Keora wood was pulped by steaming the chips under 10 kg/cm² and 7 kg/cm² pressures each for half hour, one hour and one and half hour. The pulps were refined to two different freenesses in each case. Hardboards were made from these pulps without using any sizing materials or additives and tested for strength and water absorption properties. The boards were moderate in strength and water resistance.

Micrococca mercurialis ( Linn. ) Benth (Euphorbiaceae) cited as CaloxyIon mercurialis Thwaites by Hooker ( 1887) was reported by the same author as occurring at Mongir of Behar, the Deccan Peninsula, Burma and Ceylon. It is distributed in Arabia and tropical Africa. Prain ( 1903) reported it from Behar. This species has recently been collected from Chittagong district. In the various floristic works by Heining ( 1925 ), Raizada ( 1941 ), Datta and Mitra ( 1953), Sinclair ( 1955) and Khan and Banu ( 1972) the species has not been recorded from the region now under Bangladesh.

Land capability evaluation for soils ofthe High Terraces (Madhupur Tract) and of the Tertiary Hills has been done according to FAO’s framework for land evaluation. Parametric limitation indices suggested by Sys for use of the FAO system have been followed. General Soil Types were considered as the land units for rating the actual and potential classes based on soil and climatic characteristics as well as the environmental conditions.

Madhupur Tract area has a less favourable climatic condition for growing oilpalm than the northern and eastern hilly areas. Only well to imperfectly drained soils of the Madhupur Tract and of the Tertiary Hills have been found to be suitable to very suitable for growing oilpalm. Frequent flooding on Grey Terrace Soils and on Grey Piedmont Soils have been considered as a serious limitation for this crop. Occasionally flooded Grey Terrace Soils, Grey Piedmont Soils and the steeply sloping (> 30%) Brown Hill Soils have been rated as marginally suitable for this crop.

A root rot disease of Gamar (Gmelina arborea Linn.) in forest nursery is reported. A review of the literature is provided. The symptoms of the disease and the extent of damage have been described. Four fungi were isolated from diseased seedlings. Fusarium solani ( Mart. ) Sacc. has been found to be responsible for the root rot. The disease was practically controlled by a single application of the fungicide Granosan M, at the rate of 8g per 9L of water. The fungicide was applied as a soil drench on to areas of soil surrounding dead, dying and healthy seedlings.

A high degree of dimensional stability was obtained by epoxy treatment of Corsican pine (Pinus nigra) wood. It was found that the degree of dimensional stability was strongly and positively correlated with the level of substitution obtained. The dimensional stability obtained was of permanent nature and was practically unaffected by quite severe simulated weathering. The introduced material was in the cell wall and probably covalently bonded to the same.

The wood specimens, chemically modified by propylene oxide under 10 bar Na pressure and 130°C temperature for 90 minutes, were tested for sorption at various relative humidities. Typical isotherms for normal pine wood were also found with controls, whereas, a noticeable change in the isotherms was observed with modified specimens. At low values of RH the treated specimens absorbed and retained less moisture than the controls. Above about 55 % RH the modified wood started to absorb increasing quantities ofmoisture and in the 95-100% RH region the EMC of treated wood was slightly greater than that of controls.

Reduction, in the degree of swelling of treated specimens compared to that of controls was reasonably constant throughout the sorption range. High moisture sorption at high levels of RH was not accompanied by a corresponding increase in dimensional change. Large water uptake was probably due to the rigid bulky propane chains retaining the cell walls in a swollen but relatively porous state. Treatment with propylene oxide, thus, led to significant improvement in dimensional stability throughout the hygroscopic range.

An experiment was designed to observe the effect of tending treatments on the growth and development of Teak (Tectona grandis L.) saplings in Andermanik forest, Chittagong, in 1978. It was noticed that great variations existed among the plants after five months of planting. Close examinations suggested that the variability was related to the size of Teak stumps planted. This variability had a marked effect on survival and early development of the plants.

This work includes the determination of moisture content, bulk density, shrinkage, drying properties and strength properties of Coconut wood. It also incorporates some of the findings of other countries. All the properties indicate that Coconut wood offers an excellent possibility of its use in round form as well as in converted form. The strength values of Coconut wood suggest that it can provide necessary materials for low cost housing. The lower part of the bole may be used for making furniture and utility items, while both sawn and round wood may be employed for transmission poles and posts. Thus Coconut wood may serve as an alternative to wood-raw material.

Tiger population of the Nilkamal Sanctuary was studied in 1982. The population size was determined by studying the pugmarks and faeces. Information was also collected from local people and forest staff. The total number of tigers in the Sundarbans is estimated to be at best 460.

Sundri (Heritiera fomes) poles were treated with 40 : 60 creosote and light diesel oil mixture at different pre-designed combination of treating pressure and treatment time to evaluate the response to the individual as well as combined action of these process variables. It was found that the effect of treatment time was statistically highly significant in increasing the penetration of preservative into the sapwood while the treating pressure could increase the same only significantly. On the other hand, both the treating pressure and the treatment time had highly significant effect on increasing retention of preservative in the sapwood.

The coefficient of variations of penetration and the coefficient of variations of retention within the individual poles were in the range of 2.14 to 22.56 percent and 2.15 to 14.75 percent respectively. The same for among the poles were 30 and 23 percent respectively. The variation in these characteristics of the pole, however, could not be considered disadvantageous because the penetration and the retention were directly correlated with the thickness of sapwood zone in the poles.

Seasoned Sundri pole without being subjected to any pretreatment conditioning could be treated to achieve 2.85 cm penetration and 373.22 kg/m² retention in the sapwood after using a treating schedule of 10.55 kg/cm² treating pressure and 6 hours treatment time. This amount of penetration and retention may be considered adequate for poles to be used in power transmission line in Bangladesh, as these are well above the minimum recommended in the Bangladesh Standards for penetration and retention for such use.

The paper evaluates the Teak (Tectona grandis Linn.) plantation programmes of Bangladesh in order to develop a suitable strategy for its long-term planning.

The percentage of Teak plantation in Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Chittagong Hill Tracts (North), Chittagong Hill Tracts (South) and Sylhet Forest Divisions stands at 28, 20, 14, 14, and 12 respectively. 1-14 year and 15-29 year plantations constitute 48% and 45%
respectively.
The marginal value growth percent in good Teak plantations comes close to zero beyond 40 years. The ratio of basal area growth of non-Teak species to Teak in the mixed plantations of age 33 to 55 years ranges between 1.36 to 2.40 indicating that Teak grows poorly compared to many other species. Yield data have been compared with those of other Teak growing countries. It is concluded that there should be no plantation in sites worse than SI 30.

Assuming per capita consumption of 0.10 m³ and population growth rate as much as 0.30%, total Teak requirement by 2040 a. would be about 1.05 lakh m³ which amounts to 5% of total output. The required plantation area should lie between 3 and 5 percent only. The existing proportion of 70% is not economically justified. Five strategies with respect to sites, rotation, thinning and stocking are pointed out in order to make long-term programme consistent with socio-economic goals and national forest policy.