I88G.J BOA WOOD AND ITS SUBSTITUTES. 621 



developed in it. Notwithstanding these prospects, which seemed 

 promising in 18 V7 and 1880, little or nothing has been actually 

 done up to the present time in bringing Indian boxwood into 

 general use, in consequence, as Mr. Gamble shows, of the cost of 

 transit througli India ; the necessity, therefore, of the discovery of 

 some wood akin to box is even more important now than ever. 



Boxwood Substitutes. 



First amongst the substitutes that have been proposed to replace 

 boxwood may be mentioned an invention of Mr. Edward Badoureau, 

 referred to in the Garcl Chron., March 23, 1878, p. 374, under 

 the title of artificial boxwood. It is stated to consist of some 

 soft wood, which has been subject to heavy pressure. It is stated 

 that some English engravers have given their opinion on this 

 prepared wood as follows : — It has not the power of resistance 

 of boxwood, so that it would be impossible to make use of it, 

 except in the shape of an electro obtained from it, as it is too 

 soft to sustain the pressure of a machine, and would be easily 

 worn out. In reply to these opinions, Mr. Badoureau wrote : — • 

 " My wood resists the wear and tear of the press as well as 

 boxwood, and I can show engravings of English and Frencli artists 

 whicli have been oljtained direct from the wood, and are as perfect 

 as they are possible to be ; several of them have been drawn by 

 Mr. Gustave Dore." 



Mr. Badoureau further says, " that whilst as an engraver he 

 has so high an opinion of the qualities of compressed wood as a 

 substitute for boxwood, as the inventor of the new process, he 

 considered that it possesses numerous advantages both for artistic 

 and industrial purposes." In short, he says, " my wood is to other 

 wood what steel is to iron." 



The following woods have, from time to time, been proposed or 

 experimented upon as substitutes for boxwood, for engraving 

 purposes. They are arranged according to the natural orders to 

 which they belong : — 



Natural Order Pittosporae. 



1. Fittosjjoriim vndiilaium, Vent. — A tree growing in favourable 

 situations to a height of 40 or even 60 feet, native of New South 

 Wales and Victoria. It furnishes a light, even-grained wood, which 

 attracted some attention at the International Exhibition in 1862 ; 

 blocks were prepared from it, and submitted to Prof. De la Motte, 

 of King's College, who reported as follows : — " I consider this wood 

 well adapted to certain kinds of wood engraving. It is not equal 



