NEW ZEALAND TIMBEES 243 



Chasm Creek Gorge. 1 The Maoris distinguish it from the 

 other beeches by calling it Tawhai-raw-nui. 



Miro (Podocarpus ferruyinea), known as Bastard Black 

 Pine in Otago, is a reddish brown coloured wood and not 

 unlike Matai, but may be detected by the cross section of 

 the dark coloured heartwood. Often star shaken and 

 irregular, it is less durable than Matai. Miro is very 

 suitable for interior work ; it is also of considerable strength 

 and may be used for beams carrying heavy weights ; it has 

 also been used for piles and timber work of wharves. It is 

 straight and even in grain and can be got in lengths 20 to 

 30 ft. long. 



Weight about 46 Ibs. per cubic foot. 



Rata, of which there are two species (Metrosideros lucida 

 and M. robusta), is not only useful for shipbuilding, railway 

 sleepers, wharves, wheelwrights' work, etc., but may be 

 referred to as a natural curiosity, insomuch as its seeds are 

 propagated on other forest trees, sometimes at a height of 

 80 ft. above the ground. It rapidly increases in growth 

 until its limited supply of nourishment is exhausted, when, 

 in search of further nourishment,, the roots grow steadily 

 down the sides of the sustaining tree until the ground is 

 reached, after which they gradually assume the appearance 

 of stems, some of them 3 ft. in diameter, put forth shoots at 

 right angles, and grow round the trunk of the supporting 

 tree, gradually crushing it under their enormous pressure. 

 The only tree which it fails to destroy by this process is the 

 Puriri, which opposes greater strength and comes out 

 victorious in the contest. 



The wood of the rata is of a reddish brown or reddish 

 yellow colour, and is hard, dense, and heavy, of great 



1 Min. of Proc. Inst. C.E., Vol. 143, p. 254. 



R 2 



