IN EXTRA-TROPICAL COUNTRIES. 333 



stem 22 feet in diameter ; furnishing a valuable building-timber of a 

 pale or light-yellow colour, known as the Oregon White Cedar-wood, 

 susceptible of high polish. It is light, soft, smooth, and durable, 

 and makes the finest sashes, doors, mouldings, and similar articles 

 (Vasey). Canoes carrying 4 tons have been obtained out of one 

 stem. The bast can be converted into ropes and mats. The tree 

 can be trained into hedges and bowers. To Thuya are referred by 

 Bentham and Hooker all the Cypresses of the sections Chamaecy- 

 paris and Retinospora. 



Thuyopsis dolabrata, Siebold and Zuccarini. 



The Akeki of Japan. A majestic tree, of conical shape and droop- 

 ing habit, 50 feet high, attaining a stem 3 feet in diameter. It 

 delights in shaded and rather moist situations, used in China 

 and Japan for avenues. Quite hardy in England (Hoopes). It 

 furnishes an excellent hard timber of a red colour. 



Thuya occidentalis, Linne. 



North America, extending to Carolina and Canada. Northern 

 White Cedar, or Arbor vitae. A fine tree, 70 feet high ; the wood 

 is reddish or yellowish, fine-grained, very tough and resinous, light, 

 soft, durable, and well fit for building, especially for water-work 

 and railway ties, also for turnery and machinery. Michaux men- 

 tions that posts of this wood last forty years ; a house built of it 

 was found perfectly sound after sixty years. It prefers moist soil. 

 Valuable for hedge copses ; it can also be trained into garden 

 bowers. Porcher says that it makes the finest ornamental hedge or 

 screen in the United States, attaining any required height and 

 being very compact and beautiful ; such hedges, indeed, were ob- 

 served by the writer himself many years ago in Rio de Janeiro. 

 The shoots and also an essential oil of this tree are used in 

 medicine; the bast can be converted into ropes. The branches 

 serve for brooms. 



Thymelsea tinctoria, Endlicher. (Passerina tinctoria, Pourr.) 



Portugal, Spain, South France. A small shrub. It yields a yellow 

 dye. Cursorily it may be noted here that some of the Australian 

 Pimelese contain a blue pigment, which has not yet been fully tested. 

 Their bark produces more or less of daphnin and of the volatile 

 acrid principle for which the bark of Daphne Mezereum (L.) is 

 used. These are remarkably developed in the Victorian Pimelea 

 stricta (Meissn). The bark of many is also pervaded by a tough 

 fibre, that of the tall Pimelea clavata (Labill.), a West Australian 

 bush, being particularly tenacious, and used for whips. 



