kept ready for the purpose, more sods thrown on, and covered with earth. As soon as the dense smoke ceases, and the wood burns with a light transparent smoke, the whole is closed in and watched, lest any fissure should open. When burning in pits, the system is the same, but vent-holes are formed in the sides; and the covering of sods, &c., being more accessible, is more easily formed and kept. In pits, the wood is more conveniently packed, as shown above, (fig. 16); and the logs in the middle of the lower course should be dry, and have a few chips and refuse charcoal from former kilns among them; in other respects, the practice is the same as with the piled kiln. In some places, it may be convenient to form a kiln by digging out the side of a hill, as fig. 17; but in all cases the system is the same. If the process is properly conducted, the bulk is little reduced. In this tropical climate, where vegetation is so rapid, it is not necessary to cut down trees for charcoal, but merely to lop off lower branches. On dry forest land, a crop of wood sufficient for charcoal can be obtained every fifth or sixth year; and on alluvial land, every third year. * H. CLEGHORN, Conservator of Forests. * These remarks were drawn up and circulated mainly for the benefit of the Public Works Department, Madras.-H. C. the China Box (Murraya exotica) has also been submitted for examination. On trial it proved to be like the wood of many of the Aurantiaceæ or orange family, hard and close in the grain near the centre, but softer near the bark. The cross section of this tree is very irregular. The wood of the coffee-tree (Coffea arabica) disappointed the expectations that had been formed of it. The first piece of this sent to the School of Arts was very hard, unform and close in the grain, but small. Some pieces of old trees, 6 inches in diameter, were afterwards procured, but they proved to be soft, uneven in grain, and not fit for engraving, though the wood is well adapted for ornamental carving or inlaying. The specimens sent us were badly selected. This wood works beautifully on the turner's lathe, and cuts very sharply under the chisel, gouge, or graver; it is deserving of more attention for ornamental carving and inlaying. It harmonises well in colour with the wood of orange and that of the Inga dulcis or Kurukapulli. It approaches in colour and grain to walnut, but is too coarse for engraving, though fit for gunstocks and cabinet work. The only other woods tried were-(1.) A very close-grained fine and uniform wood (Dodonaea viscosa), sent from the Nilgiris under the name of iron-wood, used for turning and for making walkingsticks. It worked well under the graver and on the turninglathe, but the piece sent was too small to print from; and (2.) A piece of Fustic (Maclura tinctoria), grown in the Horticultural Garden at Madras, but this proved to be too soft and coarse for engraving, though a rich-coloured bright yellow wood, suited for inlaying. About two years ago, it was reported that true boxwood was discovered in the N. W. Provinces, and a log was procured for the School of Arts by Captain Maclagan, of the Rurkee College, and forwarded to Calcutta for despatch to Madras; but had not appeared at the time of this Report. CHARCOAL MANUFACTURE. The best-sized wood for this purpose is of the form generally understood as Billets. An ordinary-sized kiln requires about 25,000 billets, cut as nearly as possible of the same length. Procure a pole about 25 feet long and 6 to 8 inches thick, straight, and of uniform thickness. Provide yourself with four forked sticks of the shape of fig. 10. Erect the pole perpendicularly on the spot where the kiln is to be made, and place the four forked sticks round it, arranging pieces of wood from fork to fork, and across, to make a hollow space in the centre of the kiln for containing combustible matter, this forming a space of about 18 square inches, as fig. 11. Provide the person stacking the billets with a yard measure, and let him proceed to place the end of the measure against the pole, sitting at the other end of the measure; the billets are then to be placed in an almost perpendicular position against the cross pieces, and as close together as possible, each cooly stacking right and left to join his neighbour's work on either side. Thus he goes on stacking until he has come to the end of his measure; all having done the same, a perfect circle will be the result. After having filled up all interstices that may have occurred from crooked or large billets, each cooly pulls out his measure to another yard in length, and proceeds as he did before. Having done this the third time, the kiln will measure 18 feet in diameter, and will contain 25,000 billets. The coolies then mount the first layer of billets, and commence stacking from the pole, until Fig. 10. |