THE WORK OF THE FOREST DEPARTMENT IN INDIA. 47 



The hot rosin in the still is drawn off by means of a sluice- 

 valve into a waggon and transferred to the rosin shed, where it 

 is filtered through a layer of cotton wool and then run into 

 casks, bags or tins while still moderately hot and fluid. The 

 rosin is graded according to American standard into pale, 

 medium and dark shades. Gross weight, actual tare, etc., are 

 carefully stencilled on the packages before despatch. The rosin 

 has proved uniform in quality, very clear and free from dirt, a 

 most important matter in paper and shellac manufacture. 



The process of manufacture at the Bhowali Factory, United 

 Provinces, is similar, but there they have the disadvantage of 

 working with older plant. This defect, it is understood, will be 

 removed as soon as more normal conditions prevail in Europe. 



The cost of distilla,tion and packing varies from Rs. 1-8 to 

 Rs. 2 per maund net, including all costs. A maund of resin 

 yields on an average frds of a maund of rosin and 1-75 gallons 

 •of turpentine, of which up to 1-5 gallons is Quality I. 



For the year ending 30th June 1916, the combined output 

 -in the United Provinces and the Punjab was 67,078 maunds of 

 resin distilled (27 maunds = 1 ton), yielding 47,149 maunds of 

 rosin and 111,835 gallons of turpentine, all classes. The 

 gross revenue was Rs. 5,04,249, the gross trading account 

 profit Rs. 1,73,892 and the net trading account profit 

 Rs. 1,46,794, while the invested capital stood at Rs. 1,61,905. 

 Interest and depreciation, per maund of resin distilled, varies 

 from annas 5 to annas 10. The financial aspect of the industry 

 may therefore be considered quite satisfactory. This question 

 -has been dealt with instructively and exhaustively by Mr. E. A. 

 Smythies in the " Indian Forester " for April 1916, pages 

 187 — 201, the most striking fact there brought out being that 

 whereas a chir pine tree yields at maturity at most Rs. 30 gross 

 revenue, the gross value of its resin comes to Rs. 138, inclusive 

 -of compound interest at 3^ per cent, per annum. 



The possibilities of development of the Indian pine resin 

 industry are considerable. The average annual imports of 

 rosin and turpentine into India for the five years 1907-08 to 

 1911-12 were about 3,000 tons and 2,27,000 gallons, respect- 

 ively. Today India is herself producing over 1,300 tons of 

 :rosin and 111,000 gallons of turpentine towards her annual 



