BIRCH BLACKWOOD. 169 



Biwa. See Loquat. 



Blackbutt (Eucalyptus piluldris Sm. : Order Myrtdcece). 

 "Flintwood, White-top," or sometimes " Mountain Ash, Willow," 

 or "Stringy-bark." Aborig. "Toi, Tcheergun, Benaroon." 

 South-eastern Australia. Height 50 150 ft. ; diam. 2 4 ft. 

 S.G.990. W 59-36 62. E 1152. /5-79. /c3'75. fi -36. Warm- 

 brown or light yellowish, close and straight-grained, moderately 

 heavy, very strong, but occasionally liable to gum-veins and 

 shakes, working fairly well, but warping and requiring careful 

 seasoning. Suitable for sleepers, paving, telegraph-poles, planks, 

 or house-carpentry. It fetches Is. 3d. a cubic ft. in London. 

 The name is applied in New South Wales to E. hcejndsioma [See 

 Gum, Spotted] ; in Tasmania to E. Sieberidna [See Gum, 

 Cabbage] ; occasionally to E. pipertta [See Peppermint] ; and 

 in South-west Australia to E. patens Benth., which reaches a 

 height of 100 ft., with a diam. of 6 ft., is tough and durable, and 

 is used for wheelwrights' work. 



Blackthorn (Prunus spindsa L. : Order Bosdceat). " Sloe." 

 Hard, tough. Sapwood reddish ; heart blackish-brown, often 

 with pith-flecks, pith-rays distinct, vessels small, numerous, 

 equally distributed. Used for walking-sticks. 



Blackwood, in Australasia (Acacia melandxylon R. B.: Order 

 Legumindsce). In Tasmania " Lightwood," in New South Wales 

 "Hickory, Silver Wattle," or "Black Sally," Abvrig. " Moot- 

 chong," "Mooeyang." Tasmania, and South-east Australia, and 

 naturalised in India. Height 60 100 ft. ; diam. 1 J 3 ft. S.G. 

 854529. W 36 63-5. E 1064. /5-45. fc 3'24. fs -687. Dark 

 brown, the older growth beautifully figured, with about an inch 

 of nearly white sapwood, hard, close and very even in grain, 

 easily worked and taking an excellent polish, but warping 

 unless very carefully seasoned. One of the most valuable of 

 Australian timbers, an excellent substitute for American walnut. 

 Largely used for oil-casks, in staves three inches thick, for 

 furniture, gun-stocks, tool-handles, crutches, the sounding-boards 

 of pianos, picture-frames, etc., the figured wood being cut into 

 veneers. 



