248 CONIFEROUS TREES 



remarkably light, nearly white, soft, and easily 

 worked. When kept dry it has remained sound 

 for thirty years. Compared with foreign planks, 

 those produced in this country differ but little. 



CuNNiNGHAMiA SINENSIS. — Age, Uncertain, 

 probably 34 years ; cubic contents, 27 feet ; soil, 

 rich black loam. Timber of a beautiful light 

 mahogany colour, firm, clean-grained, and taking 

 a good polish. That of a specimen cut at Esher 

 Place, Surrey, planted fully thirty years, and 37 feet 

 high, was of good quality, and the colouring rich, 

 though not equal to that of the first-mentioned 

 tree. It was growing on deep sandy soil, but was 

 shabby of appearance, and this was the reason for 

 its removal. A portion of the trunk which I sent 

 to the Surveyors' Institution, London, shows well 

 the beautiful colour and graining of the timber. 



CuPRESSUS Lawsoniana. — Age, 27 years ; cubic 

 contents, 19 feet ; soil, gravelly loam. Timber of 

 a pleasing yellow colour, very close-gained and 

 hard, and works well under the tools of the car- 

 penter. Fencing posts made from the wood have 

 stood a seven years' test satisfactorily ; but 

 for household carpentry the wood is evidently 

 best suited. It is sweetly scented and very 

 elastic. 



C. MACROCARPA. — Age, 38 years ; cubic contents, 

 43 feet ; soil, good yellow loam. Timber of first- 

 rate quality, being remarkably hard and very 

 close-grained. It is barberry yellow in colour, but 

 towards the centre reddish yellow, very compact 

 and close-grained, and it works smoothly under 

 the tools of the carpenter. The lasting qualities, 

 both in and out of doors, are quite satisfactory. 



