Part IV.] R. S. Pearson: Antiseptic Treatment of Timber . 79 
The results of the above experiments show that 50 per cent, of the Dip- 
terocarpus tuberculatus and Terminalia tomentosa sleepers are still in the 
line after more than eight years, while the first-named species has only 
a life of 4 to 5 years in an untreated state. Five out of ten of the 
Terminalia tomentosa sleepers are still present, as against all the un¬ 
treated sleepers removed in five years. The other species of timber 
have given poor results. It was stated above that the method of 
treatment was probably by applying one or more coatings of the 
solution which, generally speaking, is not sufficient to protect sleeper 
woods from decay. 
PART V. 
RECORDS OF EXPERIMENTS CARRIED OUT WITH SLEEPERS 
TREATED IN PRESSURE PLANTS WITH INDIAN AND 
OTHER VARIETIES OF TIMBER. 
1. Records of former Experiments carried out in Pressure 
plants, previous to 1910. 
In Indian Forest Records , Volume III, Part II, on pages 17-23, is 
given a brief record of the experiments carried out in the past on timber 
treated under pressure in India while, in a letter from the Secretary to the 
Railway Board to the Inspector-General of Forests to the Government 
of India, a resume is also given of the work carried out in past years. 
As this letter is an open one and clearly and briefly sums up the position 
of affairs as it stood in India in 1910, it is given here in full. 
“ In reply to your letter No. 1406-394—1, dated 28th October 1909, 
1 am directed to say that papers available in this office contain no records 
of any systematic experiments carried out on Indian Railways with 
impregnated sleepers, nor is there a careful record of trials made with 
woods other than Deodar , Sal and Pyingado in their natural state. Raib 
way Administrations have, from time to time, endeavoured to meet 
the rise in the prices of recognized and well-tried varieties of timber 
by introducing new varieties, or by artificially improving the existing 
ones. The experiments which have been made have not, however, met 
with any considerable measure of success, and it was found that these 
expedients could not compete economically with the well-established 
varieties such as Deodar , Sal and Pyingado . 
“ The Board are not aware to what extent you wish to investigate 
the subject, but they understand from your enquiry that you only ask 
for data which may be available in their office. I am, therefore, to 
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