This paper deals with the iron status of different species of banana
leaves ; the effect of application of sulphur in sail on iron mobilization
and the effect of injection of iron salt solution on iron absorption by
banana leaves.
IRON STATUS OF BANANA LEAVES AND
RESPONSE OF SULPHUR APPLICATION
ON IRON UPTAKE1

Soil and leaf samples were collected from the groves of five edible
banana species grown in a green house, SoiI around the selected
banana plants was treated with sulphur both in the plots and in pots
aop’ying 100, 200 and 300 kg of sulphur per hectare. Two ml of
FeSO4 solution (5000 ppm) was injected on tha pseudosten at tha
base of tha third ycungest leaf. After four weeks, scil and leaf
samples were collected for analysis. Sunflower seedlings grown under
similar sulphur treated conditions were collected efter 20 days.
It was revealed from the results of the analytical data that iron
content in banana leaves vary from one species to the other. But
most of the species selected for this work contained higher amount
of iron in leaves compared to the iron content of sunflower seedlings.
The injection of FeSO4 solution in the pseudostems of iron deficient
banana plants gave expedited response in iron absorption by leaves
compared to the application of sulphur in soil which was done for
increasing the mobilization of iron.

Shrinkage and density were studied for Teak (Tectona grandls) of
five age groups ranging from 20 to 60 years at three height positions.
Linear shrinkages were evaluated from green condition to 15 and O
percent moisture contents. Density was determined on the basis of
green and ovendry volumes. Shrinkage and density were found to be
Independent of the height of the stem. The overall shrinkage and
density were affected by the age factor. The variations in the average
values of different age groups were, however, not observed to be
significantly different in all cases.

CIvit ( Swlntonia florlbunda ) veneer,
dry (1J—12 percent moisture content)
boric acid and 1.9 percent
for 10, 25 and 40 minutes,
three-ply plywood.
1.5 mm thick, both green and
were soaked in 1 25 percent
borax solutions separately at 90° —100°C
These were conditioned and glued into
with a ureaformaldehyde adhesive fortified with
melamine, for producing boil-resistant glue-bond. Plywood shear test
samples were prepared and tested in both dry and wet (boiled in water
for six hoyrs and tested while wet) states.
Dry shear tests show that green veneers treated with both boric
acid and borax, and dry veneers treated with borax had the higher
bond strength, while the longest treating time (40 minutes) had the
lowest bond strength, all the differences being significant at the 5%
level. The wet test shows significant differences at the 5% level
between the preservatives, borax treatment producing better bond
strength However, all the treatment combinations resulted in adequate
bond strength for the type of plywood produced.