PINUS 



KHASYA 



THE PINE TREES OF INDIA 



Gildemeister and Hoffmann, Volatile Oils, 1900, 558-63. \Cf. Tavernier, Travels, 

 1676 (ed. Ball), ii., 20; Taleef Shereef (Playfair, transl.), 101 ; Banerjei, Agri. 

 Cuttack, 1893, 104-5 ; Thorpe, Diet. Appl. Chem., 1898, i., 173 ; Schimmel & Co., 

 Semi- Ann. Sept., 1905, 11-2; April-May, 1906, 70.] 



D.E.P., 



vi., pt. i., 

 238-42. 



Blue Pine. 



Turpentine and 

 Tar. 



Torches. 



Manna. 

 Timber. 



Edible 

 Pine. 



Season. 

 Seeds. 



Khasia 

 Pine. 



Resin. 

 Turpentine. 



PINUS, Linn. ; Fl Br. Ind., v., 651-3 ; Gamble, Man. Ind. 

 Timbs,, 1902, 703-10 ; Maxwell T. Masters, in Journ. Linn. Soc., 1901-4, 

 xxxv., 560-659 ; CONIFERJE. A genus of coniferous trees of great 

 economic value. Five species are indigenous in India. 



P. excelsa, Wall. The Indian Blue or Five-leaved Pine. The chila, kail, 

 Urn, tongschi, lamshing, raisalla, byans, ydri, kaiar, tser, bidr, keiiri, partal, sam, 

 limanza, etc. A large evergreen tree of the temperate Himalaya at 6,000 to 

 12,500 feet, extending westward to Kafiristan and Afghanistan ; eastward, 

 except for gaps in Central and North- West Kumaon and Sikkim, to Bhutan 

 (Gamble). 



The wood is highly resinous and affords TUKPENTINB and TAB. Tapping is 

 done by vertical cuts as in the long-leaved pine. The trees are tapped for 

 about three years, then allowed three years' rest, after which tapping can recom- 

 mence on another side. The more highly resinous parts of the wood are much 

 employed for torches, which are known as mashdl in Hindustani and Panjabi, 

 jagni in Pushtu. The resinous cones are valuable for lighting fires. In certain 

 dry winter seasons, the leaves and twigs become covered with a copious, sweet 

 exudation. The " Manna " thus found is collected and eaten by the Natives. 

 Gamble states that the WOOD is good, and very largely used in construction 

 throughout the Western Himalaya, and that it is also exported to the plains. 

 For planking, doors, windows and furniture it is better than deodar (Cearutt 

 i /i bun i. uar. Iteoanra) as it is less brittle, has not the oil, which in the deodar 

 absorbs dirt, while it is free from strong scent. In Kangra and Kullu it is said 

 to be used for tea-boxes. \Gf. Thurston, Resin and Turpentine from Ind. Pines, 

 Imp. Inst. Handbook, 1893, 7-19 ; Ind. For., 1893, xix., 367, 407 ; 1894, xx., 

 92-4 ; 1897, xxiii., 282-9 ; 1900, xxvi., 497-503 ; 1905, xxxi., 369-72 ; Law- 

 rence, Valley of Kashmir, 1895, 80 ; Agri. Ledg., 1896, No. 14, 98 ; For. Working 

 Plans and Admin. Repts. Pb. and U. Prov.~\ 



P. Gerardiana, Wall. The Neosia or Edible Pine, gunober, rhi, newr, 

 kannuchi, shangti, ronecha, chiri, prita, galboga ; seeds = chilgorza, neoza, zan- 

 ghdz. A moderate-sized evergreen tree of the inner, dry and arid North- West 

 Himalaya, generally between 6,000 and 10,000 feet ; mountains of Northern 

 Afghanistan and Kafiristan ; also Hariab district at 7,000 to 11,000 feet (Gamble). 



The chief product of this species is the almond-like seed, contained in the 

 cones. The cones ripen in October, are plucked before they open, and heated 

 to make the scales expand. The seeds are then removed, and are largely eaten 

 by the Natives and stored for winter use. In Kunawar, they are said to 

 form a staple food with the inhabitants. They are also exported to the plains, 

 from the hills of the Panjab, and large quantities are imported annually into 

 India from Afghanistan. The wood is hard, durable and very resinous, but 

 rarely utilised since the tree is so highly valued for its seeds. [Cf. Pharmacog. 

 Ind., 1893, iii., 379-80 ; Agri. Ledg., 1896, No. 14, 96-7.] 



P. Khasya, Royle. The dingsa, tinyu, taru. A large evergreen tree of the 

 Khasia hills, hills of the Lushai country of Chittagong, Shan hills and hills of 

 Martaban in Burma at 3,000 to 7,000 feet. 



The resin of this species is perhaps the most valuable obtainable from 

 any species of the genus. Samples were reported on by Armstrong (Imp. 

 Inst. Tech. Repts., 1903, 167-9). The crude turpentine, which is a grey, thick, 

 pasty mass, furnishes by distillation with steam about 13 per cent, of its weight 

 of oil. On a former occasion Armstrong obtained from a sample of JP. KHnsyn 

 17 per cent, of oil. The original turpentine and the distilled oil have a slight 

 but agreeable odour, less pronounced than that of French turpentine. Chemical 

 examination also proved that the oil of P. Khasyn is strictly comparable to 

 French oil of turpentine, and Armstrong states that in his opinion the oil is of 

 the highest quality and will be found to serve every purpose for which oil of 

 turpentine (French or American) is used. Samples submitted to a London firm 

 of brokers (Agri. Ledg., 1896, No. 14, 102) were valued at 4 to 6 per ton for 

 the crude turpentine, and at 24 per ton for the refined spirit, while the resin 



