CHAPTER XII 



AMONG New Zealand coniferae, Dacrydium 

 cupressinum (the Rimu or Red Pine), in its 

 young state, excels all the family in beauty. An 

 irregular green fountain might roughly help to 

 describe it. Its pendulous branches coming out 

 from the central stem, and falling all round, from 

 the top to the ground, have rather that effect. 

 These branches, which are about the thickness of 

 thin rope, are covered with scales of a brilliant 

 green. They are always looked upon as the 

 handsomest forest trees, and although they are 

 very pretty almost from their cradle, about 12 feet 

 high is the prettiest size, and I believe they are 

 rather stationary in growth at about that age, as 

 if trying to prolong their most beautiful stage. 

 The wood of the Rimu is very satisfactory, and is 

 used almost exclusively for building in this locality. 

 Perhaps the reader wants to know why we live 

 chiefly in wooden houses, and there are, or were, 

 good reasons for it. The material is plentiful, 

 the houses are very quickly built, they are much 

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