260 TIMBER AND TIMBER TREES. [CHAP. 



timber, while in less elevated positions the produce is 

 said to have been even more satisfactory.* 



The wood is of a yellowish- white colour, tough, 

 strong, and occasionally a little coarse, but is generally 

 straight and even in the grain. It works up tolerably 

 well, and is considered to be very durable, but has the 

 serious drawback of excessive shrinkage, with a tendency 

 to warp in seasoning. 



The Larch tree yields the Venice turpentine of com- 

 merce, which is procured in abundance from the trunks 

 of old trees ; the bark also is of considerable value to 

 the tanner. The Siberians make use of the inner bark, 

 mixed with rye-flour, for preparing a sort of leaven, 

 whenever the ordinary supply of the better article fails 

 them. 



The Italian Larch timber, some time since imported 

 into this country, was only of moderate dimensions, a 

 little curved at the butt or root end, and straight from 

 about the mid-length, tapering rather quickly towards 

 the top. This timber was generally free from heart- 

 shake, and very solid about the pith, clean and even in 

 the grain over the lower part, but coarse and knotty 

 higher up ; consequently, though not well adapted for 

 the ordinary works in carpentry, it was very suitable for 

 those parts of the frames of ships in which a light 

 material is considered desirable. 



It seems probable that the timber above referred to 

 was especially selected for ship-building purposes, but 



* To test the durability of the Scotch Larch, H.M.'s ship " Athol" was 

 built of this timber in 1820, and about the same time the " Nieman," also a 

 ship of war, was built of Baltic Fir. The former lasted for a long time 

 without any extensive repairs, but the other decayed very rapidly, and from 

 this comparison the superiority of the Scotch Larch over Fir, for durability, 

 was considered to be pretty well established. 



