EdibleProducts. 



[June, 1909. 



For lighting, alcohol is burned iu a 

 mantle. A recent test gave 30*35 candle- 

 power for 57 hours 5 minutes from one 

 gallon of alcohol. One gallon of coal 

 oil gave 30*8 candle-power for 28 hours 40 

 minutes, showing that one gallon of 

 alcohol gives nearly as much light as 



coal oil and the light is superior A 11 

 advantage is that it is non-explosive, 

 and can readily be extinguished with 

 water. For heating it can be burned in 

 gas or gasoline stoves. In America the 

 cost is stated as high as Is. 3d. and as 

 low as 4|d. per gallon. 



TIMBERS, 



INHERITANCE IN TREES. 



(From the Indian Forester, Vol. XXXV., 

 April 4, 1909.) 



Two examples of this may be worth 

 recording for the benefit of foresters. 

 Recently during an inspection of a well- 

 known Prussian forest I was struck 

 by the straightness and symmetrical 

 growth of the larches. I was informed 

 that they had been raised from seed 

 produced by extra straight-growing 

 trees, which had been originally brought 

 from England by the late Departmental 

 Forester, Krummelbein, of Oldenburg, 

 who for the purpose of an experiment 

 selected both straight and crooked- 

 stemmed trees from an English planta- 

 tion, planted them, and collected their 

 seeds for sowing. Their progeny exhi- 

 bited for the most part the characters 

 of the parent trees. Living as he did 

 to the age of ninety, Krummelbein was 

 able to grow four generations of plants 

 from this start, and the larches I saw 

 in the above-mentioned forest were of 

 the fourth generation. The result of 

 this experiment shows how necessary it 

 is that the forester when buying seed 

 should take care that they come from 

 straight-stemmed trees. The second 

 case of this kind which was pointed out 

 in the same forest was the growth of 

 some trees of the Douglas fir. Before 

 this tree was understood seeds were im- 

 ported haphazard, no question as to the 

 situation of the parent plants being 

 asked, the consequence being seeds from 

 mountainous regions were as freely 

 sown as those produced under more 

 favourable conditions, The difference 

 is now plainly to be seen, the trees from 

 the mountain seeds having grown much 

 slower than the others. The leaves also 

 on the mountain trees are of a bluish 

 tinge, although not so blue as those of 

 the variety glauca, 



(J, G, in the Field.) 



EXPORT OF OH1A TIES AND 

 LUMBER. 



By L. A. Thdbston. 



(From the Hawaiian Forester and Agri- 

 cxdturist, Vol. 5, No. 12, December, 1908 — 

 Paper read at the Annual Meeting of 

 the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Associa- 

 tion, November 11. 1908.) 



The most notable event has been 

 the beginning of operations by the 

 Hawaiian Mahogany Lumber Company, 

 Limited, in the production and export 

 of Ohia ties, in filling the order for 

 2,500,000 ties contracted to be delivered 

 to the Santa Fe Railroad. 



A large saw mill has been erected at 

 Pahoa, in the district of Puna and Island 

 of Hawaii, and operations were begun 

 there late in September last. The first 

 shipment of approximately 20,000 ties is 

 now being loaded on to the Emily 

 F. Whitney at Hilo. 



Utilizing Waste. 

 There is a very large waste in making 

 ties which the lumber company is endea- 

 vouring to utilize in by-products. Hard- 

 wood boards and battens to a consider- 

 able amount have been incidentally pro- 

 duced and a shipment of 15,000 feet were 

 sent to San Francisco on the last Enter- 

 prise. It is believed that a market for 

 a considerable amount of by-product 

 lumber of this nature can be found 

 both here and at the Coast. 



The chief drawback to this lumber is 

 its tendency to warp ; but it is believed 

 that by piling and curing the same 

 under proper conditions this difficulty 

 can be obviated. 



The Ohia lumber is so hard and 

 tough that it is believed that it can 

 be used to good advantage as flooring 

 and siding for cane cars which, 

 when made of Douglas fir, wear 

 out rapidly. The company will soon 

 have stock enough on hand to furnish 

 this lumber to those desiring to try it. 



