CATALOGUE OF THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 6i 



Australia ; Maiden). (From private note 22/12/13 from Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, Kew.) 



Cherry. Prumis Avium, Linn. Weight, 33-49 lbs. (Boulger). Great 

 Britain, Europe, Asia Minor. 



This wood when first cut is hght red or pink, darkening on exposure 

 to a deeper tint. It has a close, firm texture, and is capable of a very 

 smooth surface from the tool. Although Uttle valued for many years, 

 it was growing in favour before the war, and since then has been in 

 great demand for many purposes, particularly for chair-making and for 

 the backs of brushes. According to Holtzapffel : " When stained with 

 lime, and oiled and varnished, it closely resembles mahogany ; it is 

 much used for common and best furniture and chairs, and is one of the 

 best brown woods of the Tunbridge turners. The wood of the black- 

 heart cherry tree is considered to be the best." ^ 



Mr. H. J. Elwes has panelled a room with cherry at Rapsgate Park, 

 near Colesborne, which presents in all respects a very good appearance, 

 equal to mahogany. In Trees of Great Britain and Ireland he men- 

 tions " that the pews in the church at Gibside, Northumberland, which 

 were made in 1812 of cherry-wood, have not warped or shrunk in 

 the least, the joints being as good as when made," although, the 

 quotation goes on to say, " the sap-wood in some places is worm-eaten, 

 the heart- wood is almost free from this defect," and this disadvantage 

 of the sap-wood must be borne in mind. 



The concentric layers are very conspicuous. The pores are exceed- 

 ingly fine and numerous. The medullary rays are very strongly marked, 

 and show clearly on the tangential as well as on the radial section. 



Chestnut. Castanea vulgaris, Lam. Weight, 28 lbs. 10 oz. Europe. 



Spanish or sweet chestnut attains large sizes and long lengths. In 

 coppice-grown wood, straight, clean boles are procurable, which would 

 yield good timber for large beams, while in that which is open or park- 

 grown, very large diameters are obtainable. It is only the absence of the 

 medullary rays which distinguishes this wood from oak, its appearance 

 as regards colour, grain, and texture being similar ; when chestnut 

 is darkened by age or exposure it is exceedingly difficult to discriminate 

 between the two woods. English trees, and especially those which are 

 park-grown, are generally more or less unsound, and contain heart, star, 

 and cup shakes, the last being the most common and serious defect. 

 Many trees also develop a spiral growth, consequently the wood is waste- 

 ful in conversion. 



^ Holtzapffel gives the source as Pruniis Cerasiis, but from his description it is 

 probable that he confounded the dwarf cherry with the wild. 



