50 Indian Forest Records. [Vol. IX 
(3) Immersion in water -for 4 — 6 months after green conversion 
followed by stacking for 21 months. 
(4) Girdhng for 13 — 16 months, 2 — 5 months in log after felling, 
conversion followed by stacking for 8 months. 
Although the maximum time required is established as above, there 
is no indication as to how much less time may suffice for equally 
thorough seasoning. 
A mere opinion may be justified under the circumstances; — that any 
of the species experimented with in this Division may be thoroughly 
air-seasoned, after being sawn into 1" boards from freshly cut logs, 
in the period of 6 — 9 months of one dry season. The dense refractory 
species like Careya arborea and Anogeissus latifolia probably require 
the maximum nine months, beginning during the latter part of the 
rainy season and ending at the beginning of the rains. The softer 
woods such as Gmelina arborea and Stereos perynum suaveolens can 
be air-seasoned in from 3 — 6 months after conversion, and timber of 
these species up to 2" in thickness can probably be thoroughly air- 
seasoned in one complete dry season. Timber in thicker dimensions 
will require proportionately more time. 
Although data as to the approximate time required for air-seasoning 
is extremely necessary and useful, the actual degree of seasoning and 
final decision as to whether the timber is thoroughly air-seasoned 
should be based on the actual moisture content of the wood rather than 
on the length of time that it has seasoned. 
About all that can be said at the present time is that timber 1" 
thick and thicker which tests 8'3 (-fl‘5) per cent, or less between 
the end of the rainy season and the middle of the dry season may be 
considered thoroughly air-seasoned for this lopality. Soft woods in 
the thinner dimensions, boards for example, which are to be regarded 
as thoroughly air-seasoned, may test as high as 16 — 18 per cent, during 
the rainy season, and 6 — 7 per cent, during the hot season. The more 
dense the wood and the thicker the timber the closer its moisture 
content should approach the 8’3 ( + 1*5) per cent, at any time during 
the dry season. 
(h) South Ch.\nd.\ Divysion, Central Provinces. 
The data available from the South Chanda Division are based on 
105 tests of ten species, including woods of both high and low density. 
The determinations were made early in March when the mean humid- 
ity was about 4 per cent, above the normal. At this time the 
moisture content of the thoroughly air-seasoned pieces was probably 
at about the true mean of wet and dry season conditions. Basing 
the calculations on the pieces of each species which, there is every 
reason to believe, were thoroughly seasoned, i.e., upon 1" and 11" 
boards converted from green logs and stacked openly for an average 
period of 20 months, the average moisture content was 8'1 per cent. 
The variation in individual tests was from 7’2 — 10'2 per cent. 
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