Timbers. 



MO 



[May, 1909. 



insects, so that the outturn of sleepers 

 and building timber may be increased. 



Experiments Recorded. 



2. It is unnecessary to enumerate the 

 various authenticated tests which have 

 been carried out with powellised wood 

 in the tropics. These are to be found in 

 hand-books issued by the Company and 

 obtainable from their Agents, Messrs. 

 Killick, Nixon & Co., Bombay. 



The writer has at present some powel- 

 lished deal under observation. It has 

 been down in a spot infested with white- 

 ants since 4th March, 1907, and has up to 

 date (17ch December, 1908) not been 

 touched, 



A piece of untreated deal was nailed 

 to the powellised piece when first put 

 down, and was totally destroyed by 

 white-ants in a few weeks. Another 

 untreated piece was recently placed 

 with the powellised piece and is being 

 rapidly destroyed. 



Similar tests in other parts of India 

 confirm these results. A large number 

 of powellised and untreated pieces of 

 different Indian woods are now being 

 laid down, but it will be some time 

 before any results can be arrived at. 

 S eepers of various kinds of woods are 

 allso being tested on the railway in 

 Burma. Messrs. Mackenzie & Co., Bom- 

 bay, in 1906 carried out tests on powel- 

 lised woods to ascertain if it looses its 

 antiseptic properties if exposed to the 

 weather. Blanks of poon and mango 

 were subjected for four nights and days 

 to steam forced on them by an exhaust 

 pipe, then a stream of water was direct- 

 ed on them for four days, and then the 

 wood was subjected to alternate rain 

 and sunshine in the monsoon, and was 

 finally cut up and placed in white-ants' 

 nests in three different places, along 

 with untreated wood of the same spe- 

 cies. The untreated pieces were quickly 



destroyed, while the powellised pieces 

 remained untouched. 



It has, of course, not been proved that 

 the process will stand the test of time 

 in India, and that sleepers will remain 

 immune from destruction for many 

 years. The tests which have been carried 

 out, however, show that powellised 

 wood effectively resists white-ants for 

 the periods to which the tests have ex- 

 tended hitherto. 



Powellising Plant. 



8. Powellising plant on an experi- 

 mental scale has been working at Bom- 

 bay for some time past. An installation, 

 capable of treating 150 ions of wood 

 per week, is approaching completion 

 at Bombay, and will be capable of 

 undertaking the impregnation of wood 

 on a larger scale- 



The value of the process has been 

 recognised in Australia, where the 

 Western Australian Government has 

 recently erected large works. Other 

 extensive works have been completed, 

 or are approaching completion, in Syd- 

 ney, New Zealand and Tasmania. Ame- 

 rica and Germany have also arranged 

 to erect works, and other countries are 

 negotiating. 



Terms for Erecting Powellising 

 Installations, and Cost Thereof. 



4- So far as the results of tests show, 

 there would appear to be great scope 

 for extending powellisine installations 

 throughout India and Burma. This the 

 Powell Wood Process Co., Ltd., are 

 anxious to do if they get reasonable 

 support from Government and from the 

 various railways. 



The terms and cost of erecting and 

 working such installations will be sup- 

 plied in strict confidence to bona fide 

 enquirers personally or officially known 

 to the writer.— Indian Forester, Vol 

 XXXV., No. 3, March, 1909. 



