CATALOGUE OF THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 63 



naked eye. The wide, open pores are duplicated, and are occasionally 

 seen in rows of three in the spring wood ; they contain small specks of 

 bright shining gum. There are very minute pores in the autumn wood, 

 though they are scarcely visible. The medullary rays can hardly be 

 distinguished even with the lens (12 x). 



A simUar tree, Castanea dentata, provides very large supplies of 

 timber in America. Unfortunately the trees are attacked by fungus 

 and a boring worm, so that of late years very large areas of the timber 

 have been destroyed. The wood, the weight of which Gibson gives as 

 28 lbs., resembles in all respects the English chestnut. In America it is 

 used for a great variety of purposes, these including fencing-posts and 

 rails and railway sleepers. Gibson says that " the largest use by any 

 single industry is probably by the manufacturers of musical instruments, 

 though the honour may be divided with furniture, interior house finish, 

 and coffins and caskets." 



A large quantity of this timber is liable, as previously noted, to be 

 riddled with small worm-holes. It is sold for veneering on, as the holes 

 serve to hold the glue, and therefore secure the veneer more firmly. 

 This wood has been imported to some small extent into London and 

 Liverpool, but it is not much in favour. It has been used for cheap 

 furniture and for coffin boards. 



Chickrassia tdbularis, Juss. Weight, 49 lbs. India, Burma, Andaman 

 and Cocos Islands. 



The wood, called in India Chittagong wood, is of a rather dark- 

 brown colour, with a lustrous shining surface, a firm, close texture and 

 a contrary hard and soft grain. It very much resembles in all respects 

 the wood of Sapeli mahogany, and it has the same dark gum veins fol- 

 lowing the line of the concentric layers. It evidently stands well under 

 aU conditions, and is suitable for furniture and decorative work. This is 

 one of the timbers mentioned in Mr. Gamble's list of woods which are 

 available in fairly large quantities and likely to be worth trial. 



The concentric layers are marked generally by thin, pale lines, but 

 occasionally by dark blood or gum veins. The pores are small and 

 regular. The medullary rays are invisible on the transverse grain, but 

 show in very fine flecks on the radial section. 



Chingal. Balanocarpus sp. Weight, 65 lbs. Borneo, Federated Malay 

 States, the Straits Settlements. 



This very hard, dense timber is of a warm brown colour. The wood 

 takes a good surface from the plane, showing ghstening marks of gum in 

 the open pores. It is durable, and is used in its native country for 

 constructional work and many other purposes. 



