Black pepper (Piper nigrum, Linn.) locally known as gid marich – is a highly
prized spice with heavy demand in the western countries. Oldrecords indicate that
limited vines of the species were in Jessore and Sylhet districts. Large scale use
of black pepper as a condiment and scope of its introduction for multiple use
of land made the authors to initiate studies for cultivation and field studies in
Bangladesh.
Trials were given to raise the vines from stem cuttings on trellis as well as
on living support of available fruit trees. Different methods of raising cuttings
were also evaluated. Growth, flowering and fruiting behaviour were also observed.
Because of limited stock, work on pollination mechanism and ratio of
male and female flowers could not be undertaken.

This paper clearly shows that propagating bamboos from material
other than seed is possible. Propagation of bamboos from offsets is well
known and practised in village groves. The development of planting material
from branch cuttings is a two-stage operation. The first is the striking of roots
and the other, the development of a rhizome. Getting vigorous rooted stock is not
enough because this does not always develop rhizomes ; for this the biological
condition of the buds is very important. In bamboos, successful planting
material must have all the characters of growing clumps, the most important of
which is the production of new culms. Though offsets are a good propagating material,
these are not suitable for large scale plantations due to handling difficulties,
long branch cuttings with swollen basal nodes and 2-3 branch nodes
physiologically similar and can be made
branch
18-20 inch
are morphologically and to function
like the offset in suitable conditions. Such cuttings develop into
good planting material in 6-30 months, depending on the biological condition
of the cutting and the period of the year when the cuttings were taken.
The superiority of the branch cutting over the offset is in the fact that it is easy
to raise, economic to produce, and convenient to transport. At the moment the
percentage of success is low, and further research in the factors governing the production
of planting material from branch cuttings is necessary.This paper clearly shows that propagating bamboos from material
other than seed is possible. Propagation of bamboos from offsets is well
known and practised in village groves. The development of planting material
from branch cuttings is a two-stage operation. The first is the striking of roots
and the other, the development of a rhizome. Getting vigorous rooted stock is not
enough because this does not always develop rhizomes ; for this the biological
condition of the buds is very important. In bamboos, successful planting
material must have all the characters of growing clumps, the most important of
which is the production of new culms. Though offsets are a good propagating material,
these are not suitable for large scale plantations due to handling difficulties,
long branch cuttings with swollen basal nodes and 2-3 branch nodes
physiologically similar and can be made
branch
18-20 inch
are morphologically and to function
like the offset in suitable conditions. Such cuttings develop into
good planting material in 6-30 months, depending on the biological condition
of the cutting and the period of the year when the cuttings were taken.
The superiority of the branch cutting over the offset is in the fact that it is easy
to raise, economic to produce, and convenient to transport. At the moment the
percentage of success is low, and further research in the factors governing the production
of planting material from branch cuttings is necessary.

The paper examines the profitability of teak ( tectona grandis, Lin. f)
plantations under the existing system of management in Bangladesh. The Forest
Department has fixed 69 years as the rotation length for teak on all sites.
Land expectation values have been calculated on the basis of the Faustmann
formula and preliminary yield tables for three site qualities. They have been calculated
on the assumption that the sites would be used for teak plantations for
an infinite number of 60 year rotations. The sensitivity of results to changes in
the planting and overhead costs and in yields was also calculated.
The result indicates positive net returns for sites of qualities I to III under
all cost conditions at an eight percent rate of interest. At thirteen percent, sites
of qualities I and II show a positive result but those of quality III indicate a net loss
Land expectation values are not found to be a convenient index of profita

This paper deals with the effect of two growth hormones, IAA and IBA in
the rooting response of stem cuttings, rooting of branches by air layering through
the application of Seradix B-3, and bud and cleft graftings of six species in different
months. It was found that rooting occurred in four species with hormone applications
to stem cuttings ; of these, three species rooted throughout the year. In air layering,
four species roofed only in August-September. Bud grafting were successful in all
the species. Bud propagation in April-May was the most successful. Fair results
were also obtained from budding in November-December. Cleft grafting did not
show much response in any of these species.

