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Indian Forest Records. 
[VOL. IX 
CHAPTER VI. 
General Recommendations as to Methods of Stacking and Protecting 
Timber during Air-Seasoning. 
The study of the various methods of seasoning timber in India 
has emphasized that, whatever method is followed, an item of the 
greatest importance is the attention that is given to the piling and 
sheltering of the lumber. Success with any method is largely 
dependent upon these two factors. The shelter provided to the 
green lumber affords the only control over the elements of nature 
possible in natural seasoning — by shutting out the direct effects of the 
elements and retaining around the timber, when required, a part 
of the moisture which is given off during the drjdng. It is the means 
of controlling the rate of drying within certain limits, and without 
some control success is a matter of chance. Most of the refractory 
woods will crack, split, and twist very badly if subjected to the fast 
drying conditions brought about by the hot sun and desiccating winds 
of many parts of India. It is impossible to expect the satisfactory 
seasoning of woods, such as Anogeissus latifolia, Carey a arborea, etc., 
if the lumber is piled in the open and without protection from sun, 
rain, and winds. On the other hand, the same woods, but more 
particularly the soft woods, will discolour and decay if the seasoning 
goes on too slowly. There is an optimum rate of seasoning for 
each kind of wnod and the seasoning method must aim at main- 
taining the optimum rate when it is once determined. The difficulties 
of maintaining the necessary control over the rate of drying in 
natural seasoning make it desirable to resort to artificial seasoning 
for exacting wnods. In kiln seasoning it is possible to regulate and 
maintain the drying conditions to suit the requirements of the wood 
itself. 
The amount and kind of shelter required for successful air-season- 
ing vary with the characteristics of the wood to be seasoned and 
with the climatic conditions of the region. Woods which have a 
tendency to crack and twist are the ones which suffer most from 
rapid seasoning and therefore require means of reducing the rate of 
drj’ing by maintaining a relatively high humidity in the air surround- 
ing them. This necessity is more marked in the hot dry regions 
than in the damp cool regions. How^ever, there is danger of providing 
too much protection even in the drier regions with the result that the 
surface of the timber is perpetually moist, and the wood stains, 
moulds, and decays. 
The w'oods of such species as Treicia nudiflora, Bombax malabari- 
cuni, etc., which have a tendency to discolour and decay, especially 
in regions of high atmosphez’ic moisture, should be treated quite 
diffex’ently from refractory w'oods ; that is, the surface of the wood 
must be permitted to dry as quickly^ as possible, so that due to a 
lack of moisture the fungi germs wall not have an opportunity to 
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