i8o THE USES OF PLANTS. 



OAK (Quercus Robur, L.), largely grown in England, 

 and also imported, that from Riga being the best, 

 owing to the 'figuring' produced by its medullary 

 rays. It is used in veneering.* The WHITE OAK 

 (Q. alba, L.) of North America is less valuable. 



PITCH FINE (Pinus australis, Michx.), imported 

 from Darien, Savannah, etc., is, next to oak, the 

 wood that enters most largely into church, school, 

 and house fittings, the better specimens being used 

 in cabinet-work. 



MAHOGANY (Swietenia Mahagoni, L.), first imported 

 from Honduras about 1725, but now mainly obtained 

 from Cuba, under the name of SPANISH MAHOGANY, 

 has long been a favourite furniture wood, and is much 

 used in veneers. It is also imported from Tabasco 

 and other parts of Mexico. 



BEECH (Fagus sylvatica, L.), besides being consider- 

 ably grown, especially for seats of chairs, is also largely 

 imported, mainly from Hamburg and, in a manufac- 

 tured state, from Vienna, where it is used in bent- 

 wood furniture. It can be readily stained. 



BlRCH (Betula alba, L.) is more used on the Con- 

 tinent than with us, but increasing quantities are 

 imported from the Baltic to our manufacturing dis- 

 tricts. The AMERICAN or QUEBEC BIRCH (B. lenta, 

 L.) is more used as a furniture wood, and when 

 ' figured ' or * curled ' is cut into veneers. It is now 

 largely imported in planks. 



WALNUT (Juglans regia, L.) was much in demand 

 at the beginning of the century for gun-stocks, for 

 which the Italian-grown wood is still largely used. 



* Thomas Laslett, 'Timber and Timber Trees,' 1875, p. 96. 



