6 
Indian Forest Records. 
[VoL. IX 
(0 Preparation of Material and Layout of Experiments 
Six logs of each species were selected for each experiment. Thus 
the material from 24 logs of each species was under test. Three of 
the six logs were converted radially and three tangentially according 
to general cutting diagrams furnished by the Forest Economist. 
Part of the material was sawn into boards and part into scanthngs, 
and half of the boards thus converted were piled horizontally and 
half vertically. All of the scantlings were piled horizontally. 
The actual methods of stacking the converted material and the 
kind of protection against the elements that was provided in each 
case are of considerable significance in the analysis of the results 
obtained, but a detailed description of each experiment in this note 
would be profitless. In general, the horizontally piled timber was 
Slacked in small piles, whose indth was that of the widest boards, 
upon rough uneven timber foundations. Odd bits of wood were 
used as crossers or battens between the pieces. The material from 
each log was piled by itself with the result that there was a very 
free circulation of air through the piles and around each piece, and 
no appreciable weight bearing upon the individual pieces to prevent 
them from warping and twisting freely. The vertically piled boards 
were piled on edge obliquely against a framework consisting of a 
horizontal pole supported 4 or 5 feet above the ground. The timber 
thus piled was covered by a thatch roof which served to keep off the 
rain and some of the sun. However, there was no protection what- 
ever at the sides to break the winds or to keep the sun from shining 
for a portion of each day upon the timber near the outside. 
The number of boards and scantlings of each species seasoned 
by each method, the dates of carrying out the various operations, and 
the thickness of the timber are shown in Appendix I. 
(ii) Final Inspection of Timber. 
The final inspection upon which the conclusions are based was 
carried out as far as possible by research officers from the Forest 
Economist’s branch, although in certain cases it was necessary to 
call upon the local forest officers for this inspection. At the time 
of final inspection each piece of timber was examined carefully for 
defects attending or attributable to the seasoning and the results were 
recorded on a specially prepared form opposite the number of the 
piece. The defects thus recorded against all the pieces under test 
were analyzed and averaged as described later on for purpose of 
summary and conclusion. In addition to the detailed inspection, all 
of the pieces of each species were laid out on the ground in piles 
according to the method of seasoning and a comparison drawn based 
on the general appearance and outstanding characteristics of the 
group as a whole. 
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