Abstract
THE embarrassing richness of well-forested tropical countries is in itself a handicap to the economic, utilization of their timber resources. It is no easy task to select from some hundreds of different timbers those which are most suitable for each particular purpose ; instead, the usual practice has been to concentrate on a small number of primary hard' woods which have been found by experience to be durable and generally suitable for everyday needs. This works very well so long as these timbers are plentiful and cheap, but there comes a time when the demand overtakes the supply, prices soar, and ft becomes necessary to turn to the lesser-known Woods which make up the bulk of the country's forest resources. This was roughly the position ; in India twenty-five years ago. The timbers most in demand for ordinary purposes were about a dozen in number, among which teak (Tectona grandis), sal (Shorea robusta), and deodar (Cedrus deodara) were pre eminent. Shortly before 1914, the inevitable. began to happen; as a result of the World War, the demand for timber rose with alarming rapidity and the study of the secondary timbers of India was taken up in earnest.
Manual of Indian Forest Utilization
By H. Trotter. Pp. x + 419 + 18 plates: (London: Oxford University Press, 1940.) 30s. net.
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RENDLE, B. Manual of Indian Forest Utilization. Nature 150, 167 (1942). https://doi.org/10.1038/150167a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/150167a0