EUROPEAN TIMBER 43 



hard timber, and when worked up few could tell the 

 difference between them. Oak is often " quartered," that 

 is, cut radially to the circumference, so as to show the 

 silver grain to perfection ; it is generally of various shades 

 of brown, with a hard, firm, glossy surface, and with 

 exposure changes to an ashen grey and becomes striated ; 

 the annual rings are very narrow and regular, wide rings 

 and large pores are signs of weakness ; the medullary rays 

 are very conspicuous (Figs. 3 and 10), and produce the 

 beautiful " figure " or silver-grain so characteristic of oak, 

 especially if it be cut on the quarter. Oak is now chiefty 

 used for superior joinery and furniture, occasionally for 

 windows and doors, sills, treads of steps, and largely for 

 wedges, treenails, chocks and framing for railway and 

 other wagons, and in coachbuilding and keys for railway 

 chairs. Good oak gate-posts will outlast iron and take no 

 upkeep ; it is the best wood for carving, English oak being 

 especially appreciated for this purpose. 



The weight of the different varieties does not vary much 

 45 to 49 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



There are numerous oaks grown in Europe, most of which 

 produce excellent timber. The holme or evergreen oak 

 (Q. ilex), a native of the Mediterranean districts of France, 

 Spain, and Italy, produces wood more like the English 

 oak than any other kind, and the Turkey oak (Q. cerris) 

 produces some of the heaviest of European oak, but the 

 timber is not so much used as that of the common 

 oak, though suitable for the same class of work, and 

 the rays being numerous it has a varied and handsome 

 grain. 



Fumed oak is a good deal used in the furniture trade. 

 It is a method adopted to give the wood that olive-brown 

 tint peculiar to old oak. The wood is enclosed in an air- 

 tight chamber, and under the wood are placed tins of liquid 



