266 THE UTILISATION OF WOODLAND PRODUCE. 



IDENTIFICATION OF THE COMMONEST KINDS OF BRITISH 

 TIMBER FROM ITS ANATOMICAL STRUCTURE, AS SHOWN 

 BY THE EXAMINATION OF A SMOOTH TRANSVERSE 

 SECTION : 



A. BROAD -LEAVED TREES MEDULLARY RAYS AND PORES USUALLY 



EASILY VISIBLE. 



I. Autumn zone denser than Spring zone, and vessels in Spring zone 

 forming a distinct circle of pores. 



1. Medullary rays numerous and wide, forming light -coloured radial 



bands ; pores in radial lines often branching obliquely ; wood 

 yellowish-brown to greyish-brown (darker than Sweet- Chestnut) 



OAK. 



2. Medullary rays narrow, and hardly or not at all visible to the 



naked eye. 



(1) Wood pale yellowish-brown (paler than Oak, and without wide 



medullary rays) ; fine vessels in Autumn wood arranged in 

 radial lines SWEET- CHESTNUT. 



(2) Wood dark reddish-brown (darker than Ash) ; the fine vessels 



in Autumn zone forming wavy lines in more or less concentric 

 parallel bands ELM. 



(3) Wood yellowish to light-brown (paler than Elm) ; seen through 



a lens, the fine vessels in Autumn zone appear few and fairly 

 regularly distributed ; pores in short concentric arcs ASH. 



II. Autumn zone hardly distinguishable from Spring zone, and vessels 

 scarcely visible to the naked eye. 



1 . Some of the medullary rays broad and easily visible, the rest scarcely 



distinguishable. 



(1) Medullary rays with silky lustre; wood pale reddish - brown 



(darker than Hornbeam) ..... BEECH. 



(2) Medullary rays dull and indistinct ; wood yellowish-white (paler 



than Beech) ...... HORNBEAM. 



(3) Medullary rays broad, and annual rings incurving where crossing 



these ; no heartwood ; wood white when fresh, pale-brown or 

 brownish-red when dry, and with numerous brown pith-flecks 



ALDER. 



2. Medullary rays all very narrow, but visible as very fine, distinct lines. 



(1) Wood whitish or pale-yellow, with satin lustre, and hard ; annual 



rings bounded by fine regular lines . . . SYCAMORE. 



(2) Wood closely resembling Sycamore, but somewhat browner or 



redder MAPLE. 



