THE TIMBERS OF COMMERCE 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight about 47^ lbs. 

 per cu. ft. Hardness Grade 6, compare English Beech. Smell 

 unpleasant, and when worked, strong and unspeakably disgusting 

 (? when dry). Taste as might be expected from the smell. Solu- 

 tion with water faint brownish, deepening to reddish-brown upon 

 the addition of potash. Burns well and quietly with charac- 

 teristic aroma : embers glow in still air. 



Bark. "Black and rough" (24). Greyish-reddish-brown, 

 £-£ inch thick : fissured by small cracks : filled with narrow, 

 white, rod-like bodies. 



Uses, etc. " A durable, hard, fencing and pile wood, but not fit 

 for marine work " (60). " Used at present for firewood only " 

 (59). "A tree 100 ft. by 4-5 ft. diameter, . . . bridges in fresh 

 water, very durable, . . . suffers from the teredo " (57). "The 

 most plentiful of all the woods of Southern New Zealand, . . . 

 tough, . . . ship-building, . . . not much used so far, . . . splits 

 easily into shingles, laths, etc. " (24). 



Authorities. Laslett (60), p. 311. Smith (161), p. 417. Per- 

 ceval (91), p. n. Kirk (59). Kew Guide (57), p. 75. Colhnson 



(24)- 



Colour. Heart-wood, brown, uniform, though often streaky : 

 as dark as English Beech after steaming : possibly a sap- 

 wood tree. 



Anatomical Characters. As those of Fagus sylvatica, No. 202, 

 but with the following differences : — 



Pores. Rather smaller and less numerous : single, or in groups 

 of 2-3 between the smaller rays : size 4 : 40-80 per sq. mm. 



Rays. Need lens, size 5-6, fine : never large enough to be visible 

 to the naked eye : too thin to speak of a thickening in the 

 middle : very inconspicuous in all sections : not bright : to f inch 

 high : 9-12 per mm. 



Rings. Well defined but not prominent. 



Type specimen authenticated by the Forest Officer to the 

 Government of New Zealand. May be confused with F. fusca. 



No. 205. RED BEECH. Fagus ferruginea. Ait. 



Plate XV. Fig. 128. 



Natural Order. Cupuliferse. 



Synonyms. F. sylvatica, Walt. F. sylvestris, Michx. 



Alternative Names. American Beech in the United States (49). 



Sources of Supply. Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and 

 the United States. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 41-43 lbs. per 

 cu. ft. In all other respects the same as the European Beech. 



234 



