324 TIMBER 



better material than a good piece of yellow pine free from 

 knots and shakes. Sycamore, beech, and holly, which are of 

 light or nearly white colour, are also useful softwoods. 



Of hardwoods, Italian walnut is admirably suited for fine 

 work, but only the hardest and that of closest grain should 

 be chosen. It is a fine-grained wood of even texture, cuts 

 with something of the fineness of English oak, and is 

 capable of receiving even more finish. English walnut 

 has too much figure to be suitable for this purpose. 

 American walnut is best fitted for sharply cut and shallow 

 carving, as its figure is caney. 



Honduras mahogany is ^ very similar to American walnut 

 in grain ; Cuba mahogany is closer. 



Of hardwoods there are not many to equal English oak 

 for sharpness, clearness of detail, and lasting qualities, as 

 so much of the carving in English cathedrals and church 

 stalls testifies. 



There are some marvellous specimens of minute mediaeval 

 carving in box to be seen in the British Museum, and also 

 some good carving in pear tree wood of the same period. 

 Much of Grinling Gibbons' work was done in pear tree, 

 but this wood is not easily procurable. 



TIMBER USED FOE VENEER. 



The manufacture of wood into veneer is one which has 

 made rapid strides of late years. In the United States 

 something like 25,000,000 cubic feet are annually used for 

 this purpose. 



Veneers are sawn, sliced, and rotary cut. Their average 

 thickness varies from 5 to 15 to the inch. Beech can be 

 cut as thin as 30 to the inch. In Germany they are cut 25 

 to the inch, and both French and German merchants cut 

 their veneers thinner than in England, 



