118 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Aug. 1, 1899. 
SATINWOOD. 
CHLOROXYLON SWIETENIA Z>.C. 
Brandis in hii " Flora, of North-West and Centra' 
India" thus speaks of this tree: — " A common tree 
in the Satpura Range, the Dekkan, the Konkan, and 
the drier parts of the peninsula and Ceylon. A small 
tree in Central India, in South India attaining 30-40 
ft. ; trunk straif^ht, symmetrical. Bark yeliow, soft, 
corky, | in. thick or more. Heartwood, with a beauti- 
ful satin lustre, fragrant, when seasoned, greenish 
white with a yellow tinge, or yellow, mottled, and 
feathered, close grained. Heavy the cub. ft. weighs 
51-66 lb. whea seasoned and 70-75 lb. when green. 
The value of P. has been found to fluctiiate between 
600 and 1059, and the average may be taken at 800. 
Has been compared to box, not found suited for 
engraving, but is excellent for turning. Em- 
ployed for agricultural implements, cart-building, 
makes beautiful furniture and picture-frames. Im- 
Eorted into England, used for cabinet work and the 
acks of brushes." 
My experience of Satinwood in India being moat 
limited, my remarks apply mainly to this tree in 
Ceylon, where it atttains its best dimensions. 
Distribution : — The annexed sketch map shows, 
roughly, the distribution of this tree over the island. 
It will be seen that it is only absent from the South- 
western portion, i. c, from the portions affected by 
the South- Western moasoon, and from the higher 
mountain ranges. I have seen some trees at an 
elevation of about 1,500 feet in the Province of Uva, 
and a few trees in the intermediate rainfall zone near 
Kurunegala, but, as a rule, it can be said that it is not 
found above an elevation of 800 feet, and in localities 
with a rainfall of over 65 inches. The finest forests 
are in the Northern portions of the Batticaloa district, 
and in the Puttalam district. In the Northern portion 
of the island, the trees, although abundant, do not 
attain very large dimensions. 
Soil : — Satinwood requires a light sandy soil with 
good subsoil drainage. It is also found on well- 
drained rocky hills, if there is not too much clay in 
the soil. 
Sylvicultueal Req'jirements : — This tree is essen- 
tially a shade-avoiding tree, except perhaps in its 
infancy when, like other trees, belonging to the 
natural order of the Meliacea, it prefers side-shelter 
or low cover. It springs up readily in clearings, but 
is also found along the sides of forest roads and lines 
or growing in the midst of bushes in old clearings 
abandoned by the chena cultivator. In this respect 
it is a valuable re-afforesting agent ; for, after the 
chena cultivator has cut and burnt off the jungle and 
cultivated it for two or three years, a rank growth 
of spiny and prickly bushes springs up, which the 
Satinwood helps in again becoming valuable forest. 
In high forest, especially if the leaf canopy is not 
dense, or if it is not high, Satinwood seedlings ger- 
minate readily enough, but they require the aid of 
man to develop into trees. It is for this reason that 
in Ceylon forests of a certain age, although large and 
medium-sized trees are not uncommon, there is a 
remarkable absence of saplings and poles. This has 
led Mr. Vincent, in his valuable Report' on the Ceylon 
forests, to slate that the natural reproduction was 
poor. The contrary is, however, the case ; but up to 
recently the Government did nut do anything to re- 
place the trf-es taken away by helping the young 
seedlings, and no cleanings or aeed-fellings have been 
carried out. It appears to me that the correct treat- 
mant for Satinwood is to girdle trees for some dis- 
tanc; to leeward of the seed-bearers, iu sufficient 
numbers to give light to the soil without encoura- 
giog the growth of rank giass and weeds, and 
far enough to let the light seed, which is carried to 
some disiance by the wind, have a chance of deve- 
loping into seedlings. As the seed ripens before the 
North East monsoon, the girdling should be done 
early in the year, and at the same time all large 
climbers which invade the crowns of the trees should 
bo cut, After the seed has germinated and the 
seedling established itself, it requires direct overhead 
light, and this should be provided, but caution must 
be exercised in not girdling too many of the dominant 
trees, for this might lead to an invasion of insects 
which would be liable to attack the seedlings as well 
as the girdled trees. 
