82 THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 



to be much improved by Powellising. Sleepers subjected to this process 

 have shown good results up to the present time. 



In a later private note R. S. Troup says : " The importance of this 

 timber lies a good deal in its great abundance. There is an enormous 

 demand for the timber in Burma, and in many places the forests have 

 been overworked, as weU as wastefully worked. The value of In forests 

 is, however, coming to be appreciated, and adequate steps will, no doubt, 

 be taken to prevent wasteful exploitation and secure regular supplies 

 for the future." 



This demand, particularly in view of the continually advancing cost 

 of teak, is certain to increase, both for home use in Burma and India, 

 and for the United Kingdom and all other parts of the world, as the 

 supplies of timber grow yearly more restricted. It appears to be 

 useful for both external and internal construction work in the United 

 Kingdom, although perhaps it is yet too early to speak with confidence 

 as to its durability under exposed conditions. If its characteristics were 

 more carefully studied, it might be used to advantage more regularly. 



Like the product of Dipterocarpeae from Siam and Borneo, it has 

 been improperly described as " eng-teak " and " yang-teak," which has 

 given the impression that it was a variety of this wood {Tectona grandis), 

 and being handled accordingly it has sometimes given unfortunate results. 

 Unlike teak, it is exceedingly difficult to season, and indeed, without 

 artificial drying it has perhaps never become properly seasoned. A 

 sample i8 inches long lo inches wide by 2 inches thick, cut over three 

 years, was found to shrink nearly ^ inch in thickness, and just over | inch 

 in width, when subject to hot-air drying. If properly dried, eng is 

 very suitable for floorings, as the grain is not too fibrous, nor is it 

 hard enough to cause a slippery surface. The floor at Wigmore Hall, 

 which was laid in 1905, is of this wood. An ugly black stain is caused, 

 as with gurjun and Borneo camphor- wood, if iron or steel nails or screws 

 are used with this wood where it is subject to damp. 



Mr. Nesbitt, in a recent letter to the Timber Trades Journal, says that 

 the timbers of the Dipterocarps contain an essential oil which is destructive 

 to the timber. He points out that this constitutes the great distinction 

 between teak and eng (which in England are sometimes confounded by 

 the ignorant), as teak contains an essential oil that is a preservative 

 not only to the timber, but to everything with which it comes into 

 contact. I 



Eng, however, appears to be fairly durable when exposed in this 

 country. This may perhaps be explained by the fact that the destructive 

 essential oil, referred to by Mr. Nesbitt, may have exuded. The durability 

 of the timber is not so marked when under or close to the ground, in which 

 situations it soon begins to show deterioration. There is Uttle doubt that 



