CoLEJTSO. — Botany of the North Island of New Zealand. 271 



much laiglier ground tliau 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. Erom 

 published official sources we learn that the quantity of sawn timber (kind 

 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 (Podocarpics sjncata), 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 to a 

 height of 70 to 90 feet, and a diameter of 4 to 5 feet, Avith 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 ferrugined) 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 (Fhyllocladus 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 Idnds 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, 



