SECTIONS OF WOODS GROWN IN BRITAIN, 39 
III. Sections of Woods grown in Britain, By D, F. Mackenzix, 
Factor, Mortonhall, Midlothian, 
In submitting this assortment of 160 sections of the woods of 
trees and shrubs grown in Britain, the writer is fully sensible of 
the incompleteness of the collection, and also of minor short- 
comings. As may be readily understood, the work is attended 
with some difficulties, even to the expert. 
Several beautiful collections of European woods have been made 
by Nordlinger and others,—Professor Hartrig is at present making 
a collection,—but, so far as the writer is aware, there is no collection 
of this kind, representing trees and shrubs of British growth, 
available for educational purposes, except, perhaps, in botanic 
gardens. Neither have these authors put their sections into media 
similar to the present collection, the advantages of which are very 
evident. They make the sections available for the microscope as 
well as for lantern work. By the miscroscope, analysis of the 
structures is rendered complete ; and by the lantern, the anatomy 
of the timber is made perfectly clear. 
The process, in a general sense, is simple, and comparatively 
inexpensive. If it does entail a good deal of patience and some 
expense, it is highly educative, and that fact alone should be 
sufficient recompense to the student, the collector, or the forester. 
Although it is attended with some difficulty, it can be performed 
by any person of ordinary intelligence who has the specimens, the 
tools, and the time to devote to it. By this process, all the various 
genera and species of wood or timber can be distinguished from 
each other—a point of very great importance to the student, and 
of much interest to the forester, even if he does know all about 
the trees and shrubs in their growing state. 
The method of preparing the sections is shortly as follows :— 
Procure samples of the woods, and see that they are all true to 
name. They should be freshly cut, and from plants of average 
growth, so as not to give an exaggerated impression when shown 
by the lantern. Any size will do from a quarter of an inch 
to three inches in diameter; and the sections may be cut 
either transverse, longitudinal, radial, or longitudinal circum- 
ferential, or in all of these forms, as the case may be. It is best 
to have one section of each form, because they will show the 
structural formation of the wood in all its phases. 
To cut a section,—fix the selected piece of wood firmly into a 
