306 TIMBER AND TIMBER TREES. [CHAP. 



THE TANAKAHA TREE (Podocarpus asplenifolius) 

 is found scattered over a large portion of the northern 

 island of New Zealand, but is nowhere met with in 

 abundance. It arrives at its greatest perfection on a 

 dry soil and at a moderate elevation. 



It is of straight growth, and attains a height of 60 to 

 80 feet, with a circumference of about 5 feet, the branches 

 being thrown out nearly horizontally at about 30 to 

 40 feet up the stem, and forming above this a fine 

 pyramidical head. The leaves are I to i^ inch in 

 length, and ^ to 3^ inch in breadth. The bark is 

 thick, smooth, and of a dark-brown colour : it is used 

 by the natives to dye their garments either black or 

 brown. 



The wood is close and straight in the grain, and 

 yellowish-white in colour, though not so light as that of 

 the Kauri. It has a close resemblance to the Huon 

 Pine of Van Diemen's Land. It works up well, is 

 tough and very strong ; so much so that the New 

 Zealanders say it is the " strong man " among their 

 forest trees. 



The Tanakaha tree yields timber 10 to 16 inches 

 square, and 1 8 to 45 feet in length, and is employed for 

 masts, and for the decks of small vessels built for the 

 coasting trade ; it is found to answer admirably for these 

 purposes, and is also valuable to the carpenter as a 

 building material. 



The specific gravity of the seasoned wood is about 

 600, but logs which have been only felled a few weeks, 

 and therefore have their moisture only partially eva- 

 porated, will not float. 



THE RIMU TREE (Dacrydium cupressinuin). 

 This tree is found in many of the forests of New 



