35 
Part V.] Sweet: On Air Seasoning of Indian Timbers. 
order to save the sap wood from almost total destruction. The converted 
timber should then be carefully stacked and sheltered against rapid 
drying. It should not be difficult to secure fairly good results in the 
seasoning of this wood. 
(29) Gmelina arborea (Appendix I — 29). Gonda Division, United 
Provinces. 
The boards and scantlings of this timber seasoned extremely well 
with practically no surface cracking, twisting, or splitting. Practi- 
cally none of the boards were cracked at all and several of even the 
widest ones dried without any twisting or cupping. Many of the 
scantlings were perfect. 
Discoloration and decay were entirely absent in the logs and in 
converted timber— even in boards which were stored in a poorly venti- 
lated shed under very adverse conditions. 
The susceptibility of this wood to damage by insects, borers, and 
white ants is the only factor of importance in deciding upon the most 
effective method of seasoning ; and aside from this, there is very little 
difference in the results obtained by the various methods. 
Seasoning in the log resulted in the least cracking and twisting, 
but a large proportion of the pieces were damaged by borers in the 
sapwood which brought the general average of results decidedly below 
that of other methods. 
Girdling gave the best general results although this method is open 
to question because of the liability toward borer attack in the sap- 
wood. 
Green conversion gave excellent results, and in view of the fact 
that this method minimizes the insect danger, it is the method of 
seasoning recommended for the species. 
(30) Grewia tilioefolia (Appendix T — 30). South Chanda Division, 
Central Provinces. Gonda Division, United Provinces. 
Although this wood seasoned fairly well, there was a marked 
tendency toward surface cracking, splitting, and cupping, particularly 
in the South Chanda Division. In the Gonda Division the timber 
seasoned without much depreciation from these causes. Insect 
attack in both Divisions was negligible both in the log and in the 
girdled trees. Boards piled in a poorly ventilated shed were slightly 
mouldy on the surface, but there was no decay in any case. 
The amount of material under test in both Divisions was rather 
scanty and defective, making it difficult to draw accurate conclusions. 
In the Gonda Division seasoning in the log resulted in the greatest 
amount of surface cracking and gave the poorest general results. 
The girdling experiment in this Division was not carried out. Green 
conversion and water seasoning gave practically the same results— 
much better than seasoning in the log. 
t 181 ] c 2 
