Fibre dimensions of Pinus caribaea, Leucaena leucocephala, and Acacia auriculiformis were studied to assess their suitability for making paper pulp. The results obtained with Pinus caribaea grown in Bargladesh were comparable with those in the literature. The fibre dimension characteristics of Leucaena leucocephala predicted the suitability of the spec’es for pulp making. Acacia auriculiformis showed similar fibre properties with those of civit.

Diseases and disorders of rubber plant (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.) so far recorded from Bangladesh have been reviewed. An important leaf spot disease caused by Corynespora cassiicola (Bark and Curt.) Wei in January, 1985 and a root rot by Fusarium sp. in December, 1985 respectively at Ramu and Khagrachari rubber nurseries have been described. A severe dieback of grafted rubber seedlings at Kanchonnagar and Raozan rubber nurseries in 1985 was found primarily owing to very poor new root regeneration on transfer to polyethylene bag and secondarily due to the attack by Phomopsis hevae (Petch) Boedijn. During October, 1985 about 50% mortality occurred in bud wood nursery stock of alone PB—235 at Haludia rubber estate because of the phytotoxic effect of Elite Paint 713 (TR-Blue). Ganoderma pseudoferrum (Wakef.) Overecm and Steinm caused root rot in 1972 .ubber plantation at Dantmara. Yellowing of rubber seedlings of clone PBIGG at Khagrachari was due to nutrient deficiency.

The importance of seasoning of timber has been discussed in the context of Bangladesh conditions. Prevalent seasoning practices have been described. The potential of wood seasoning in the country and its expected economic benefits have also been dealt with.

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.

During 1976 keora (Sonneratia ape-tala
Buch.—Ham.) seedlings were planted at
1.2 m x 1.2 m spacing along the coastal
belts of Bangladesh by the Forest Department.
Though large scale mangrove plantations
were initiated during the past ten
years, thinning could not be undertaken
owing to a lack of a thinning schedule.
Currently, thinning is being carried out
experimentally in different plantations. Data
relating to growth and natural mortality
are being collected and will form the basis
of a thinning prescription.

Members of Loranthaaeae are semiparasitic angiosperms and are popularly known as mistletoes. They cause more economic loss than any other angiospermia parasites. They mostly attack dicotyledors and gymnosperms which include horticultural plants as well as forest trees. Control of mistletoes has been advocated and practised throughout the world. Gill and Hawksworth (1961) suggested (i) physical removal and (ii ) chemical control as direct control measures. Silvicultural management system like thinning and use of isolation strips have been stated to be effective in reducing the infestation and spread of dwarf mistletoes (Greenham and Hawksworth 1964 ; Hawksworth et al. 1977). Certain amount of natural control exists in some areas where particular insectsand fungi reduce the infestation (Greenham and Hawksworth 1964). Gill and Hawksworth (1961) gave brief notes on insect attack of dwarf mistletoes. Approach towards the biological control of mistletoes by insects has been indicated by Hawksworth (1971 ) and Smith and Funk ( 1980 ). Graves and Graves ( 1980) noted that the larvae of Citheronid regalis ( Citheronoiidae : Lepidoptera) feed on the leaves of Citheronid regalis ( Citheronoiidae :Lepidoptera) feed on the leaves of Phoradendron flavescens (Pursh) Nutt.

Safety matches are a consumer item of everyday use. There are about twenty safety match factories located mostly in the southern part of Bangladesh. In 1984-85 the country produced 940 million gross boxes of safety matches (Anon. 1985). This quantity is enough to meet the entire demand of the country. At present there is no export of this commodity presumably because of scarcity of suitable timber species and strong competition in the international market. The traditional species used in Bangladesh have different unattractive tints.

Sundri wood chips were subjected to a mild chemical pre-treatment by soaking them in 1,2 and 3% solutions of NaOH and Na2SO3, individually as well as in mixture, for 24 hours at atmospheric conditions. Hardboards made from pre-treated chips were tested for determining their strength and water resistance properties. It was observed that the boards made from the chips pre-treated with NaOH alone and in mixture with Na2SO3 were stronger than those made by simple steam softening of the chips prior to refining. Also the strength of the hoards increased with an increase of the concentration of the pretreatment solutions. Pre-treatment with NaOH alone produced stronger boards than with the mixtures. Any such effect on the strength property of the boards, however, was not obvious in the pre-treatment with Na2 SO3 solutions. AU the pre-treatment methods adversely affected the water resisting properties of the boards.

Calamus longisetus Griff. (Palmae) has been recorded to be distributed in Andaman Islands, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia and Malay Peninsula (Beccari and Hooker 1892-93 ; Blatter 1926 ; Dransfield 1979 ; Basu and Basu 1987). The various floristic works by. Becaari and Hooker ( 1892—93), Prain (1903a; 1903b), Brandis (1906), Heinig ( 1925), Raizada (1941 ), Sinclair (1955) and Khan et al. (1984), have not recorded its occurrence in the region now under Bangladesh.

Kraft pulping of whole jute plant without retting was conducted in the laboratory scale. Compared with kraft pulping of bamboo, the unbleached pulp yield with unretted jute plant was lower by about 3.0 percent points at the same point of delignification. The yield was lower by 17.0 percent points compared to kraft pulping ofjute bast fibre. Jute plant pulp degraded severely on bleaching. However, the quality of unbleached pulp was almost similar to kraft bamboo pulp. Whole jute plant can thus replace bamboo in making papers which do not require bleaching.