44 THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 



supplies are used for the extraction of camplior, which makes the wood 

 difficult and costly to obtain. 



The pores are irregular in size and position, and are not veiy well 

 defined. The medullary rays are neither regular nor clearly marked. 



Camphor Wood, Borneo. Dryobalanops aromatica, Gaert. Borneo, 

 Sumatra. 



Although Foxworthy refers to some species of Cinnamotnurn in Borneo 

 and the Philippine Islands, the wood known in the United Kingdom as 

 Borneo camphor wood is considered to be that of Dryobalanops. He 

 says : " The Borneo camphor wood is obtained from species of Dryo- 

 balanops, of the family of Dipterocarpeac, and does not have an odour like 

 camphor, except in the neighbourhood of the camphor deposits." Dr. 

 Hose, who lived in Borneo for many years, says that the natives call the 

 wood "padji"; and the name "kapor," which they pronounce "karpaw," 

 was probably introduced by the Malays. He saj^s that the real camphor 

 tree of Borneo and Sumatra is Dryobalanops aromatica, and is known to 

 the Malays as kapor bams, and several species of Dipterocarpeac resembling 

 the camphor tree are usually known as kapor. Kapor-paya and kapor- 

 bukit are distinguished by the locaUty in which they grow. Kapor-paya 

 is a swamp tree growing in low country on allu\-ial soil, whilst kapor-bukit 

 is a tree growing on hilly and undulating country', and resembling the 

 swamp variety in every w'ay except durability. He adds that these 

 timbers continue to shrink more than the timber of Dryobalanops, and 

 also that the different varieties of Dipterocarpeae are so nimierous and 

 so much ahke that they are almost bound to become confused. 



The timber is of a dull, light, reddish-brown colour and has gummy 

 pores. It has an aromatic scent, but not that of camphor. After exposure 

 to light and air it darkens somewhat to the colour of teak. It has a hard 

 surface, and works with a good finish from the machine plane, in which 

 it resembles yang, eng, and gurjun. It has been said that it will not be 

 used by engineers and builders in this country as the timber is defective, 

 but this cannot be substantiated, as the supplies have, on the contrary, 

 been of faultless quaUty. It is this, and also the fact that large squares 

 and long lengths can be obtained, which gives it its present important 

 position as a useful and much inquired-for timber. As with the other 

 species of Dipterocarpeae, the principal trouble is the difficulty of seasoning 

 it satisfactorily. Boards i inch by 4 inches cut for flooring have 

 shrunk with hot air desiccating, after being seasoned previously for six 

 years. The best results have been obtained by natural seasoning for two 

 years or more and then desiccating with hot air. The wood contains a 

 kind of gum similar to that of gurjun. Any contact of iron or steel, if all 

 moisture is not excluded, causes an unsightly black stain, and it is not 



