AQHIODLTOBAL AND GARDEN PURPOSBS. 63 



purpose to be served, soft enough to allow nails to be driven in 

 without splitting, and not liable to stain or taint or otherwise injure 

 the contents. Deodar, although an excellent wood in every other 

 respect, is generally too oily and strong-scented for any purpose. 



One of the chief Indian industries requiring packing cases is tea 

 manufacture. There are several sizes of cases to contain definite 

 weights of tea, but in all the boards are only ^-inch thick. 



According to Mr. Gamble the common tea-box woods in the 

 neighbourhood of Darjeeling are tun, Duahanga sonneratioides, 

 simal, Canarium bengalense, Anthocephalus Cadamba, Acrocarpus 

 fraxinif alius, Tetrameles nudijlora, Acer Campbellii or Icevigatum, 

 Engelhardtia spicata, Echmocarpus dasycarpus, Nyssa sessilijlora, 

 Machilus edulis, and JSeilschmiedia Roxhurghiana. 



In the Dehra Diin mango is the only wood in which the planters 

 pack their tea, although there can be no doubt that numerous 

 other woods will be found to be equally suitable. In Chhota Nag- 

 pur even such an inferior wood as JBoswellia serrata is employed. 



Information under this head is required from the tea districts of 

 Assam and Cachar, Kumaon and Kangra. Besides the qualities 

 essential to all kinds of wood used for packing cases, wood for 

 tea boxes must also possess the necessary one of not corroding the 

 lead lining. Green wood of most kinds has this injurious effect, 

 notably Erythrina and the wild mango, and, according to Dehra 

 Diin tea planters, also Finns longifolia. Teak is used in some 

 places, but it is far too valuable a wood to be wasted on tea boxes. 



Opium manufacture also requires a very large quantity of wood, 

 Boswellia serrata being chiefly employed. The wood of this spe- 

 cies is not at all strong, but as it seasons very slowly, it is proba- 

 bly useful in keeping the opium moist. 



Article 14. "Wood toe ageicuittjbal and gaeden ptjeposes. 



Under this head we have ploughs, harrows, hoes, clod-crushers, 

 rollers, poles and laths for training climbing plants, thorn fences, 

 rakes, hay forks, tool handles, &c. 



The plough is made of any hard and strong wood that consists 

 of the stem and a large branch making the required angle with it. 

 In teak-producing districts that species is almost the only wood 

 used on account of its great durability, and the ease with which it 

 is worked. In the Himalayas various species of oak are utilized. 

 S41, sissu and babul also make excellent ploughs. The shaft is 

 made of any strong, elastic wood, the' best being Ougeinia dalber- 

 gioides, Diospyros Melanoxylon, sk\ and species of Anogeissus. The 

 yoke is made of the same wood as in the case of carts. 



