*3 



(Scotch Pine) or the cluster or Maritime Pine (P. Pinaster ,vel 

 maritimci) in its use for the fixation of the sand dunes in Germany 

 and the French coast of the Bay of Biscay. It is very tolerant of 

 soils. In suitable localities, e.g., in sandy or porous soils, where the 

 subsoil is always moist and the water level within 8 to 10 feet of 

 the surface, it is a fast growing tree. In abandoned mining lands 

 these conditions of porosity and depth of water level more or less 

 exist. Further Ru has the reputation of drying land exhaustively, 

 a hopeful outlook in certain abandoned areas where the greater 

 portion of the land is under water in heavy rains, mainly from the 

 overflow of old mining holes. 



Wood and its Uses. — Timber heavy, hard, reddish brown (beef- 

 wood) coarse grained. Pores moderate sized to small, scattered, 

 much sub-divided, with white walls and partitions ; medullar)* rays 

 very fine and very numerous and evenly distributed ; concentric 

 rin-gs wavy, fine and close, broken up, darker nearer the centre. 

 Seasons somewhat badly, cracks and splits under weight or expo- 

 sure to the weather. Weight 50 lbs. may be taken for young 

 unseasoned wood to 60 lbs. for old seasoned wood. 



RfDLEY says it is suitable for posts being durable and resistant' 

 to termites. Mr. L. RlCKETTS of Mysore holds a diametrically 

 opposite view and condemns it for posts, re the termites; probably 

 the species of termites is different in the two countries. 



Its chief value is as a fuel. The reader is referred to the " Fac- 

 tory Engineer's, Selangor, Report", as contained in the Agricultural 

 Bulletin, S. S. & F. M. S., Vol. I, part 8, with regard to its superior 

 " steaming qualities over, even Bakau and ordinarv firewood." 

 According to Mr. RlCKETTS, "it was reckoned that Casuarina 

 "logs ran a train over a distance 13 per cent in excess of that 

 "attained by the next best kind of fuel available in the Mysore 

 " forests, " this was demonstrated by experiments carried out on 

 the Mysore State Railway. The fuel where available in India 

 according to the same authority is preferred for domestic consump- 

 tion and remarks " the people endeavour to subdue its intense heat 

 "by adding fuel of inferior heating power," in order to save their 

 cooking utensils from being worn out. He further adds " the same 

 '• result has happened where Casuarina is exclusively used in loco- 

 " motives, and it is a question how far its calorific properties should 

 " be moderated by the intermixture of other fuel substances." The 

 a^hes retain their heat for a long time. 



With these introductory remarks we shall proceed to the raising 

 and treatment of Casuarina under the following various heads: — 



(a). Formation and Manuring of the Nursery. — Nursery beds 

 of not more than 4 feet in width are now got ready, i.e., cleared of 

 all roots, stumps, stones, etc., with good drains on either side to 

 drain off excessive moisture and are necessary owing to the heavy 

 rains in this country. The nursery site would be selected near a 

 permanent supply of water, e.g., if selected on the area to be planted, 

 near one of the large mining holes not liable to overflow and hold- 



