Skorea. ] 



DTPTBROCARFEJE. 



35 



.small, whitish, not durable. Heartwood brown, finely streaked with 

 dark lines, coarse-grained, hard, with it remarkably fibrous and cross- 

 Drained structure; the fibres of suecessive concentric strata in the wood 

 do not run parallel but at oblique angles to each other, so that when 

 the wood is dressed the fibres appear interlaced; does not season well. 

 Annual rings visible. Pores moderate-sized to large, often filled with 

 resin ; each pore or group of pores in a patch of whitish tissue. Medullary 

 rays uniform, moderately broad, straight, very prominent, joined by 

 short white transverse lines, clearly visible on a radial section as 

 numerous interrupted bands; the distance between the medullary rays 

 equal to the transverse diameter of the pores. 



North-east moist and intermediate zones : Sub-Himalayan tract, from the Bias to 

 Assam, eastern part of Central India, from the Ganges to the Godaveri, extending 

 westward to the longitude of Mandla, with an outlying patch on and around the sand- 

 stone hills of the Pachmsrhi Range. 



The wood of the sal tree has concentric rings, which we at present assume to 

 correspond to one year's growth. There are a few cases on record in which the wood of 

 young trees (up to 15 years) has been found to have a number of rings corresponding 

 to the age of the tree. But sufficient proof to support the assumption has not yet been 

 collected. Assuming, however, that the concentric rings are annual, the following 

 information is available regarding the rate of growth of sal. 



In 1873 Mr. Fisher examined 40 sal trees in the Pantan Reserve, Kamrup district, 

 Assam: 5 tret's of 6 feet in girth had, on an average, 10 rings per inch of radius; 

 20 trees of 4 feet 6 inches girth had an average of 97 rings per inch ; and 15 trees of 

 3 feet girth had 11 rings per inch. The rings were counted on lengths of radius, from 

 the centre, of 2'86, 573, 8'6 and 1T5 inches respectively, corresponding to a girth of 

 wood only of 18, 36, 54 and 72 inches. 



In 1874 he examined 32 trees in the Balipara Reserve, Darrang district, Assam: 

 10 trees of 1 foot 6 inches girth gave an average of 38 rings, or 13 rings per inch 

 of radius; 10 trees of 3 feet girth gave 61 rings, or 10'6 rings per inch of radius; 

 10 trees of 4 feet 6 inches girth gave 92 rings, or 107 rings per inch ; 1 tree of 

 5 feet 7 inches girth gave 110 rings, or 10'3 rings per inch ; and 1 tree of 6 feet 

 girth gave 122 rings, or 10'6 rings per inch of radius. 



In 1875 he examined 20 trees in the Sidli forests, Goalpara district, 

 Assam : 3 trees of 4 feet 6 inches girth gave an average of 89 rings, or 10'3 rings 

 per inch radius ; and 17 trees of 3 feet girth gave 50 rings, or 8'8 rings per inch radius. 

 The rings were counted in the same manner as in 1873. 



In 1876 he examined 11 trees in the same forests : 4 trees of 4 feet 6 inches girth 

 gave 76 rings, or 8'8 rings per inch of radius ; 7 trees of 3 feet girth gave 51 rings, 

 or 8'8 rings per inch. 



In 1877 he examined 17 trees in the same forests : 1 tree 6 feet in girth gave 103 

 rings or 9 rings per inch of radius ; 1 tree 4 feet 6 inches in girth gave 96 rings, or 11 

 rings per inch of radius; 13 trees of 3 feet in girth gave 51'5 rings, or 8'9 rings per 

 inch of radius ; and 2 trees of 1 foot 6 inches girth gave 26 rings or 9'1 rings per inch. 



The rings were counted in the same manner in each case. The result of the detailed 

 counting of the rings was ns follows : 



