IO I 



Swietenia Mahogani, L. 

 Mahogany has been planted experimentally in several parts of 

 the Peninsula. It is very slow of growth at first at least here, 

 and is apt to branch a good deal. 



S. mactophylla. 



Grows better and more rapidly. It has been planted experi- 

 mentally of late years and evidently does better here than the 

 small leaved mahogany. 



OLACINE/E. 



This order contains two of our most useful first class timbers, 

 viz., Petaling and Kulim. 



Ochanostachys amentacea, Mast. Petaling. 



A tree of no great size usually about thirty or forty feet tall and 

 a foot through. The bark thin and flaking off in rounded flakes, 

 brown. The foliage reminds one of that of the English beech, the 

 foliage being dense elliptic and shining deep green. The flowers 

 very small green in short racemes, and the fruit an oval green 

 milky drupe with one large seed. 



The tree occurs in jungle all over the Peninsula and is quite 

 common. If cut down it shoots up again from the old stool. Like 

 most hard woods it is of slow growth, and it is not easy to get 

 good seed of, as apparently many of the fruits fall unfertilized. 



There is very little sapwood, the whole of the tree being usable 

 as a hard wood timber. The wood is hard and heavy, deep brown 

 becoming lighter coloured by exposure. The rings are fine and 

 close and wavy, the rays exceedingly fine and numerous and very 

 close. The pores are arranged in short lines, four or five together. 



Though Petaling is by no means as large a tree as many of our 

 best hard woods, many trees are quite large enough for almost all 

 purposes. The timber is very durable, not difficult to work and 

 proof against white-ants. For house work it is excellent, and 

 attempts have been made to use it for railway sleepers, but it is 

 said to be liable to split in the sun. 



Scorodocarpits Borneensis, Becc. Kulim. 



Is a tall tree with rather flaky bark, about 60 feet tall, and I \ to 

 2 feet through. 



The flowers which are of moderate size are white, the fruit a 

 large drupe about an inch through, green with a thin pulp, and a 

 large stone. 



The strong odour of onions which every part of the tree gives 

 out, including the wood when fresh makes the Kulim easily identi- 

 fiable. It occurs in jungle all over the Peninsula and is highly 

 prized as a first class timber. The wood is resinous, deep brown 

 in colour, heavy and fairly hard. The pores are arranged in lines 

 and are small and usually full of resin giving the wood a peculiar 

 shining appearance, especially in longitudinal section where the 

 vessels are seen to be full of the resin. The rays are very fine 

 and close, the rings narrow and wavy. In appearance Kulim re- 



