III. LEG.-PAPILIONACEAE. 
— 86 — 
Padauk trees were girdled. The fellings last year accounted for 4986 
trees of which 1163 were Padauk and, practically no dry, seasoned Pa- 
dauk remains in the forests. It is estimated that, with the additional elep- 
hants recently sanctioned, and the tramway now working, it will be possible 
to extract 8000 tons of all kinds in the log and as squares. Of these. 3500 to 
4000 tons should be Padauk and to supply this tonnage not less than 2000 
seasoned trees should be available annually. Therefore, since the trees take 
from three to five years to dry and season thorougJihj^ it is desirable the forests 
should always contaiu a stock of 6000 to 10.000 girdled Padauk. — The 
latest all-round rate, obtained in London, for Padauk was 7 — 10 per ton, 
which, converted into rupees at the current rate of exchange, amounted 
to 107. In Calcutta the average rate varied from 67 per ton for squares 
to R. 76 per ton for planks. The prices obtained are very much below 
those for which the early consignments were sold seven years ago, and 
it is believed that more recent shipments have not been of such uni- 
formly good quality and colour as it is desirable to send. By a more 
careful selection of the timber for the Europe market, which should be 
insisted on, there will, in my opinion, be every prospect of commanding 
better prices approximating those obtained for the smaller lots in 1883 
and 1884. • — In 1878 a suite of furniture made of Andaman Padauk 
was exhibited at the Paris Exhibition bij Messrs. Jackson and Graham, 
who described the woed as being a straight-grown wood with rather 
a coarse open grain, but without any strong figure or markings. When 
out it is of a reddish brown colour, but it fades to much the same colour 
as teak — a wood it resembles very much — and it is about as hard, but much 
heavier. We consider it suitable for all kinds of furniture." — Eight 
years later (in 1886) Padauk timber, exhibited at the colonial and Indian 
Exhibition, attracted much attention, and it was considered to be spe- 
cially adapted for cabinet work and carriage-building." — «The introduc- 
tion of Padauk wood into London market may be said to date from the 
time of the Indo-Colonial Exhibition. In July 1886, at the suggestion 
of the Superintendent of Port Blair (Andamans), advertisements were 
inserted in the Calcutta, IMadras, and Raugoon uewspapers iuviting mer- 
chants and others to purchase two lots of Padauk wood of 500 tons each, and 
a third lot of 500 tons, which were to be ready in Xovember, 1886, 
and. Januari, 1887 respectively. Fortunately for the future of the timber, 
no tenders were received in response to the advertisements, as, at the 
latter date, the advertised quantity has not been draggcd out of the 
forests. In August, 1886,saQction was asked for arraugements being 
made to ship a consignment of Padauk to England in the ship which 
was expected to arrivé at the Andamans with eoal in the ftllowing 
spring; and it was suggested that, if the consignment found a remune- 
rative market, sanction should be accorded for the purchase of sufficiënt 
elephants to enable an extensive and permament sale of the timber to 
be worked up." — „The last consignment Padauk sent to London tetched, 
for the most part f 10 porton, but some 250 tons of almost colourless 
wood ,left from the two previous consignments, brought the average price 
down to 3^. 6>'. par cubie foot. The business has been somewhat spoiled 
by the inclusion in sliipments of dirtybrown, colourless wood, which 
shoud bo avoided in future consignments. For red wood i^. and seleeted 
wood 4*», Qi. per foot can always be reckoned on". ƒ 85 — ƒ 95 
pro M') „A large quantity of Padauk goes eventually to France and 
