416 POXWOBTHY. 



STRENGTH AM) RESISTANCE Tu strains. 



It is not the purpose of this paper to go into the question of the 

 resistance of different woods to different strains. Reference may, how- 

 ever, be made to the tests which have been made of oriental woods. 



Skinner, Laslett, Balfour, and Gamble have published Hi,, results of 

 tests on Indian timbers. In 1882, Howard Newton published a pamphlei 

 showing the results of some work he had done on the timbers of the 

 Straits Settlements. In 1906, Gardner published a bulletin giving the 

 results of a number of careful tests on thirty dill'erenl Philippine woods; 

 and in a seeond edition of this bulletin, published a vear later, added 

 information concerning four additiona] woods. So far as I know, this 

 is the most careful piece of this kind of work which lias been done in the 

 east. 



ODOR. COLOR. TASTE, ETC. 



Many woods have distinct and characteristic odors. Some of them 

 are agreeablt — as camphor, sandal, rosewood, etc. There are a \\>w which 

 are distinctly disagreeable, as kulim. The odor of a wood is often a very 

 good means of identifying it; bnt it Is extremely difficull to classify odors. 



Color is a variable thing in wood. Usually the heartwood of a given 

 species approximates closely a certain color at maturity; but individuals 

 may not arrive at full maturity. Moreover', in some woods the mature 

 heartwood may have quite a range of color change; and the occurrence 

 or absence of heartwood in some may be a chance variation. Color alone 

 is not often a sufficient means of identification of a wood. Naturally, 

 after weathering, color is of still less value as a means of identification' 



A few woods have characteristic taste; iluis, baiino and dita are hitter 

 aj id pagatpai is salt v. 



III. SUITABILITY OF DIFFBBBNT Woods kor SPECIAL PURPOSES. 



DURABILITY. 



Tests of the durability of a wood are much more severe in the tropics 

 than in the temperate regions because of the high humidity combined 

 with uniform temperature, favoring fungus and bacterial growth and 

 the far greater liability to based attack. There seem to have been no 

 complete tests made of the durability of any oriental woods; and, in 

 most cases, the only information available for any particular wood is mere 

 hearsay or tradition. There are large series of tests in progress under the 

 direction of the Philippine Forestry Bureau; and these will, in time, 



clear up much that is now in doubt as to the suitability of special w Is 



for special purposes, In the meantime, much is known in a general 

 way of a number of the woods. The fact that a wood is durable ill the 

 temperate zone is no guaranty that it will prove useful in the tropics. 

 Many tropical woods which are not durable in their native country would 

 last very well and be very serviceable if used in a temperate region. 



