THE TIMBERS OF COMMERCE AND THEIR IDENTIFICATION 855 
been quoted which have been foutid to be pitfalls in connection 
with the subject, hence the list ong not pretend to be com Pos 
Following the synonymy come other popular names, then ‘‘source 
of supply,” and “physical charablere” under which, besides aie: 
per cubic foot, - are glad to see smell and taste, agen ee of 
burning, nature of ash, and whether colour is yielded to water or 
of growth te, | 
n be listingnished by their peostate. Iti is hardly mre to find 
langage Ww will enable a reader to tell Honduras from Tobasco 
any, or even American from African mahogany. There are 
"ed whcel strike the St. Vomingo variety and distinguish it 
from the others; but let any one attempt to si upon paper a de- 
een. which will enable a second person to tell for certain which 
and he will admit that the time has not yet come to 
essay it,” 
os the head of “ Practical Hints,” the following very excellent 
remarks occur :—‘ T ore familiar aspect of w od is of no less 
en Sie than the structure. The user of wood has from time 
mmemorial relied upon the evidence of his unaided diiianl to tell 
bis ne kind from another, and, just as in other arts, this rule-of-thumb 
ments steps in only where common-sense stops short. A carpenter 
has no need for text-books to tell him the earesis between oak 
and walnut, any more than a child has need for a work on 
y 
to tell a daisy when he sees it; nor does the expert mbar merchant 
need aaything beyond his impressions coupled with his experience 
til he meets with a that he has never seen before. Here 
commend themselves to the practical readers of Mr. Stone’ s book 
as an indication that their so-called rule-of-thumb knowledge is not 
despised by those who are able to bring science into union with it. 
The fault of late has been to fabstivate scientific for practical 
knowledge, especially in matters relating to plant products; but 
the constant worker in timbers and ornamental cabinet-woods is 
often better able by ‘‘rule-of-thumb’”’ ‘as nick perception of 
differences in working to distinguish varieties ‘not to be discrimi- 
nated by scientific examination. 
