170 FORESTRY IN BRITISH EAST INDIA. 



the manufacture of paper pulp from bamboos and other vegetable 

 produce, the utihzation of Indian timbers for industrial purposes 

 such as for matches, pencils, paving blocks, railway waggons, 

 investigations about minor produce such as tan, bark, gums, resin, 

 oil seeds, grasses, fibres, and the production of lac, a subject of 

 the first importance, especially from a financial point of view. 



The Forest Botanist deals with systematic botany, the identifi- 

 cation of specimens for forest ofiicers, the measures taken for the 

 preparation of local floras and lists, the ecology of important 

 species and their diseases, the study of forest grasses and allied 

 subjects ; the present holder has made a special study of soil 

 aeration. 



The Forest Zoologist deals chiefly with injurious and useful 

 forest insects, the identification of specimens for forest officers, 

 the upkeep of the entomological collection, etc. 



The Forest Chemist works in close touch with the other research 

 officers, especially with the forest economist. He has lately been 

 occupied with the tanning value of barks and other products, the 

 distiUation of oil from grasses, pine needle and Deodar waste, the 

 improvement and standardisation of Indian turpentine and rosin. 

 Since the outbreak of the war the Forest Chemist has been 

 intimately concerned with the manufacture of thymol and 

 salicylic acid. He produced oil of wintergreen and saHcylic acid 

 from the leaves of Gaultheria fragrantissima, leading to aspirin. 

 There is every prospect that other substances will be manufac- 

 tured for which the forests yield the raw material. 



The results of all investigations are published in leaflets, 

 pamphlets, bulletins and memoirs. Of these more than 150 have 

 already appeared, indicating the zeal with which the investigators 

 have taken up the work. In all research work it is essential to 

 aim at a high standard. 



When the Working Plan Branch was established in 1884 it was 

 foreshadowed that after a time the work must be provincialised. 

 In the same way it was soon realised that one research institute 

 was not sufficient for such a large country as India with its great 

 diversity of climate and other conditions. Some classes of 

 research work can be done at a central institution, but others must 

 be done locally, and this is specially the case with forest research. 

 More particularly, questions connected with silviculture and 



