2 
Indian Forest Records. 
[Vol. VI 
given to the work, due to the increasing necessity for husbanding the 
world’s timber supplies. Wherever the question of treating timber has 
arisen, certain main principles have had to be followed, though each 
locality has had to adapt these broad principles to local climatic condi¬ 
tions and to the indigenous species of timber to be treated. 
In India, attempts were made as long ago as 1854 to treat indigenous 
timbers, while further attempts were made to do so in 1878, which led 
to no definite results. "The chief causes of failure are attributed to the 
reluctance, on the part of the operators, to modify the accepted European 
principles of treatment to suit Indian conditions. 
In most parts of India the climatic variations are extreme, periods 
of low and extremely high temperature occur, in winter many 
areas are excessively dry, while during the monsoon moisture is generally 
in excess. Such conditions rarely exist to the same degree in more 
temperate zones as, for instance, in Europe and North America, where 
either treated or untreated timber is never subjected to so trying con¬ 
ditions as it is in India. We have, therefore, factors in India which 
necessitate certain modifications in the established principles according 
to which timber should be treated. For instance, the direct effect of 
the drastic climatic conditions necessitate the greatest care in seasoning 
our timber, more so indeed than is necessary in countries enjoying a 
more equable climate. Again, owing to the occurrence of high tem¬ 
peratures, the coal-tar creosotes employed must contain exceptionally 
high boiling point fractions to obviate excessive evaporation, while the 
employment of salts is debarred, unless special protective measures 
are taken to obviate the leaching action due to excessive moisture. Too* 
much importance cannot be attached to these three factors, when con¬ 
sidering the possibility of treating timber in India. 
3 Object of the investigation. 
The primary objects of this investigation were two in number :— 
firstly, to endeavour to find uses for certain timbers, the demand for 
which was either less than the supply or non-existent and secondly, to 
ascertain whether, after treatment with an antiseptic, certain timbers, 
which come under the class of 4 auxiliary species could be 
rendered suitable for railway sleepers, and thus minimize the shortage 
of supplies caused by the ever-increasing demands made by the Indian 
Railway Companies. 
There is another consideration which, though not of direct pecuniary 
interest, is of vital importance to the Forester. It has been stated 
elsewhere that in connection with sleepers, the timber-producing species 
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