240 AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY. 



42. Pterocarya rhoifolia, S. and Z. {P. soj^bifolia, S. and Z.), Jap. 

 Sawa-gurumi. Its wood is light in colour and weight, white, 

 yellow-white, or bright pink. 



43. Platycarya StrobilacecB, S. and Z., Jap. No-gurumi and 

 Yama-gurumi. 



Fam. Corylace^. 



44. Corylus heterophylla^ Fisch., Jap. Hashibami. The white, 

 soft wood is very little used. 



45. CarpiniLs japonica, Blume, C. laxiflora, Bl., and C. cordata, BL, 

 all have the Japanese designation Soro. Their wood is white, 

 shining, and like that of our common C. Betulus, little used. 



Fam. Cupulifer^. 



We have here to regard first of all, the numerous Japanese 

 species of the oak tribe. They are classified, as is well-known, 

 in two groups ; one, evergreen, with laurel-like leaves, smooth 

 bark, found in the warm South and on the coast of Hondo north- 

 wards to the 36th parallel ; the other in the North and mountain 

 forests, deciduous, like our indigenous oak-group, having a thick 

 rugged bark when old, and in general indented leaves. The 

 former bear the collective name of Kaski, while the latter are 

 called Nara. A great difference is seen in the two woods. That 

 of the deciduous variety is like our oak wood, shows most distinctly 

 pith-rays, year-rings and the characteristic concentric order of the 

 large pores. In the laurel-leaved tribe these marks are less distinct; 

 the numerous pores are smaller and more irregularly distributed. 

 Its wood is correspondingly denser, firmer, tougher and heavier, and 

 is therefore more valuable than that of the other. In comparison 

 with most of the other kinds of wood which the country possesses, 

 it is heavy, hard, tough and very strong, does not split easily, and 

 resists the influence of moisture for a long time. The wood of the 

 deciduous species is like that of the chestnut tree, mainly prepared 

 as charcoal for fuel, and scarcely used at all in carpentry. That of 

 the evergreen is prized above all where elasticity and toughness are 

 especially in demand, and is used for handles, bearers' poles, oars, 

 and in ship building. To the deciduous oaks of Japan belong : 



46. Quercus dentata, Thunb., Jap. Kashiwa. This species is 

 distinguished chiefly by its very large indented and serrated leaves, 

 and is often grown on this account as a small ornamental tree 

 for gardens. It is especially numerous on the island of Yezo. I 

 found it as a shrub very often in the Hara on the border of the 

 volcanic mountain forests in Northern Hondo. Its large-pored 

 wood is of small value. 



47. Q. crispida, Blume, Jap. Ko~nara or Nara, a small-leaved, 

 deciduous oak, resembling our own in bearing and in wood, as 

 do those immediately following. It is very widely spread, grows 



