Corexso.—Botany of the North Island of New Zealand. 271 . 
much higher ground than the foregoing ; it attains to the height of from 50 
to 70 feet, with a diameter of from 4 to 5 feet, and is lower branched than 
its congeners. Its wood is tolerably close-grained and hard, and varies 
considerably in colour, from yellowish to a dull red interspersed with dark- 
brown streaks. It makes handsome furniture, takes a good polish, and is 
suitable for finished inside work, although it is often rather difficult to work, 
owing to its natural fissures (frequent in the best wood) filled with a hard 
resinous concretion much like some wood of the kahikatea or white pine, 
already mentioned. Its wood is in general use by the cabinetmaker and 
turner, and by the carpenter and house-builder, and is sometimes used by 
the joiner and millwright. At the north, where it is more plentiful than 
totara, it is often used for fence posts, being tolerably durable. From 
published official sources we learn that the quantity of sawn timber (hind 
not specified, but supposed to comprise the last three mentioned kinds— 
totara, and white and red pine) exported from the Port of Wellington in 
the year 1863, was 2,143,303 feet, value £19,705. 
(5.) The mataii (Podocarpus spicata), another large-sized timber tree, is 
also common throughout the North Island, but, like the rimu, is generally 
found alone. It is sometimes found growing in forests with the rimu, but 
often it affects lower grounds, preferring rich alluvial soil. It grows toa 
height of 70 to 90 feet, and a diameter of 4 to 5 feet, with a straight clean 
trunk and few branches. The wood is variously coloured, sometimes reddish, 
and sometimes variegated ; it is easily worked, is hard and pretty durable, 
and is used for wheelwrights’ and millwrights’ work, and for cabinet-making 
and panelling. 
(6.) The’ miro (Podocarpus ferruginea) is also a timber tree pretty 
general throughout the island, but not so common as the mataii. It grows 
to a height of from 40 to 60 feet, but is small in girth, rarely reaching 3 feet 
in diameter. The wood is smooth, close-grained, and dark, splits freely, and 
is very durable. It is used for spokes and for carpenter’s work, and would 
no doubt be more extensively used if it were of larger dimensions and more 
easily obtained. 
(7.) The tanekaha or toatoa (Phyllocladus trichomanoides) is also a timber 
tree of the same natural order as the last five trees, but very different 
from them in size and appearance. It is one of the celery-leaved pines, and 
being an ornamental tree of regular growth, often has a very handsome 
appearance. It is plentiful on dry hilly lands in the north parts of the 
island, but scarce in its more southern parts. Its average height is from 
45 to 50 feet, and from 2 to 3 feet in diameter. It is used for all kinds of 
outside work, as posts, rails, and floors of verandahs, and is greatly pre- 
ferred for decks of vessels. The wood is rather too heavy for spars, 
