 " rosewood"" of commerce.* 



15. Peet Sal — Pterocarpus marsupium. — -This, with P. san- 

 talinus, Red sandalwood, and P. dalbergioides, Andaman red- 

 wood, are those magnificent trees, of which very fine spe- 

 cimens are to be seen in the Botanical Gardens, and also in 

 the Barrackpore Park. The most prettily-shaped free in the 

 Park is P. marsupium. P. dalbergioides flowers in the gar- 

 dens in July and August, and spreads its delicious fragrance 

 for a long distance round. One tree is a most superb one, 

 out-topping nearly every tree in the garden. The two other 

 species are abundant in the jungles of Central and Southern 

 India. P. marsupium is believed to produce a variety of the 

 Gurri Kino. It is universally known in Central India as the 

 Hyissar, and is very strong, tough, and durable wood, per- 

 fectly impervious to insects of any kind. From its waved 

 grain, it makes very handsome furniture. Its good proper- 



* The valuable rosewood of the cabinetmaker, according to Professor Lind- 

 ley, is from a species of Jacaranda ; but this does not appear to be well made 

 out. — Edit. 



