When, one speaks of self-sufficiency in any commodity, one means balancing the supply with the demand or the consumption requirement over a period of time. For achieving such balance or even to plan for achieving such balance, it is necessary to have reliable data about the current consumption requirement, the current supply position and the trend of change in both upto a certain point of time in the future. Unfortunately, there are no adequate and reliable data on the pattern of consumption requirement of various forest produces nor is there any data about the supply position.except about those which are obtained from the reserved forests. As a result it is extremely difficult even
to assess the situation correctly. There are no literature which can be drawn upon to prepare any paper on the subject. There are a number of feasibility studies on the aspect of utilisation of forest produce but they do not reflect the total position. Three publications which have been found to be useful and relevant to the subject arc: (1) “Timber Trends studies in East Pakistan” prepared in 1957 by Kr. S.I-I. Ishaque, Forest Utilisation Officer of the then Government of Pakistan, (2) “The Forest Products Market Survey” prepared in the year 1963 by Messrs Forestal
International, and (3) ”An estimate of long-term timber trends and prospects in East Pakistan” prepared in the year 1968 by the Chief Economist and the Assistant Chief of the Planning Department of the then Government of East Pakistan. These publications have been used freely in preparing this paper. In those works attempts have been made to assess the consumption requirement of ‘various forest produces and, in the absence of reliable data, it has been done, obviously, on certain assumptions made by the authors themselves and it is interesting to note that they have produced results which do not agree with each other. This disagreement amply clarifies as to how difficult it is to arrive at any
reasonably correct conclusion. As there is no better information available, the figures mentioned in the estimates prepared by the Planning Department, being the most recent one, has been taken as guide and the discussion is being based on these figures.

The mangroves are tidal vegetation peculiarly adopted to tidal saline water. This is a complex plant community primarily controlled by cdaphic factors. Due to their, peculiar morphological, anatomical and physiological features, they are most suitably adopted to the saline muddy habitat. Their occurrence 1 is dependent on the tide level and are not found beyond the high tide mark. These communities are the product of the constantly changing conditions of its habitat.

Summary of data for the month of January to June, 1973-
Station: Forest Research Institute, Chittagong.

A study was made at the Forest Research Institute, Chittagong to determine the chemical requirements for bleaching kraft pulps obtained from Albizzia moluccana wood and the effect of bleaching on the strength properties of the pulps. The study also included attempts to prepare different varieties of papers.

Out of a total of 150 sq. miles of Govt managed forests of Sylhet, 65 sq. miles-may be classed as nahrral -bamboo forests, aa the crop in these areas is composed of almost pure bamboos. These Forests are typically located between the rivers Kushiyara to the north and Dholai to the south in three compact blocks, all touching
the Eastern boundary of the District with India. The location  falls between 24.3° and 24.8°N latitude and between 92° & 92.3°E longitude.

Air drying is an important mode of seasoning timber in Bangladesh where sawnjill owners and lumber dealers can hardly afford to possess modern dry kilns. Due to lack of adequate knowledge and absence of proper drying schedule, the method is not being practised effectively to get the best result. It is, therefore, considered ‘partinent to study the air drying characteristics of some of the important wood species of Bangladesh.

The establishment of efficient drying schedules for various species is dependent upon the rate at which a given species loses moisture. This is, also, affected by the drying condition existing in a particular region at any given time of the year. The present paper deals with the rate of moisture loss and air drying time of 10 indigenous wood species of Bangladesh under two conditions of exposure.

Soybean is a small genus of twining and sub—erect harbs, distributed throughout the tropics of Asia, Africa and Australia. Soybean, also called Chinese bean, is considered one of the most important cultivated legume and is one of the five sacred grains, rice, soybean, barley, wheat and millet, essential to the existence of Chinese civilization. It is learnt from the ’Meteria Medica’ written about A.D. 450 that soybean was not paisonous but regarded as a specific remedy for proper functioning of heart, liver, kidney, stomach and bowels. It was also used as a stimulant
for lungs, for eradication of poisons from the system, improvement of complexion and stimulant for growth of hair. It is also called poor man’s meant due to its high protein content (2).

The production of soybean which for many centrries was confined to the countries of Asia, spread rapidly to the rest of the world and in recent years, it has attained great importance in the U.S.A, as a raw material for industry. Cultivation of soybean has gained momentum in all the American countries and in the U.S.S.R., Rumania, Bulgaria, Yugoslovia, etc. However, attempts to popularise soybean in India as pulse was not met with success due to the presence of other widely used pulses.

In recent years, we have become used to soybean oil which is comparatively cheaper. Now, if cultivation of soybean is introduced in our country, we can meet our demand of edible oil, which has become a scarce material. Once it is grown abundantly, it will then surely find other uses as raw meterials of industries.

With the rapid industrialisation and establishment of wood based industries in our country,awide gap between supply and demand is being created. If we depend on our slow growing hardwood species for bridging the gap, it will widen the gap only, instead of closing the same. Secondly our wood based industries require softwood specially long—fibre species,.which cannot be met from our existing wood stands. Along with the growing of indigenous light wood species, search has to be made also to find out some conifers of exotic origin which can be established in oii soil and climatic conditions to meet the growing demand of long fibre species.

Summary of data for the month- of April to August, 1972-
Station: Forest Research Institute, Chittagong.
Time of observation: 0800 hours.

Wood, is a hygroscopic substance. It has the ability to adsorb and desorb moisture. When wood is exposed to atmospheric condition its moisture content adjusts itself until it is in equilibrium with the moisture content of the surrounding atmospheric humidity. The equilibrium moisture content of wood is dependent on the atmospheric temperature and relative humidity and consequently a change in temperature and relative humidity will bring about a change in the moisture content of wood. This fluctuation of moisture content is generally accompanied by a corresponding change in the dimension of the wood. The situation becomes complicated by the fact that the dimensional change is not same for all the species. Some timbers are comparatively stable in respect of shrinkage and swelling while others are more susceptible to such changes causing trouble during wood in service, particularly in joinery work, such as, drawers, doors and windows, etc. Thus knowledge on the seasonal variation of moisture content of different species of wood and their concomitant dimensional changes is of considerable practical importance in determining their suitability for good quality furniture and cabinet manufacture. A study was, therefore, undertaken to evaluate the relative dimensional stability properties of some of the indigenous wood species of Bangladesh where temperature and relative humidity conditions of the atmosphere between the winter and monsoon months vary widely.