Immature gamar (Ginelina arborea, Linn.) plants at about the age of 10 to
12 years become infested with loranthus, a parasitic plant, and ultimately die if a
heavy infestation occurs. Gamar of 8,12,16 and 20 years age groups, having little
timber value, have been studied for the manufacture of exterior grade hardboards.
Fibre analysis and solvent extractibility show that the wood will be suitable for
the purpose. Fibre length, flexibility coefficient, fibre diameter, relative fibre
length and other related factors arc better than those of many other tropical wood
and grass species. The presence of high percentages of waxes, fats and resins makes
the fibres naturally moisture resistant.
Additive chemicals have been used in the slurry for imparting water resistance
to the boards. Fire retardant and insect repellent chemicals have been sprayed on
the damp-dry mat or on the formed boards. Heat treatment and oil wax tempering
were followed by applying protective coating with urea-formaldehyde glue and
enamel paint.
Accelerated aging tests have been conducted according to ASTM procedures.
Board specimens have been tested for physical strength, water resistance and fire
rctardance. For charring tests, a device has been developed at the Forest Research
Institute. Modulus of rupture values, as high as 7000 psi, have been obtained.
Tempered boards absored as low as 4% by weight and 1% by volume of moisture.
Even after aging tests the boards were quite water resistant, though moderate
in strength.
Pulps have been made by Cold Soda and Steaming processes. Both soaking
and pressure impregnation methods have been tried in the Soda process. Steaming
for one hour at 140 psi steam pressure has been found to be the optimum in
the other process.

The numerous islands constituting the littoral
forests of the Sundarbans have been formed by
river-borne silts of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra,
the two main rivers of Bangladesh. The
forests lie between latitudes 21°30’N and 22°31’N
and between longitudes 89°E and 90°E.

The Bangladesh Energy Study, sponsored by the Planning Commission and
published a year ago, reviewed the estimates and surveys made of fuelwood
consumption and requirements in the country. It concluded that the consumption
of domestic firewood and other forms of vege.tativc fuels is unknown.
Since the use of wood as fuel far exceeds other uses in volume
importance a proper study is now considered necessary.
The paper describes the main physical, economic and statistical determinants
of fuelwood consumption in Bangladesh. It proceeds to describe survey methods
and strategy for determining this statistic. Supply estimates are then briefly
described.

Forest and forest products have provided food,
shelter, clothing and other necessities of life to
human beings since pre-historic days. With the
development of knowledge, men gradually discovered
better ways of living. Along with that they
discovered better uses of forests and forest products.
Thus, at different levels of the advancement of
human civilization, men have utilized the forest and
forest products in different ways to meet their socioeconomic
needs. While men of the Stone Age were
satisfied with their abodes in forest caves, eating
roots, shoots and fruits of trees and having the
leaves and barks of trees as their clothing, the modern
men have found other uses for forests and forest
products to cater to their socio-economic needs.
Forests and trees today, therefore help men in
agricultural development, industrial growth, economic
advancement, recreation, environmental control
and meet the demands of the human being in all
walks of life, from cradle to coffin. It is an irony
that realization of the importance of forests has
been quite jalc. Nevertheless, this late realisation if
properly implemented by different nations of the
world might save the human being from total
destruction. To arouse public consciousness concerning
(i) the significance of forest wealth (ii) the direct
and indirect benefits derived from the forests and
(iii) the importance of forest as a factor in nature
conservation the World Forestry Day is being celebrated
on the 21st of March every year indifferent
countries of the world. Bangladesh emerged as a

Urea formaldehyde resin extended with 0,50,100 and 150 percent of wheat
flour based on dry resin weight was used in the manufacture of three-ply 3/16″
thick plywood with civit veneer. Veneer moisture contents of 6 and 12 percent
and specific pressures of 150, 200 and 250 psi, applied during hot pressing, were
the other variables. The quality of glue bond was evaluated by the dry plywood
shear test and warm-water plywood shear test.
The dry test shows that with wheat flour extension, reduction in the bond
strength is statistically significant. However, even the extended glue mixes produce
adequate bond. The wet test shows that upto 50 percent extension, there is no
significant reduction in the bond strength but 150 percent extension produces a very
poor bond.
In the dry shear test, a significantly (1% level) higher bond strength is
found at 6 percent than at a 12 percent moisture content level although in the
wet tests no difference can be detected. This phenomenon can be well explained
in the light of the “Water-Monolayer Theory of adhesion”. According to this theory,
an adhensive adheres to the wood through a layer of water and the optimum bond
takes place when a monolayer is present in the substrate. This monolayer condition
is attained at about ten percent equilibrium moisture content for most of the wood
species. Wood, conditioned to six percent equilibrium moisture content, attains the
monolayer condition by absorbing water from the glue-mix. This is the reason of
higher bond strength of plywood made with veneer conditioned to six percent
moisture content as revealed by the dry test. However, during the wet tests,
plywood absorbs more water and thereby destroys this monolayer condition as a
consequence of which no difference is detected in the bond strength between the
two moisture content levels.

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