240 TIMBER 



with the heartwood streaked with black. It is very useful 

 for scarfing timbers, thrust blocks, etc., but is not easily 

 obtained in long lengths ; it makes good durable sleepers, 

 piles, and fence posts, and is said to make capital wood for 

 large engraving blocks if properly seasoned, as it does not 

 wear and bears high pressures. The timber takes a long 

 time to season. 



Weight 72 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



Rimu or Red Pine (Dacrydium cupressinuni) can be had 

 in logs up to 45 ft. long and 30 inches square. It is a 

 useful and ornamental wood of handsome deep red coloured 

 heart with light streaks or markings. Solid and clear of 

 grain, its chief drawback is its liability to decay under the 

 influence of wet. Much used in house framing and 

 carpentry, largely for furniture, and especially for the 

 panelling of railway carriages, interior of public buildings, 

 etc., as some of the timber is handsomely marked, and it 

 takes a fine polish and costs less to polish than mahogany 

 or walnut. It is a favourite timber for all kinds of wagon 

 building in the island except the framework, for which 

 Australian tallow wood is preferred. It is very slow in 

 growth. A small amount of this timber now comes into 

 the English market in the form of wide planks, and from 

 some tests made it would appear to have little tendency to 

 shrink and warp in seasoning. 



Weight 34 to 40 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



Matai or Black Pine (Podocarpas spicata) produces a 

 brownish coloured hardwood of smooth close grain and 

 silky texture, and is almost universally used for flooring in 

 New Zealand, in which position it possesses excellent wear- 

 ing qualities. The annual rings are clear, distinct, and close. 

 It is also largely used for general outdoor work, general 

 building material, and occasionally for bridge-building and 