Dimensions and Rate of Growth :— Satinwood 
grows to a large tree, except in wind-swept localities 
near the sea, where it attains only small dimensions. 
The crown is large, as can be expected with its light, 
feathery foliage; the bole, althiui?h it .-ittains a girth 
of 8 or 9 feet is usually oorjparatively short, i.e., 
rarely over 30 feet in height. This is due to the 
requirements of light by the tree which early 
forms branches in order to develop a large crown. 
As regards the rate of growth of the tree, the 
data which we have at present are unfortunately 
not very reliable on account of the small number of 
trees in each sample plot and in consequence of the 
habit of mixing up trees of different girth-classes, and 
of calculating the average girth for all. This method 
of measurement has now beeo given up and the trees 
are measured by girth-class, and it is hoped that in 
a few years reliable data will be obtained. I have 
gone carefully into the figures available and the follow- 
iog appear to me to give a fairly correct idea of the 
rate of growth of an average Satinwood tree. 
Age of tree 18 inches in girth . . 20 years 
do do 3 feet do . . 45 do 
do do 4tt 6in do . . 75 do 
do do 6 feet do . . 125 do 
If this estimate of the rate of growth proves to 
be correct, it takes 50 years for a tree 4ft. 6in. in 
girth to reach a circumterence of 6 feet. If, therefore 
the exploitable size is taken at 6ft. as it is now in 
Ceylon, it would be proper under the selection method 
of.,_ treatment to go over the forest in 50 years, taking 
all the" trees 6ft. and over which can be spared from 
a sylvicultural point of view. In all forests, it would 
be better still to go each year, on an average, over 
one twenty-fifth of the area, taking only one-half of 
the exploitable stock or confining operation to trees 
whose removal is most urgent. 
We have not yet sufficient experience to know, in 
the event of the Regular Method being adopted, how 
many years before the final fellings the seed-fellinf a 
should be made. Observations made in our forests 
since 1891, show that the Satin-sood flowers abun- 
dantly every year and it is probable that seed-fellings 
made some 7 to 10 years before the final fellings, 
would give a good crop of seedlings. 
Enemies. — This tree, like others belonging to the 
same natural order, is liable to attacks from insects 
which bore into the pith of the young shoots. A large 
number of trees die from the attacks of the larva of 
a beetle, probably a longicorn, which makes galleries 
between bark and wood, that not unfrequently girdle 
the tree. The young saplings are very liable to injury 
by stags, since these prefer them to any other trees 
for rubbing off the velvet from their horns. This pre- 
ference is probably due partly to the corky nature of 
the bark and partly to the gum, which exudes from 
wounds and soothes the irritation which the animals 
feel. In some parts of the island the trees are liable 
to the attacks of a fungus, which rots the centre of 
the tree and causes a clean hole, sometimes through- 
out the length of the bole. This is the case particu- 
larly in the South-Western portion of the island. 
Satinwood does not resist fires well. 
The Timber.— The weight of 12 well-seasoned pieces 
taken by me from different parts of the island, varied 
from 55'2 lb to b5-4 lb per cub. ft., and the average 
was 59'92 lb or cub. ft. This is a somewhat 
average than that of the .specimens liigher 
teste.) by Mr. Smythies in 1878, which averaged 67lb. 
Seasoned wood can, therefore, be said to be lighter 
than water. The wood is hard and strong, takes a 
beautiful polish, and is extremely durable. The most 
valuable wood is that which is known in Ceylon as 
" flowered, " and in the home market as "figury" 
wood, especially if it is light coloured and can be used 
together with West Indian satinwood. The price ol 
