i62 THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 



Morus laevigata, Wall. Weight, 45 lbs. India, Burma. 



This handsome wood is yellowish in colour, is hard and close-grained, 

 and polishes well. It darkens on exposure. It is suitable for carving and 

 turnery, and deserves to be better known and more widely used for 

 decorative cabinet work. A large quantity is available in squares 

 measuring 40 feet x 14 inches x 14 inches. 



Mulberry. Morus alba and M. nigra, Linn. Europe. 



Of this timber, Elwes and Henry say : " The wood of the [black] 

 mulberry is very like that of Robinia in texture, colour, and useful 

 properties ; but yeUow when fresh, it acquires in the course of time a 

 brownish-red tint. It takes a good poUsh, and is often used for making 

 furniture." 



Holtzapffel says that " Bergerou very strongly recommends the white 

 mulberry, which he describes as similar to elm, but very close in the grain 

 and suitable for furniture." This wood should be highly valued for 

 cabinet work or inlay, as it is quite equal to, and in some respects sur- 

 passes, those timbers which are imported from abroad often at consider- 

 able cost, and which are not in any way superior. 



Myall. Acacia fendula, A. Cunn. Weight, 76 lbs. Queensland, New 

 South Wales, Victoria. 



It is possible that some confusion has arisen from time to time between 

 the produce of Acacia pendula and A. acuminata. There is a considerable 

 resemblance between the two species. 



Stone describes the wood as "very dark brown with hght-coloured lines, 

 few, if any, black bands." He adds that as an ornamental wood it is 

 much prized by cabinet-makers and turners. Baterden says that myall 

 and other acacias have been recently selected by the Ordnance Depart- 

 ment of Great Britain for the manufacture of spokes for gun-carriage 

 wheels. 



NiRL Xylocarpus borneensis, Becc. Weight, 40 lbs. 4 oz. Borneo, the 

 Philippines. 



This is a hard timber, close and fine-grained, and of a dull coffee- 

 coloured or reddish-tinted brown with darker brown gum streaks. It 

 is rather liable to warp, but will take a fine smooth surface from the tool. 

 Foxworthy mentions that a similar product from East Africa and the 

 Fiji Islands, which is used for fine furniture, sandals, piling, etc., is obtained 

 from A', oboratus, A. Juss, and X. granatum. 



The annual rings are slightly apparent. The pores are numerous, 

 evenly distributed, and generally filled with gum or resin. The medullary 

 rays are fine, close, and parallel. 



