May I, 1892.] Supplement to the " 'tropical AgvicuUimst 875 
INDIAN FOREST PRODUCTS. 
ludian forest trees, says a writer in the Indian 
Agriculturist, which number more than 2,000 
species, differ entirely from those which are 
common in Europe; in Great Britain, for in- 
stance, there are only about 40 species of indige- 
nous trees. The following which are the most 
conspicuous forest trees are referred to : Tlio Deodar 
sometimes reaches a height of 200 feet; of all 
timbers its wood is the most durable, lasting 
for centuries. 
The sandalwood of South India is a small 
evergreen ; the lieartwood is the valuable part, 
being used for incense and carved work. 
The teak is hardly less durable than the Deodar, 
and its timber has taken the place of oak. Gold 
is among metals what teak is among woods. It 
is durable, light, not very hard, easily polished, 
and does not split or warp. 
Mahogany is liardly indigenous, and is said to 
have been brought over by Carey the Missionary ; 
the Indian timber is said to be as good as that of 
the American tree. 
Both Sal {Shorea robusta) and sissoo {Dalbergia 
sisso) produce very durable timber; the sal is 
very hard, but tlie sissoo is much used for furni- 
ture with fine polish. 
Khair (acacia catechu) produces a wood used 
for oil mills and rafters, as well as the valuable 
tanning material known as Catechin or Cutch. 
The Indiarubber tree ( Ficus elastica), produces 
the caoutchouc exported from Calcutta ; the 
export of rubber from India alone is sometimes 
of the annual value of £150,000. 
1 1 is the weo/i/e of India, says the writer, who 
supply the forest revenue in their payments for 
firewood, charcoal, grazing dues, bamboos, gums, 
fibres, and other minor produce. To the Native 
of India the bamboo supplies almost everything, 
even food in time of scarcity. Besides the 
ordinary uses the different parts of the bamboo 
are put to, it is said, that under proper appli- 
ances the fibre seems destined to have an im- 
portant Influence on paper manufacture. The 
lac insect which is artificially propagated in 
Bengal and the Central Pi'ovinces, produces the 
substance which yields the shellac and lac-dye 
of commerce, so well known in sealing wax. 
The wild gums of forests are now beginning to 
be valued as they deserve. The yellow gum of 
the gurjun or wood balsam tree (Dipterocarjms 
Irris) has been discovered to be a specific for 
leprosy. The naturalized paper mulberry of 
Japan yields the Tapa cloth of the South Sea 
Islands. 
The excellent collection of forest products at 
the late Agri-Horticultural Show in Colombo was 
most interesting and instructive object lesson, 
and the only pjty is tliat the collection was not 
preserved in its integrity in thp Colombo MuseuiT) 
or the School of Agriculture, and a patalogue 
with notes on tlio different exhibits was not 
drawn up. There is of course a polleption of 
this nature being made by the Director of 
Botanic (iardens at Peradeniya, but the existence 
of such a collection would not lessen the value 
of, or interest in, a similar one that would lie 
easy of access to students in the Metropolis, 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
Some interesting experiments were carried on on 
the three Government Farms atSeebpore, Burdwan 
and Samraon during the past year. At the last 
mentioned place, fields under paddy were sub- 
jected to deep-ploughing and treated with 
different kinds of manures. With transplanted 
paddy a mixture of crude saltpetre and linseed 
cake gave the heaviest out-turn, and with broad- 
cast paddy cowdung produced the best results, 
while deep ploughing, to a depth of 4 or .5 
inches, gave an increase in out-turn of 24 seers 
of grain, and 3 maunds 20 seers of straw per 
acre. The Indian Agriculturist considers these 
experiments uncertain, and remarks that the 
results of the same exj^eriment vary mucli in 
different seasons. 
Canon Bagot mentions that a substance called 
lactite, which resembles ivory, is now being 
manufactured from skim-milk. Tlie water is 
expelled from the milk, and the solid matter 
is first compressed and then turned in a lathe into 
various shapes. 
The plan of killing the orange scale insect in 
California would seem to be an intricate and 
expensive one. An air-tight tent is placed over 
the tree, and this is charged with gas gene- 
rated in an open earthenware vessel by mixing 
one ounce each of sulphuric acid and dry 
cyanide of potassium with two ounces of water. 
Very successful artesian well experiments have 
been concluded on a large cattle station in 
Queensland. Altogether 6 bores were made to 
an average depth of 2,000 feet, and in each case a 
supply of clear, pure water has been obtained. 
Synocardia adorata, from which the fruit we 
know as Chalmoogra is obtained, is found in 
the Terai jungles, running along the base of 
the Garrow hills, and no doubt at one time, 
ere the destructive jhimer so ruthlessly dealt 
with the forest, extended all along the ad- 
joining ranges. The tree attains a height of 
about 20 feet ere it flowers, but occasionally 
it reaches 60 feet • and as the localities in which 
they are found are covered with dense jungle 
these forest giants are surrounded by their self- 
sown progeny in all stages of development. The 
rainfall in this Terai jungle averages 300 inches. 
The soil in which the plant is found is a sandy 
loam, submerged several times during tlie year 
by water impregnated with lime particles from 
the formation of that mineral, which abounds in 
the vicinity. The oil is much appreciated in 
Cliina and Persia ; but whether it possesses all 
tlie therapeutic properties claimed for it, wo are 
not in a position to say, though we have uo 
reason to infer the claims are exaggerated, 
Mr. John Speir, of Glasgqw, lecturing lately 
on the principles of manuring, began Iiis lecture 
thus :— Plants, like animals, require a certain 
(luantity and quality of food, and unless thoy 
are provided with such they dwindle and die, 
no matter how favourable tlieir otlier surround- 
ings may be. In the animal world wc have one 
class of beasts called liorbivorous, wliich IccU on 
