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.

But as a whole it appears to be a promising crop for introduction in Bangladesh.

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.

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.

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.

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 productive forest lands of 939820 acres of the Sundarbans produce only 15 million cubic feet of wood per annum at the present (1971)-one acre produces only 16 eft of timber per acre per annum. This poor yield is perhaps due to the inclusion of varied crops under one management plan, an improper management system, ill supervision and the complete reliance on nature for regeneration. The present (1971) poor yield of 16 eft of timber per acre per annum may still go down if proper attention is not given to restocking the forests under an efficient system of management instead of the current selection system.

At least two of the main littoral species, sundri and gewa can be managed in even-aged stands.

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.

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.

For adequate water resistance, urea formaldehyde resin may be extended with wheat flour upto 50 percent though for less exacting purposes an extension upto 150 percent may be employed. A specific pressure of 200-250 psi should be used for hot pressing civit plywood. The moisture content of veneer for making plywood using urea formaldehyde resin should be about six percent for optimum gluing.