1886.] BOXWOOD AND ITS SUBSTITUTES. 701 



25. Ostrya virginica, Willd. (Ironwood, or American Hornbeam). 

 — A moderate-sized tree, widely spread over North America. The 

 wood is light coloured, and extremely hard and heavy; hence the 

 name of ironwood. It is used in America by turners, as well as 

 for mill-cogs, etc., and has been suggested as a substitute for box- 

 wood for engi'aving, tliough no actual trials, so far as I am aware, 

 have been made with it. 



Besides tlie foregoing woods, there are others that have been 

 occasionally used for posters and the coarser kinds of engraving, 

 such as lime, sycamore, yew, beech, and even pine ; and in America, 

 Vaccinium arhorcum and Azalea nudijiora. Of these, however, but 

 little is known as to their value. 



It will be noticed that in those woods that have passed through 

 the engraver's hands, some which promised best, so far as their 

 texture or grain is concerned, have been tried upon very imperfect 

 or badly seasoned samples. 



The subject is of so much importance, as Avas pointed out at 

 the commencement of this paper, that a thoroughly organized series 

 of experiments should be undertaken upon carefully seasoned antl 

 properly prepared woods, not only of those in the preceding list, 

 but also of any others that nmy suggest themselves as being suitable. 

 It must always be borne in mind that the questions of price and 

 the considerations of supply and demand must to a great extent 

 regulate the adaptation of any particular wood. 



With regard to those woods referred to as being tried by Mr. 

 Worthington Smith, he remarks that any of them would be useful 

 for some classes of work, if they could be imported, prepared, and 

 sold for a farthing, or less than a halfpenny, per square inch. 

 Specimens of all the woods here enumerated are in the Kew 

 Museum. 



By reference to our advertisement pages our readers will observe 

 that the Scottish Arboricultural Society have now made up the list 

 of subjects for their prize essays. We publish a summary of these 

 subjects on another page of our present issue. Their variety and 

 scope should call forth an overflowing competition, and we hope 

 especially that assistant foresters, for whom Class II. in the list is 

 exclusively provided, will be strongly induced to show their apprecia- 

 tion of the encouragement offered by a very general response to the 

 invitation of the Council. 



