1885.] THE WOODS OF NEW ZEALAND. 283 



Manuka. — This timber can be bad from 28 to 30 feet long, and 

 14 inches diameter at the butt, and 10 inches at the small end. 

 The old timber, from its dark-colonred markings, might be used 

 with advantage in cabinet work, and its great durability recommends 

 it for many other purposes. It is highly valued in the colony for 

 jetty and wharf j^iles, as it resists the marine worm better than any 

 other timber found there. 



Birch Totara {Podocarpus totara) is a most useful timber for 

 commercial purposes. It is found as a lofty and spreading tree, 60 

 to 120 feet high, and nearly 5 feet in diameter. The wood is very 

 durable and clean-grained, in appearance like cedar, and works with 

 equal freedom. It is used extensively for house-building, pdes for 

 native Avharfs and bridges, and railway sleepers, etc. ; when felled 

 during the growing season, the wood resists a longer time the 

 attacks of the teredo worm. The Maoris make their largest canoes 

 from this tree. 



Kauri. — This is the finest forest tree of New Zealand, and 

 attains a height of 120 to 160 feet. The trunk is sometimes 80 

 to 100 feet high before branching, and attains a diameter at the 

 base of 10 to 20 feet. The timber is in high repute for masts and 

 spars, deck and other planking of vessels, railway sleepers, and 

 house-finishing. There is evidence of its durability for more than 

 fifty years in some of the old mission buildings at the Bay of 

 Islands, and otlier constructions. It forms the bulk of the timber 

 exported from New Zealand, but only grows in the North Island. 

 It makes a rich and valuable furniture wood, some of the largest 

 and soundest kauri timber liaving richly-mottled shading. 



On an average, the kauri pine may be estimated as yielding, when 

 sawn into conveniently-sized boards, betweeen 6000 or 7000 feet 

 of timber. The annual cut of this timber is about 110,000,000 

 feet. The trees cover about 180,000 acres, and the estimate of the 

 timber is set down at 23,000 million feet. 



The TauJhai, or black birch, is a noble tree, from 60 to 90 feet 

 liigh, with a trunk 5 to 8 feet in diameter. The timber is exces- 

 sively tough and hard to cut, but highly valued, as being both_ 

 strong and duralile in all situations. 



Kowlun. — This is a small or middling-sized tree, with a red 

 wood, which, being highly durable and abundant throughout the 

 islands, is used for piles in bridges, wharves, etc. It is also adapted 

 for cabinet work. 



Matai, or black pine. — A large tree, 80 feet high, trunk 2 to 4 

 feet in diameter. Wood yellowish, close-grained, and durable ; 

 used for a variety of purposes — piles for bridges, wharves, and 

 jetties; bed plates for machinery, millwrights' work, railway 



