FURNITURE WOODS. 99 



Ceylon in 1695: Grinling Gibbons, who was partly of Dutch 

 descent, employed Linden and other white woods for his in- 

 estimable carving ; and the work of Thomas Chippendale in the 

 18th century gave Mahogany the popularity in England that 

 Satinwood enjoyed at that time in France. Heppelwhite and 

 Sheraton employed Mahogany not only for chairs, but for small 

 articles such as tea-caddies, whilst in the inlaid work of the 

 period it was used, not only with other dark woods, such as 

 Rosewood, Laburnum, and Purple-heart (Copaifera pubiflora), but 

 also with Holly, Maple, and Pear. At the present day Mahogany 

 is used for dining-room furniture and veneers, though much Oak, 

 some of which is the Canadian Red Oak (Quercus r libra), is used 

 for the same purpose, whilst large quantities of Walnut (Juglans 

 nigra), Ash (Frdxinus ameiicdna), Bass-wood (Tilia americdna). 

 Maple (Acer barbdtum), and Birch (Betula lento) are imported from 

 North America for library and bed room furniture, stained or 

 painted Deals being employed for yet cheaper goods. Fifty 

 years ago American Walnut was only used in England for in- 

 ferior purposes, such as framing for veneers ; but now it has much 

 advanced in popularity with cabinet-makers and shopfitters with 

 a doubling of its former price. Another American wood of 

 increasing importance is the American Whitewood, or Canary 

 Whitewood (Liriodendron tulipf/era), used for the seats of American 

 Windsor chairs, and, from its suitability for staining or polishing, 

 rapidly becoming a favourite with wood-workers. Beech and 

 Yew are the staple woods of our Buckinghamshire chair factories, 

 Ash being used in bent wood-work; whilst bamboo work and 

 cane-seats are somewhat outside our present scope. 



Among furniture woods in use in other countries we can only 

 enumerate a few : 

 In India : 



Ebony (Diospyros spp.), 



Rosewoods or Blackwoods (Dalbergia Idtifolia, etc.), 



Sissoo (Dalbergia Sissoo), 



Redwood (Ademinthera pavonina), 



Padouk (Pterocdrpus indicus and P. dalberyidides), 



