CATALOGUE OF TPIE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 315 



its life is not so long as is that of a hickory club. Yew is particularly 

 suited to the purpose of chair-making, and some very fine specimens of 

 considerable antiquity are to be found in many places. Such a chair is 

 to be seen in the Apothecaries' Hall (Society of Apothecaries of London) in 

 Water Lane, Blackfriars. Elwes and Henry allude to an extremely hand- 

 some arm-chair in Hornby Castle, the property of the Duke of Leeds. 

 " The date is about 1550. It is made of yew, which adds to its rarity, 

 for up to this time it was practically penal to employ yew-wood for an}^ 

 other purposes than the manufacture of the national weapon ; in this 

 instance the wood has become close, as'^hard as steel, and of a beautiful 



An exceptionally large and fine Yew Bukk from the Caucasus. 

 It measured over 7 feet in length. 



dark amber colour." The wood, though difficult to obtain, is also 

 valued for brush work. 



The timber is so good that it deserves the full attention of forest 

 economists, who should plant the tree for the use of future generations. 



Yew, Caucasian. Taxus baccata, Linn. The Caucasus. 



This wood is imported in short hewn logs, from 7 feet to 10 feet in 

 length and 14 inches to 28 inches in width. It is similar to the British 

 grown variety, but is a little denser and harder in grain. It has been 

 used for brush work, and for this purpose has occasionally been imported 

 into Liverpool from the Caucasus. In 191 1 one of the finest burrs I 

 have ever seen was shipped to London from Batoum. This burr weighed 



