Indian Forest Research

Abstract

THE value of forestry research work in its direct bearing upon other Government departments and industry is admirably portrayed in a publication entitled “Forest Research and Indian Industry”, issued by the Government of India Press, New Delhi. Experts are maintained at the Forestry Research Institute at Dehra Dun to undertake research work in sylviculture, botany, mycology, forest protection, entomology, biochemistry, forest utilization, wood technology, timber seasoning, preservation and testing of timbers, wood-working and minor forest products including paper pulp. The work of these experts often interlocks, as becomes evident from a perusal of this very informative publication. Illustrative of some of the sylvicultural work undertaken at the Institute is a recent paper in sylviculture entitled “Seed Weights, Plant Percents, etc., for Forest Plants in India”, by J. N. Sen Gupta (Ind. Forest Records, New Series, Sylvic, 2, No. 5, Government of India Press, New Delhi, 1937). In this paper the author gives data for the date of collection, seed weight, germinative capacity and germination per cent of 505 tree species, including 52 exotics, from all parts of India. In the botany section, Mr. C. E. Parkinson published two numbers dealing with Indian tree species in the Indian Forest Records, New Series, Botany (Govt. of India Press, New Delhi, 1937). The first (1, No. 1) deals with the important Indian Terminalia of the section Pentaptera, comprising trees of forest and economic importance. Four species with three varieties and nine forms are recognized. No. 2 of vol. 1 is devoted to part 4 of “Illustrations of Indian Forest Plants”, the paper dealing with five species of the family Dipterocarpacece.