Edible Products. 



212 



[September, 1911, 



SUITABILITY OP VARIOUS WOODS, 

 BAMBOOS AND GRASSES FOR 

 PAPER-MAKING. 



(Prom the Indian Fot ester, Vol. 

 XXXVII., No. 7, July, 1911.) 

 We mentioned in a previous issue that 

 Mr. Raitt had been deputed to the 

 Research Institute at Dehra Dun to test 

 the suitability of various materials for 

 paper pulp. Below we print a memo- 

 randum drawn up by Mr. Raitt which 

 contains definite instructions for the 

 selection and collection of materials. 

 This memorandum has, we understand, 

 been circulated to Local Governments 

 by the Government of India. 



Copy of a Memorandum drawn up 

 by Mr. Raitt. 



Paper Fibre Testing at the Forest 

 Research Institute. 



1. It is recommended that before 

 selecting and collecting any material 

 proposed, enquiry be first made of the 

 President, Imperial Forest Research 

 Institute and College, as to whether 

 such material has already been tested, 

 or if samples of it are already available 

 in the Institute. 



2. Samples should be accompanied by 

 a memorandum giving the scientific and 

 local name and place of origin. 



3. Woods- 



(a) Trees of rare occurrence are not 

 admissible, nor those of which the 

 average girth is under 2 ft. 



(b) They should be fairly cylindrical 

 and regular in outline so as to 

 facilitate barking. Deeply fissured 



outlines in trees under 5 ft. girth 

 are not suitable, but they may be 

 passed if they exceed that measure- 

 ment, as the larger bulk compen- 

 \ sates for the additional cost of 

 clearing bark out of fissures and 

 crevices. 



(c) Dry seasoned weight should not 

 exceed 45 lbs. per c. ft. and pre- 

 ferably under 40. 



(d) Samples should consist of cross- 

 cut sections, with bark left on, 

 of not less than 20 or more than 

 40 lbs. in weight. In the case of 

 large trees the section may be 

 split and a quarter or half of 

 it sent. 



(e) Samples of woods which remain 

 sound during seasoning may be 

 sent green. Those liable to rapid 

 decomposition, and which do not 

 season well in the log should be 

 split into wedges and dried in the 

 sun, or artificially before sending. 



4. Grasses— 



(a) Only those which are sufficiently 

 gregarious to permit of cheap 

 collection are suitable. 



(&) Samples should preferably be cut 

 just before or during flowering 

 and prior to formation of seed. If 

 cut after seed production, the fact 

 should be stated on the accom- 

 panying memorandum, so that 

 due allowance may be made for it, 



(c) Samples should consist of the 

 whole grass stem and leaf, and 

 should be well dried before pack- 

 ing—not less than 20 or more than 

 40 lbs. may be sent. 



EDIBLE PRODUCTS. 



HICKORY KING MAIZE. 



The illustration on the frontispiece 

 represents a plot of Hickory King Maize 

 63' x 15' grown by a Tamil cultivator at 

 Valluveddi, north of Jaffna, under the 

 supei vision of Mr. S. Chelliab, Agricul- 

 tural Instructor of the Northern Pro- 

 vince. The seed, which was planted on 

 May 16, germinated on the fourth day 

 and eared on the 24th June. There are 

 altogether about 300 plants on the plot, 



and, taking an average of two cobs per 

 plant, the value of the produce is more 

 than that of the produce of a similar 

 plot of the Italian millet (Setaria 

 italica), a common grain of the district. 

 The latter is invariably the third and 

 last crop in the native farmer's culti- 

 vation for the year, which ends with 

 July. Maize would appear tc be in 

 every way preferable to Italian millet, 

 and might well replace it. 



C. Drieberg. 



