BUILDING OF SHIPS AND BOATS. 579 



Adriatic Sea, Istria, Carinthia and Steiermark yield excellent 

 oakwood, while Slavonic, Polish and Spessart oak is less 

 valuable for shipbuilding. In Britain, that from the south 

 and west of England and from France is most prized. In 

 N. America, Quercus alba; in Japan, the evergreen oaks (J. 

 crispula and Q. (jlandulifera are used for ships. In Europe, 

 pitch-pine wood and that of species of Eucalyptus also are 

 used ; for barges, conifers, especially larch and pines. 



[Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) resists the teredo, it weighs 

 about 60 Ibs. to the cubic foot, being about the same density as 

 teak. It is less inflammable than other woods and resists corro- 

 sion by iron, is not subject to dry rot and has not been known 

 for the last eighty years to show signs of decay. It might 

 thus be used as a substitute for teak, in shipbuilding. Tr.] 



Next to oakwood, wood of the Scots pine or red-deal is 

 used largely in shipbuilding, chiefly for masts and rudders. 

 This timber varies in quality much more than oakwood, and 

 the best qualities of red-deal are strongly resinous and have 

 narrow annual zones. 



All wood for masts and rudders should be straight and 

 cylindrical, free from knots, elastic and uniformly resinous 

 throughout. The sapwood, which is always trimmed-off, 

 should be narrow, being only -J to i of the diameter in the 

 best woods. The large masts taken from the Hauptsmoor 

 Forest near Bamberg have frequently only 1 to 2 centimeters 

 (j|- to -g- of an inch) of sapwood, and even this full of 

 turpentine. Too highly resinous woods are not esteemed, as 

 they are less elastic and strong. At the same time, the annual 

 rings should not be too narrow, and experience proves that a 

 breadth of ring of 0'75 to 2'00 mm. (fa to -^ of an inch), 

 provided it is continued uniformly to old age, characterises 

 the best sort of mast-wood. As regards colour, Scots pine- 

 wood, of clean, bright, uniformly yellow colour, is preferred. 



The best red-deal comes from the north, especially the 

 Baltic coasts, also from Scotland and Norway. The best mast- 

 wood comes from Eiga, and is superior to all other mastwood 

 in elasticity, strength and durability. Hardly any mastwood 

 of the old excellent quality is now to be had, owing to the 

 prevalence of even-aged woods with forced growth. 



p p 2 



