50 THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 



will be found. By far its largest use, however, is for cigar-boxes. It 

 was undoubtedly originally chosen for this purpose to the exclusion of all 

 other woods, partly on account of the scent harmonising with that of the 

 tobacco leaf, but principally because its porous nature, whilst allowing 

 the moisture in the wet cigar to free itself, also admits moisture from 

 without when the cigar is becoming too dry, thus keeping the tobacco in 

 its best condition. The cigar merchant, however, seems to have strangely 

 forgotten this advantage, and ha\ing begun by pasting a label on the 

 box, has gradually increased the use of paper and gum, until in many 

 cases the valuable wood is entirely covered with a single or even double 

 lining, rendering the box impervious to moisture from either within or 

 without, and under such conditions almost any other kind of wood would 

 be equally serviceable. Mr. Oakhill, of the Imperial Tobacco Company, 

 says that there is a maggot which in the tobacco-producing States of 

 America will attack a bundle of leaves of tobacco in their dry state and 

 pierce through many layers downwards. This maggot will attack tobacco 

 boxes in other woods, but has not been know^n to go near tobacco boxed 

 in cedar, and if the maggot is in the leaf of any tobacco in such a box, 

 it will not develop. 



In transverse section concentric rings are marked by thin, Hght, 

 concentric lines, within each of which typically is a distinct pore-zone of 

 loosely arranged large pores. These rings may be tolerably even in 

 thickness, or some (in Cuba cedar at least) may be excessively narrow, 

 but even in the latter case the Ught Hne is succeeded externally by large 

 pores ; moreover, some of the broader rings may, at least locally, be 

 devoid of a pore-zone. In both these respects these cedars approach, in 

 structure, mahogany from the same regions. In transverse section the 

 pores are instantly visible to the naked eye, by reason of their large size, 

 whereas the medullary rays are fine and only just visible. The medullary 

 rays are not in tiers. 



Cedar, Formosan. Chamaecyparis formosensis, Mats. Formosa. 



This wood is of a light yellow colour, a little deeper in shade than 

 that of Swiss pine {Pinus Cembra, Linn.) or Port Orford cedar {Cupressiis 

 Lawsoniana), which woods it resembles in other respects, except that the 

 fragrant scent usual in cedars is absent. It is a straight-grained, mild 

 soft wood, capable of a very smooth surface from the tool, and it should 

 be very suitable for sounding-boards for pianofortes, violins, or other 

 musical instruments. There is no doubt but that this timber would 

 become much in demand if a regular supply could be maintained. Messrs. 

 Mitsui & Co. record that a supply of 40,000,000 feet cube is available. 



The concentric layers are very clearly defined, and the rings are very 

 close. The pores are exceedingly small, and difficult to distinguish. The 



