SPLIT WOOD FOB OTHBn PUKPOSBS. 59 



quired girths while the wood is still green. If it has been allowed 

 to dry, it must be steamed or soaked in water. Hoops for pails 

 are always of rectangular section (about 2" X li")? ^^^ ^™ split 

 from pieces of large diameter. 



From what precedes it is evident that the wood used for cooper- 

 age purposes must have straight and parallel fibres, and be quite free 

 from knots and other flaws and from every kind of unsoundness. 



Aetiole 9. Split wood toh othee purposes. 



Split wood is used for shingles for roofs and walls, for rudders and 

 oars, for trenails and pegs, for drums and sieve-frames, for veneers 

 and thin boards, for matches and match-boxes, for musical instru- 

 ments, and for lead pencils. 



1. Shingles. 



Wooden shingles can be used only in cold dry climates where 

 snow lies in winter. Actually their employment is confined to the 

 Western Himalayas, where the wood principally used is deodar, 

 which 'is not only very durable, but is also light and easily split. 

 Pinus longifolia and excelsa are also largely used, and to a certain 

 extent also the spruce and the silver fir. 



2. Rudders and oars. 



The woods used must be highly elastic, very strong and durable, 

 and not given to warping and splitting. Where teak is obtainable, 

 that species alone is used. On rivers in Northern India the paddles 

 are made of sdl and sissu principally. 



3. Trenails and pegs. 



Trenails are made of teak, since they must, if possible, be more 

 durable even than the ribs and sides of the ship. They are from 

 16 to 28 inches long and 2 to 2^ inches thick. 



Shoe and boot-makers and furniture-makers consume a very 

 large quantity of wooden pegs. Any wood will do for pegs, 

 which is tough and strong ; it need not be hard, and yet it must 

 not be so soft as to get flattened out when being driven in. An 

 easy way to test wooden pegs is to bite the end between the teeth ; 

 unsuitable wood is easily bitten out of shape. Information re- 

 garding the species used is required. Bamboo pegs are very 

 largely used by carpenters. 



In this place may also be mentioned skewers for trussing up 

 meat. Bamboo of any kind seems to be the most suitable wood 

 for the purpose. 



