NEW ZEALAND TIMBEES 241 



sleepers. The worms get into the sap wood, which is 

 clearly defined and of light colour and about an inch 

 thick in a 3 ft. diameter tree. A refreshing and intoxi- 

 cating drink is obtained by boring a hole through the 

 bark, when the liquid issues " in a sparkling stream." It 

 is stronger than Totara but less durable. The tree attains 

 a height of 70 feet. 



Weight 35 to 49 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



Kahikatea or white pine (P. dacrydioides) is a tree which 

 attains a height of over 150 ft. and sometimes a diameter of 

 5 ft., and is often unbranched for nearly 100 ft. The timber 

 is like ordinary yellow deal or Canary whitewood in appear- 

 ance and has a large proportion of sapwood. It should not 

 be employed in outside situations or in damp ground, but 

 for inside work is considered as good as American yellow 

 pine, and some consider it superior. In some of the larger 

 trees, and those grown on dry situations, the core of bright 

 yellow wood is very strong and shows fair endurance in 

 damp and exposed situations. Used for flooring and also 

 by furniture makers to a small extent, it is also well 

 adapted for making doors. Eeadily attacked by boring 

 insects in the colony, but probably not more so than 

 imported timber ; it is used a good deal for butter boxes 

 both in the colony and in Australia, owing to its freedom 

 from acids, oils, or resins likely to taint the butter. It 

 would probably make good wood pulp. A good deal of 

 this wood has recently been brought into the English 

 markets in planks and can be offered in prime quality and 

 of an average width of 18 inches ; some can be had even up 

 to 40 inches wide, remarkably free from knots and defects, 

 and of considerable lengths. It is less liable to warp than 

 Canary whitewood and takes polish remarkably well. 



Weight up to 26 to 35 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



T. R 



