122 
Indian Forest Records. 
[Yol. VI 
especially in connection with sleeper woods, not that the present outturn 
of such timber has decreased, but that demand has forced up the prices 
to a point at which it is no longer profitable to convert more than a 
limited amount of such timbers into sleepers. The result is a shortage 
of sleeper woods and a corresponding tendency to look elsewhere for 
further supplies. This demand can, no doubt, be partially met by im¬ 
porting sleepers but, without a doubt, also by treating indigenous species* 
of Indian timbers. 
The Indian timbers which, it is thought, might prove suitable for 
sleepers, after treatment, are given in Chapter VI, Section 2. They are 
available from different provinces of India, the largest supplies being 
probably of Dipterocarpus turbinatus and Terminalia Manii from the 
Andamans ; Terminalia myriocarpa and Dipterocarpus pilosus from 
Assam; Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, D. alatus and Terminalia 
tomentosa from Burma ; Abies Pindrow and Picea Morinda from the- 
Punjab and Kashmir ; Pinus longifolia from the United Provinces and 
Punjab ; and Terminalia tomentosa and T. paniculata from 
the West Coast of India. Without doubt, many other suitable species-- 
exist and localities could be named from which they, or the above 
timbers, could be obtained in considerable quantities, but the above 
list and localities may be considered as amongst the most important in 
British India. 
The above remarks apply only to sleeper woods, but the treatment 
of constructional timber also deserves careful consideration. As far 
as the writer knows, with few exceptions, the Public Works Department, 
Canal Engineers, Railway Engineers, Builders and Private persons 
confine their efforts to protect constructional timber simply by painting, 
or varnishing the timber they employ in their works. This may or may 
not be sound business, it depends on the natural durability of the timber 
employed and the cost of replacing it at stated intervals. It is certain, 
however, that were treatment of timber more universally adopted for 
such purposes as we are considering, many Indian timbers at present 
not used for construction could be employed with equally good results, 
and at a cheaper initial cost, provided they were properly seasoned and 
treated before use. Moreover, the ever-increasing prices which it is 
necessary to pay for first class timber, and the shortage of supplies in 
some localities all point to the importance of giving careful considera¬ 
tion to this proposition which, if adopted, can but have the result of 
husbanding the timber resources of this country. 
[ 252 ] 
