198 TIMBER 



quality, close grained, and of straw colour, somewhat 

 resembling satinwood. 



Weight about 50 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



Lauan (Dipterocarpus thurifera) is another Philippine wood 

 which was at one time much appreciated for shipbuilding 

 for the reason that it had the merit of not splintering when 

 struck with shot. 



JAPANESE TIMBEE. 



Notwithstanding the extensive forest area of Japan, 

 amounting to about 28,000,000 acres, containing much very 

 valuable timber, it is extremely doubtful if any great 

 quantity will ever come into the foreign markets. A people 

 with so keen a business instinct is unlikely to follow the 

 shortsighted policy of other nations and denude the 

 country of such a valuable asset. The Government has for 

 some time past taken up and studied the question of forestry 

 in the State forests, which represent about half the forest 

 resources of the kingdom, and not only does Japan husband 

 her own natural resources, but she is actively engaged in 

 planting foreign species of timber as well. Large quantities 

 of American timber have been imported in the past, but 

 this the Japanese expect soon to be able to do without. 

 Japanese hardwood was largely used for Chinese railways, 

 especially along the Gulf of Pechili, where timber is very 

 scarce, and i'200,000 worth of hardwood sleepers were 

 exported from the island of Hokkaido in 1904, but, with the 

 exception of oak and ash, the author is unaware of any 

 Japanese timber being imported into Great Britain. 



Japanese Oak, of which there are many varieties, much 

 resembles in texture and quality the American oak, and is 

 attracting the attention of wagon builders and others, owing 



