Part V.] Sweet: On Air Seasoning of Indian Timbers. 1& 
.the girdled tree. The only data available are based on tests made 
on girdled teak in the South Chanda Division in thelCentral Provinces. 
Since the trees under test had been girdled for a period of two years 
and three months, it may be assumed that the maximum effect, from 
a practical point of view, had been realized ; particularly inasmuch 
as the climate of the South Chanda Division is nearly as dry as any 
forest region in India. The trees were entirely stripped of bark and 
were seasoned on the outside to the extent that the surface was 
cracked to a depth of 2 to 3 inches, and the trees were quite badly 
shattered and broken by the falling. IVIoisture content tests were taken 
30 feet above the ground on three of the trees which averaged 15" in 
diameter at that point. The tests were taken at three points in the 
cross section of the logs; (1) in the' sapwood about 2" from the 
periphery, (2) in the core of the tree, and (3) half way between the 
outside and the core. The moisture content of No. (1) averaged 
20-3 per cent. ; No. (2) 29-5 per cent. ; and No. (3) 33-6 per cent. 
These figures prove quite conclusively that the main portion of the 
legs had seasoned but partially and was still quite green — fully capable 
of considerably more shrinkage. Thoroughly air-seasoned wood in 
the climate of that region has a moisture content as low as 7 per 
cent. In regions less dry than the Central Provinces the degree of 
seasoning accomplished by this method would be much less. 
The experiments carried out under this investigation show that, 
with most species, girdling for 18 months reduced the tendency of 
the timber to surface crack after conversion and during final season- 
ing. The degree of reduction was more pronounced in some' species 
than in others ; but, taking the average of all species in all Divisions, 
the amount of cracking in the girdling experiment was about 24 per 
cent, less than by green conversion and seasoning in the log. The 
amount of splitting was somewhat less than by seasoning in the log 
and about the same as by green conversion and water seasoning. 
The reduction in cracking was probably due to the fact that the initial 
stages of seasoning were accomplished very slowly and uniformly in 
the standing tree, and that the wood had passed the most critical 
stage in the seasoning before being converted and stacked. This 
fact is of significance. 
However, in a great many cases the girdled trees were badly 
attacked by borers in both the sapwood and the heartwood, greatlv 
damaging the timber and, in certain cases, rendering it absolutely 
useless. It is obvious that some species are more susceptible to this 
kind of damage than others, and that certain species are more or less 
immune. There is so much uncertainty regarding the susceptibility 
of girdled trees to insect attack that girdling of most species involves 
considerable risk. 
When the girdling of valuable species on a large scale is contem- 
■ plated, the advice of the Forest Entomologist should be asked — as to 
the liability of the specie* to insect attack in the given locality, the 
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