AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES. 251 



name * Nemu, sleeper,' suits it for other reasons than merely the 

 sensibility of its leaves, and its sleeping during the night." 



This little tree is spread abroad over the whole of Japan, and is 

 also found in th.e Himalayas. The broad zone of its young wood 

 is yellow, the core dark brown, hard and strong, also easy to polish. 

 The cross-cut shows numerous firm red pith-rays and year-rings, 

 with large pores and dark outlines. 



The dark red sandal-woods of the tropical monsoon district 

 belong also to this family, particularly the Pterocarpus indicus, L. 

 and Pterocarpus santalinus, L. These two, with perhaps a third 

 variety, the Pterocarpus marsupium, Roxb., were a long time since 

 introduced into Japan, under the Sinico-Japanese name of Shi-tan. 

 They are used for making furniture, and still more for carvings. 



Fam. Anacardiace^. 



103. Rhus succedanea, L., Jap. Haze, Haji, Haze-no-ki and 

 R6-no-ki (see p. 1 63). This wood is sharply divided by an irregular 

 line and varying colour, into light greyish white sap-wood which 

 resembles kiri-wood, and the moderately heavy core of a bright 

 green colour. The latter has an extremely silky appearance when 

 polished in longitudinal sections. Cut across the grain, distinct 

 year-rings are seen, and a great many pith-rays and pores, which 

 are larger and more numerous in the spring-zones than in the closer 

 and darker summer-wood. 



104. R/ms verniciferay D. C. [R. vernix, Thunb.), Jap. Urushi or 

 Urushi-no-ki (see pp. 158 to 163). The wood is similar in all respects 

 to the foregoing variety, only considerably lighter and not so firm. 

 It grows lighter in colour with age. Both kinds are used for 

 making small chests, and the lining of cabinets and chests of drawers. 

 But it has no great value. The rest of the Japanese sumachs 

 remain much smaller, and their wood also is not remarkable and 

 will not justify any special mention. 



Fam. ACERiNEyE. 



None of the twenty-two kinds of Japanese maple, distinguished 

 mainly by their leaves and fruit, attain the size and height of our 

 mountain maples {A. pseudo-platamts, L.), no matter whether they 

 grow wild or as ornamental trees. The best known and most 

 valued varieties are : 



105. Acer palmatam, Thunb. {A. polymorphum, S. and Z.), Jap. 

 Momiji. The scientific names of this variety refer both to the 

 division and multiformity of the leaves. This is seen in the 

 many varieties which grow in gardens and temple groves, and are 

 peculiarly prized because the foliage at its first development in 

 spring and before falling in autumn is of a magnificent red colour. 

 The tree in all its varieties is of low stature, often even dwarfed. 



