Brarr.—On the Building Materials of Otago. 151 
after being in use for nine years. This timber is used in Otago for much 
the same purpose as the preceding variety. 
Ribbon Woods. 
Table I. gives the name of three different trees (Nos. 15, 16, and 17) that 
are popularly known by the name of Ribbon Wood. They are, botanically, 
quite distinct, but possess some properties in common, and are of little 
economic value, consequently I shall treat them collectively. The trees are 
seldom more than eighteen inches diameter. The wood is white or light 
brown, with strongly marked medullary rays, tough and easily split, but 
quite worthless in point of durability. One variety isso straight grained 
that long rails can be split quite parallel though only an inch thick. For 
this reason the timber was formerly in great demand for fencing and 
shingles, but experience of its liability to decay has brought it into disrepute. 
Ribbon wood is not durable in any situation that is in the least exposed to 
the action of the weather. 
No. 18. Grass Tree—Panaz crassifolium, is common everywhere through- 
out the province, and well known from its unique appearance. It grows to 
a height of twenty-five feet, but the trunk seldom exceeds twelve inches in 
diameter. When young the leaves are from twelve to eighteen inches in length, 
and droop against the stem, but as the tree grows old they gradually decrease 
to three or four inches, and become quite erect and rigid. The timber is hard,- 
strong, and durable. The young wood being particularly tough and elastic 
is suitable for axe handles and similar purposes. The piles in the first jetty 
erected by the settlers at Port Chalmers in 1850 were of grass tree. A 
portion of it, still in existence, shows the timber to be in good preservation, 
and perfectly free from the ravages of marine animals. A piece of the piles 
between high and low-water mark is discoloured and soft, but the fibre of the 
wood is still intact, and the remainder of the piles are as sound as when 
erected. It is worthy of remark that these piles emit a strong offensive 
smell like that from a cow byre, and that cattle will not eat the leaves of 
any of the grass trees, which is quite in keeping with the general character 
of the ivy tribe to which they belong. They have all a strong smell more 
pungent than agreeable. Probably this may account for the fact that the 
piles at Port Chalmers were not molested by marine animals. 
Sorr Woops. 
Conifere. 
So far as the constructive arts are concerned this is the most important 
of the botanical orders. According to Dr. Hooker, it is represented in New 
Zealand by five genera and thirteen species, as follows :— 
1. Dammara, consisting of 1 species 
2. Libocedrus 5 "Y 
8. Podocarpus — ,, ee 
