290 
Supplement in ike " Tropical AgricuUurist." 
fOcr. 1, IDOO. 
CEYLON TIMBEES. 
Still another Report on tlie specimens of timber 
sent from Ceylon to the Imperial Institute lias 
reached us. We have already referred to the 
Report of Professor Unwin ; the present report 
is by Mr. Herbert Stone, 1'M..s., one of the expert 
referees of tl.e Imperial Institute. 
Mr. Stone, nt the outset of his report, states — and 
gives good reasons to support the stateir.ent — that 
there is but a poor cliauce of our Colonial timbers 
competing with English woods, unle^fs they present 
some peculiar merits. The exceptions are those 
timbers which in some way resemble English 
staple timbers and which will pass under the same 
name. Three examples are Suriya-Mara {Albhxia 
nd«ratis»imn) Halmilla {Bcrrya ammonilla) and 
Lunumidella {Meha dubia). These, if imported 
respectively as "Ceylon rosewood," "Ceylon 
Satinwood " and " Ceylon Cedar," would, it is 
expected, with the help of assiduous advertise- 
ment, readily be bought on trial, and probably 
be adopted for many purposes. Unless such apian 
(which Mr, Stone hastens to assure us, is uo 
deception, from a trade point of view) is adopted, 
oniy one out of the nineteen specimens of Ceylon 
woods examined has any chance of gaining a foot- 
ing in England. 
Mr. Stone writes short but interesting notes on 
the following timbers : — 
Michelia champaca, Sapu, S ; Sanpakam, T. 
Pleurostylia Wightii, Piyari, S ; Pi),nakka, T. 
CalophJUuvi Burmanh,Gamkma., S; Ghiru-punnai, T. 
Pterospennum subedfolmm, Velaneia, S ; Toddi, Vin- 
naku, T. 
Vitex altissmia, Milla, Milila, or Sapu-milila, S. Madai 
Kata-manaku, T. 
Zisyphusjujuba, Masan, Miha-debara, S ; Ilanthai, T, 
Vaiica Boxhurgldana, Mendora, S. 
Carallia calycina, Ubberiya, S. 
Cnjptocanja memhranacca, Tawenna, S. 
Carallia integemma, Dawata, S. 
Azadriachla mdica, Eohomba, S ; Verapu, T. 
Melia dttbia, Lunumidella, S; Malai-Vempu, Patiri, 1. 
Alseodaplme (Persea) seimcarpifolia, Wowarani, S. 
Banal, Yavaranai, T. 
Heritiera littoralis, Etuna, S ; Chomuutiii, T. 
Thespesia populne.a, Suriya, S ; Pu-varasu, T. 
Benya ammordlla, Halmilla, S ; Chamandale, Male 
Kuda-munakku, T. 
Albizzia odoratissima, Suriya-Mara, S; Karnvakai, T. 
Preicopsis mooniana, Nedun, S. 
Presumably it is the same collection, consisting 
of twenty-two specimens, which was submitted 
•both toProfessor Unwin and Mr. Stone for report. 
Of these twenty-two, the present report deals with 
nineteen, those not dealt with being Calophyllum 
hracteatum, Walukina, S., Artocarpus integrifolia, 
Kos, S., Pila T., and Artocarpus nobilis, Del, Wal- 
del, S. Why such common building timbers as the 
two latter have been left out is not stated. 
It is a pity that a number of errors in nomen- 
clature has crept into both Professor Unwin's 
and Mr. Stone's reports — particularly as regards 
native names. To give an instance, one specimen 
is referred to as Vuinaka and is said to have 
been marked Vincol. In order to identify the 
•wood the specimen was sent to Kew, but the 
name could not hove been found in its corrupted 
form in any of the lists. It is most probable, how- 
ever, that the wood referred to was Pterospermum 
suberl/olium, and we so give it in the above list 
in which we have inserted all ths Sinhalese and 
Tamil names as well. Again, one or two errors 
are likely to lead to great confusion, — for instance, 
Tawenna is given as Uico/jsis petiolarix (now 
Palaquium petiolare, order Sapotaceae) instead of 
Cryptocanja membranacea, order Lauraceae). It 
is aouhtful therefore which is the correct name 
of the specimen at tlie Imperial Institute, whether 
the Sinhalese or the botanical one. 
As might be expected from his general remarks 
with reference to Ceylon timbers, 5Ir. Stone 
has iK)t much to say in his notes in praise of 
our woods except in the cases already men- 
tioned. Regarding Ubberiya, he says " this 
wood is the most beautiful cf the series, re- 
sembling remarkably the most beautiful wains- 
coat oak in every direction of the grain. Apart 
from the reddish tinge, there are very few person.*, 
even in the trade, who would not pronounce 
the wood to be oak." But even this beautiful 
wood has its drawbacks, since it does not darken 
with age, nor preserve its colour when polished. 
In the note on Lunumidella, which, as stated 
above, Mr. Stone selected as a marketable timber, 
•^ve read " to obtain the best effect of the grain, 
Lunumidella must be cut in the direction of the 
radius, i.e., quartered, as the beautiful satin lustre 
does not appear in the tangential section." This 
is a hint— if the fact is not already known — which 
local timbermen and builders should take note of. 
The lightness of Lunumidella is said to be remark- 
able, and for this quality alone, says Mr. Stone, 
it should have a future before it. Suriya-mara, 
referred to as " the sweet-scented mimosa" (a 
name by the way we have never heard it called by) 
is perhaps best spoken of iu the report. The 
timber is said to be a ' genuine rosewood," the 
wood " extremely hard, even harder than Ebony." 
(Indian rosewoods are the product of Dalheryia 
latifolia and D. sissoides.) It is recommended 
that Suriya-mara should be allowed to season for 
at least two years before shipment, as the logs 
examined were found to be quite wei, though it 
is surmised that they must have been felled not 
less than eighteen months previously. This would 
lead us to suppose that the wood specimens 
reported on must have been a late contribution 
from Ceylon to the Imperial Institute collection, 
and not part of the original consignment of samples 
made some 8 or 9 years ago. Ot Nedun, which is 
considered one of our best furniture woods, Mr, 
Stone has, strangelj' enough, verj' little to say in 
commendation. 
We cannot help thinking that to be able to 
report to the best advantage, the timber expert 
should, in addition to the application of technical 
tests, examine timber not merely by means of hand 
or block specimens of doubtful age, but in the mass 
and even in situ before making deductions which 
are intended to have a practical and commercial 
bearing.* If, however, Mr. Stone has been the 
means of introducing three of our Ceylon woods to 
the notice of English timber dealers, we, and all 
who are interested in the development of the 
Island's resources, will have occasion to be grateful 
to him : but then it is a question whether the Island 
can spare, for purposes of export, any appreciable 
quantity of the three timbers which are said to 
have a future before them. 
