JAPANESE TIMBER 199 



to the high price and scarcity of the latter. Unlike the 

 American wood, the Japanese oak sent over is most accurately 

 sawn. 



Shira Gashi (Qaercus glauca) is a hard, close-grained, brown 

 wood, traversed by numerous fine medullary rays, elastic 

 and durable. It is much used for shafting, tools, vehicles, 

 wheel work, etc., and in all situations where it is exposed 

 to frictional wear, as in native mill machinery, etc. It 

 does not attain sufficient size to be generally useful in 

 engineering works, the girth being seldom more than 3 ft. 



Aka Gashi (Q. acuta) is another Japanese oak, the timber 

 of which is hard and of great strength, dark brown in 

 colour ; used for shipbuilding and for machinery and 

 carriage-building. Shiron gashi is used for similar 

 purposes. Recehtly a shipment of several hundred logs 

 of Japanese oak was landed at the London docks ; the 

 timber was square, sound, and in fair lengths and excellent 

 sizes ; it was a mild-looking wood and of good texture. The 

 shipment also comprised a quantity of planks and boards 

 of the same. In the northern island the oaks grow to a 

 considerable size, but owing to the difficulties of the ground 

 large sizes cannot be got out. 



Onara (Q. crispula) has recently been in the European 

 market under the name " Nara " in lengths up to 16 ft. by 

 8 inches by 3 inches. 



Keyaki (Zclkowa keald) is the most important of Japanese 

 hardwoods and is allied to the elm. The wood is light 

 brown in colour with the annual rings distinctly marked, 

 and in strength and appearance it resembles teak. A 

 strong, durable, close-grained timber, often knotty, easily 

 worked ; it is procurable of sufficient size for all kinds of 



