2 Indian Forest Records. [Yol. VII. 
I. Mechanical Properties of Sal (Shorea robusta) Timber. 
The object of the tests carried out and recorded below was not 
only to determine the average strength of Sal timber to withstand strains 
of varying nature, but also to ascertain the effect on its strength, if 
any, when seasoning the timber in different ways, felling the trees at 
different periods of the year and growing the timber in different locali¬ 
ties. Thus, some of the selected trees were felled in the winter and 
others at the commencement of, or during, the monsoon months. Then 
again, the logs were seasoned either in the open or under shade, or first 
immersed in water for several months and then dried on land. In all 
cas?s, after seasoning in the log, the timber was sawn into scantlings 
and allowed to season for a further period under shelter. 
To meet the factor of locality, logs were obtained from trees grown 
in the Central Provinces or Southern Sal belt and also from the United 
Provinces or Northern Sal area, while a further differentiation was 
made by selecting trees grown in the plains and hills. And lastly, 
the above classes were sub-divided into trees of seedling and coppice 
origin. The results of the tests carried out are given below :— 
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