416 



little heartwood. It became evident that there was a marked 

 difference in the behaviour of the heartwood and sapwood 

 with regard to their powers of absorption, and so tests were 

 made in which blocks were cut out of heartwood and sapwood 

 separately. The result of such tests on Pinus maritima are 

 shown in fig. 4. In this case the sapwood blocks absorbed 

 water up to 170 per cent., but under the same conditions the 

 heartwood blocks only absorbed 45 per cent., and the curves 

 indicate that the heartwood cells could hold very little free 

 water. 



The combined average results of all the strength tests is 

 given in Table II. The outstanding feature of these is the 

 very great superiority, so far as strength is concerned, of 

 Pinus canariensis. In every respect this timber exhibited 

 quite remarkable strength for a soft wood, and although most 

 of the tests upon it were made while it contained 12 per cent, 

 of moisture, as against 11 per cent, for Pinus insignis and 

 Pinus maritima , it was far stronger in every respect. Both as 

 a beam and in direct compression along the grain its strength 

 is comparable with that of our hardwoods. Thus the average 

 of all the beam tests indicates that a beam. 12 in. x "12 in. 

 and 12 ft. long will carry a central load of about 42 tons, if 

 the wood is canariensis, before it breaks down. If the wood 

 is insignis it will carry 24 tons, if maritima 19 tons, and beams 

 of the same size of Oregon, of the quality of those tested, would 

 carry 26 tons. The superiority of the canariensis both in 

 resistance to shear and in compression is equally well marked. 

 A short column of canariensis, 12 in. sq., will carry a lead of 

 533 tons before it actually fails. While a column of the same 

 size of insignis will carry only 297 tons, and a column of mari- 

 tima 336 tons. The value of Pinus canariensis for all struc- 

 tural purposes is so very great, and so much greater than that 

 of the other pines, that it is eminently desirable in the State 

 interests that it should be extensively planted in our forests. 



The following notes on Pinus canariensis have been kindly 

 supplied to me by Mr. H. H. Corbin, B.Sc, Lecturer on 

 Forestry at the Adelaide University: — ''This pine has been 

 planted in a very diffuse way since the days of the earliest 

 settlement in Australia. The tree, notwithstanding this, has 

 not been appreciated at its correct value by our foresters. 

 The area of Canary pine woods in the whole of Australia is 

 certainly not more than a hundred or two acres. In South 

 Africa it is very extensively planted. It has an erect habit 

 even when growing in the open. It will grow in 20 years 

 about 50 ft., at 35 years it is, under favourable conditions, a 

 tree about 2\ ft. in diameter and 90 ft. high. It will grow in 

 any soil which is not too wet or sandy. It nourishes in the 



