Seed germination and optimum time of transfer of seedlings of Calamus spp. from seed bed to polyethylene bag were studied. Seeds of C. latifolius Roxb. (Bhudum-bet) and C. guruba Buch.-Ham. (Jali-bet) sown under higher temperature (27-35’C) and humidity (90-95%) showed 42 and 71% germination within 12-31 weeks and 4-9 weeks respectively. Germination of C. latifolius seeds increased on removing the scaly epicarp and fleshy sarcotesta manually with ash. Seedlings of C. guruba of one to five weeks age when transferred from seed bed to polyethylene bag, showed significantly higher height growth up to five months compared to those transferred sub-sequently.

Top shoot borer damage causing high mortality to cane in the cane arboretum of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute is reported. The causal pest was identified as Ommatolapus hacmorrhoidalis (Wiedemann ) (Curculionidae : Coleoptera). The nature and extent of damage by the pest and susceptibility of different species of cane, viz., jai or jali bet (Calamus guruba), karak or kirink or- baro bet ( C. viminalis var. fasciculatus), bhudum bet (C. latifolius) and golak or golla bet (Daemonorops jenkinsianus) to the pest were studied. Jali
bat was found to be highly susceptible to the attack of the pest showing 62.7±4.62% shoot infestation whereas the other species were resistant to the attack of this pest.

Members of Loranthaceae, popularly
known as misletoes, are semiparasitic angiosperms.
They mostly attack dicotyledons
and gymnosperms and cause more economic
loss than any other angiospermic parasite.
Birds play an important role in the dispersal
of mistletoes. Sunbirds and the flowerpeckers
are the main dispersal agents of the
broad leaved mistletoes (Ali 1931, Weeraratna
1959, Gill and Hawkworth 1961,
Singh 1962, Ghosh ct al. 1984). Davidar
( 1980) reported that frugivorous birds such
as bulbuls and barbets also helped in dispersal
of mistletoes. The ripe one-seeded
berry of mistletoes contains a sweet viscid
pulp surrounding the seed. During feeding,
the birds squeeze the viscid seed out of the
epicarp by their beak, throw the epicarp
and swallow and excrete the seed on to a
branch (Ali 1931). Davidar (1980) also
reported that a flowerpecker Dicaeum concolor
( Dicaeidae ) used a different technique
to disperse the seed. The flesh alone is
eaten, epicarp is dropped and the seed is
rubbed off from its bill on to a branch.

Jam, Syzygium grande (Wt). Wald, railway sleepers were found to air-dry from green condition to a 30 percent moisture content level in 5 to 9 months. The fastest drying was observed in sleepers stacked in September when the climatic conditions are conducive to air drying. The moisture distribution pattern in the sleepers was found to be independent of air drying period and time of stacking. Drying degrades were found in the air dried sleepers which made 10-15 percent of the total sleepers liable to rejection. Anti-check iron clamps helped in retarding the drying degrade in Steaming followed by vacuum conditioning could remove moisture rapidly from Jam sleepers. Three cycles of alternate steaming and vacuum treatment with a total of 9 hours’ steaming and 3 hours’ vacuum was found to be adequate to bring down moisture to a 30 percent level upto the depth of 1.27 cm (0.5 in) from the surface. If air drying becomes difficult, conditioning by steam-vacuum process may be adopted prior to preservative treatment by pressure methods.

In Bangladesh the timber resources are inadequate for the increasing demand and enough land is not available to allow the expansion of these
resources. The present paper discusses the ways to make proper utilization of these limited resources in minimizing the gap between the supply and the demand of timber in Bangladesh.

The dearth of timber may be met up through minimizing wastage by using the timber judiciously and completely and on the other hand by increasing plantation of selected species after clear felling the existing forests which are extremely heterogenous and comprised mostly of inferior hardwood species. The problems to be tackled with utmost importance are the numerousness of species with varying mechanical and physical properties, poor accessibility into the forests and early deterioration of wood in many uses.

The practice of preservative treatment of timber in use should receive major consideration as it decreases the need of timber by lengthening the life of the same.

A brief account is given of the diversity and uses of rattans and the status of the trade. The need to conserve the diminishing resource base through cultivation is stressed.
Reference is made to early and more recent cultivation trials and to research on propagation. Factors influencing seed quantities and availability, seed storage and germination are discussed. Possible ages for transplanting seedlings are also mentioned.

The growth habits and yield, and growth rates of the commercial species are described. Factors affecting the growth of these rattans,the method of harvest and age at harvest are also touched upon.

The commercial species of rattans are discussed in terms oftheir silvicultural potential and sites for planting, and a call is made for the introduction of exotics to other areas in the rattan regions for plantation purposes. The problem of seeds for future plantation establishment is expected to be partly overcome by supply from existing plots. In this context, the need to establish seed orchards for this specific purpose is deemed to be urgent.

Gluability of a veneer species is a function of the strength and durability of plywood. Champa has been one ofthe chosen decorative species for veneer. An investigation was made to find the gluability of Champa compared to that of Civit, a species having excellent gluability properties. Champa veneers peeled to 1.0 mm thickness and dried to 8% target moisture content were bonded with liquid UF glue catalysed with 2% hardener and extended with 20% wheat flour to make 3-ply plywood panels. The dry shear load and wet shear load of Champa plywood compared favourably with those of Civit plywood and the values were well above the minimum requirements. Therefore, plywood made from Champa veneer bonded with U F glue may be recommended for use as Warm Water Resistant Grade.

Behaviour of different birds and its effects on agricultural crops were studied in charland of the Padma belt under Rajshahi district. A list of different migratory and resident birds were prepared and effects of those birds on agricultural crops, mainly rice, were observed. The study
revealed that most of the birds are useful for agricultural crops as they live on injurious insects and thus save the crops from destruction.