May I, 1892.] 
Supplement to the “ Tyopical Agyicultuvist'’' 
875 
INJJIAN FOREST PRODUCTS. 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
lurtiiiii forest trees, say.s a writer in the Indian 
Ai/ricultuvint, which number more than 2,0(X) 
species, differ entirely from those which ai-o 
common in Europe; in Groat Britain, for in- 
stance, there are only about 40 species of indige- 
nous trees. The following which are the most 
conspicuous fore.st trees are referred to : The Deodar 
sometimes reaches a height of 200 feet; of all 
timbers its wood is the most durable, lasting 
for centuries. 
The sandalwood of South India is a .small 
evergreen ; the heartwood is the valuable part, 
being used for incense and carved work. 
The teak is hardly less durable than the Deodar, 
and its timber has taken the place of oak. Gold 
IS among metals what teak is among woods. It 
is durable, light, not very hard, easily polished, 
and does not split or warj). 
Mahogany is hardly indigenous, and is said to 
have been brought over by Carey the Mis.sionary ; 
the Indian timber is said to bo as good as that of 
the American tree. 
Both Sal ( Shorea robmta) and sissoo {Dalhen/ia 
sinKo) produce very ilurable timber; the sal is 
very hard, hut the sissoo is much used for furni- 
ture with fine lailish. 
Khair (acacia catechu) produces a wood used 
for oil mills and rafters, as well as the valuable 
tanning material known as Catechin or Cutch. 
The Iiuliariihbor tree ( Ficm elantica), produces 
the caoutchouc e.vported from Calcutta ; the 
o.xport of rubber from India alone is sometimes 
of the annual value of tlo0,000. 
It is the ncayjfc of India, says the writer, who 
supply the forest revenue in their payments for 
firewood, charcoal, grazing dues, bamboos, gums, 
fibres, and other minor produce. To the Native 
of India the bamboo supplies almost everything, 
even food in time of scarcity. Besides the 
ordinary mses the different parts of the bamboo 
are put to, it is said, that under proper appli- 
ances the fibre seems destined to have an im- 
portant fnlluence on paper manufacture. The 
lac insect which is artificially propagated in 
Bengal and the Central I’rovincos, produces the 
substance which yields the shellac and lac-dye 
of commerce, so well known in sealing wax. 
the wild gums of forests are now beginning to 
be valued as they deserve. The yellow gum of 
le gurjun or wood balsam tree (Diptcrocarims 
tens) has been discovered to bo a specific for 
eprosy. naturalized paper mulberry of 
iXids^' ° South Sea 
collection of forest products at 
the late Agri-IIorticultural Show in Colombo was 
a most interesting and instructive object lesson, 
and the only pity is that the collection was not 
ptoserved in its iiilogrity in the Colombo Museum 
wifi ® Agriculture, ami a catalogue 
with notes on the different exhibits was not 
drawn up. There is of course a collection of 
iis nature being made by the Director of 
lotanic Gardens at Peradeniya, but the e.xi.stence 
I such a collection would not lessen the value 
eni M'l^crest in, a ?imilar one that would be 
■y ot access to students in the Metropolis. 
Some interesting e.xperiments werecarrieil on on 
the three Governimmt Farms ntSeehjiore, Burdwaii 
and Samraon during the past year. At the last 
mentioned place, fields under paddy were sub- 
jected to deep-ploughing and treated with 
different kinds of manures. W'ith trnnsplaiitod 
paddy a mi.vture of crude saltpetre and linseed 
cake gave the heaviest out-turn, and with broad- 
cast paddy cowdung produced the best results, 
while deep ploughing, to a depth of 4 or h 
inches, gave an increase in out-turn of 24 seers 
of grain, and 3 maunds 20 seers of straw per 
acre. ’I\\q Indian Mit/t'cH/furisf considers these 
experiments uncertain, and remarks that the 
results of the same experiment vary much in 
different seasons. 
Canon Bagot mentions that a substance called 
hictite, which resembles ivory, is now being 
maiuifactured from skim-milk. The water is 
exiielled from the milk, and the solid matter 
is first compressed and then turned in a lathe into 
various shajies. 
The plan of killing the orange scale insect in 
California would seem to ho an intricate and 
expensive one. An air-tight tent is placed over 
the tree, and this is charged with gas gone- 
rated in an open earthenware vessel by mixing 
one ounce each of sulphuric aciil and dry 
cyanide of pota.Hsium with two ounces of water. 
^ ery successful artesian well exiierimeiits have 
been concluded on a large cattle station in 
tjueen.slanil. Altogether 6 bores ttere made to 
an average depth of 2,(XK) feet, and in each case a 
supply of clear, pure water has been obtained. 
Synocardia admata, from which the fruit wo 
know as Chalmoogra is obtained, is found in 
the Terai jungles, running along the base of 
the Garrow hills, and no doubt at one time, 
ere the destructive jhumer so ruthlessly ilealt 
with the forest, extended all along tho ad- 
joining ranges. Tho tree attains a height of 
about 20 feet ere it flowers, but ecca.sionutly 
it reaches 00 feet ; and ns the localities in which 
they are found are covered with dense jungle 
these forest giants are surrounded by their self- 
sown jirogeny in all stages of development. Tho 
rainfall in this Terai jungle averages 300 inches, 
The soil in which the plant is found is a sandy 
loam, submerged several times during the year 
liy water impregnated w'ith lime particles from 
tho formation ol that mineral, which abounds in 
the vicinity. Tlie oil is much appreciated in 
Chinn and Persia ; but whether it possesses all 
the therapeutic properties claimed for it, wo are 
not in a position to say, though we have no 
reason to infer the chiim.s are e.vaggorated. 
Mr. John Spoir, of Glasgow, lecturing lately 
on the principles of manuring, began his lecture 
thus I’lants, like animals, require a certain 
(luantity and quality of food, ami unJoss they 
are provided with such they dwindle and die 
no matter how favourable their other surround- 
ings may be. In the animal world we have one 
class of beasts culled herbivorous, which feed oq 
