THE TIMBERS OF COMMERCE 



Uses, etc. Saws and planes up sweetly and smoothly though 

 hard. " A large tree " (91). " Timber 12-30 inches square, 

 by 20-30 ft. long, not difficult to work . . . fit for shipbuilding and 

 any work in civil architecture requiring timber of straight growth 

 and large dimensions . . . said to be durable" (60). "Suitable 

 for piles, bridge and engineering work " (61). " Very dense and 

 durable . . . railway-waggons, shipbuilding " (57). " Strong, tough 

 crooked . . . difficult to get a plank out of it . . . resists wet " (24). 



Authorities. Laslett (60), p. 309. Ditto (61), p. 434. Kew 

 Guide (57), p. 76. Collinson (24). 



Colour. Heart-wood, brownish-red, very uniform. Sap-wood, 

 slightly lighter and browner than the heart-wood and generally 

 merging into it. " Red " (61). 



Anatomical Characters. Transverse section : — 



Pores. Large, prominent and readily visible on account of 

 their size and colour, size 3, considerable regular variation but 

 never very small : in loose oblique lines : no poreless zones : 

 evenly distributed : rarely if ever subdivided or in contact with 

 each other : few, 3 to 12 per mm. : occasionally with red or 

 white contents. 



Rays. Need lens, size 5-6, uniform : equidistant, less than a 

 pore-width apart but rarely avoiding the pores : many, 10-15 

 per mm. : red. 



Rings. Obscure, not traceable in the solid wood. 



Soft-tissue. Rare, in extremely narrow circles round the pores. 



Pith. ? 



Radial Section. Much lighter in colour than the transverse. 

 Pores, obscure, fine, slightly darker or hoary scratches : not 

 sinuous. Rays just discernible, narrow lines with very little 

 contrast of colour. Rings not traceable. Soft-tissue, fine, 

 hoary borders to the pores. 



Type specimen authenticated by the Forest Officer to the 

 Government of New Zealand. 



No. 112. RATA. Metrosideros lucida. A. Rich. 



Plate VIII. Fig. 70. 



Natural Order. Myrtacese. 



Source of Supply. New Zealand only. 



Alternative Names. Ironwood : Southern Rata (91). 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 63-71 \ lbs. per 

 cu. ft. Hardness Grade 3, compare Blackthorn. Smell or taste 

 none. Solution pinkish turning deep brownish purple with 

 potash : no ppt. Burns well with a long, crackling, smoky 

 flame and tarry smell : heat expels drops of yellow gum : 

 embers glow in still air. 



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