Insect Borers of Newly Felled Timber, and their Control Part 2-the Bombay Investigations of 1947-49

For some years now the Branch of Forest Entomology has been engaged in evolving suitable prophylactic methods of treatment of freshly felled timber in Indian forests, as the loss caused in the first few days or weeks of felling and before the logs are transported to the sites of conversion or utilization are very considerable. There is much demand for information regarding prophylactic methods both from forest departments and other government departments including the defence departments, as well as from private concerns. Our approach has been two-fold: first, to devise "natural or silvicultural" methods of storage in forests; secondly, by the use of insecticides. "Natural" methods, by their very nature must vary from one timber species to another, as also with the region, and we have consequently taken up three investigation with 3 or 4 common species in the Madras region, the Bombay region and the Dehra Dun (wet, North India) region. The results of the Madras investigation have already been published (Khan, 1947), those of the Bombay investigations are presented here, while those of the Dehra Dun investigations are under study. One of the authors, the late Dr. N. C. Chatterjee, supervised the investigation in its later stages. The manuscript of the paper has been written by Dr. P. N. Chatterjee and revised by the undersigned; Dr. N. C. Chatterjee unfortunately did not live to see it. Reference is also invited to a note by the undersigned, to be shortly published ( Roonwal, 1951 ), in which are given practical directions on prophylactic treatments both by the natural" methods and by the use of insecticides.