THE TIMBERS OF COMMERCE 



Colour. Brown, reddish-brown, orange-brown, " reddish-chest- 

 nut," (69). Fades upon exposure. Heart-wood sharply defined 

 from the dirty-white sap-wood which is about 8 rings wide. 



Anatomical Characters. Transverse section : — 



Pores or resin-canals, o. 



Rays. Need lens, fine, size 5-6 ; denser than the ground-tissue : 

 appear slightly different upon either side of the ring-boundary as 

 though of different vigour. Colour orange, especially in a trans- 

 parent section ; translucent like gum ; more resinous than the 

 adjacent tissue; 9-15 per mm. ; large ones rare if any. " Of one 

 row of cells only " (131). Extend over many rings. 



Rings. Very clear. The boundary varies from a line of slight 

 contrast to a distinct Autumn zone ; rarely developed to more 

 than a line to the unaided eye. 



Ground-tissue. Resin-cells here and there in the Summer wood, 

 isolated ; near the thickest part of the rays the cells are com- 

 pressed laterally ; lustre pearly ; resin of ten present in the Autumn 

 wood. 



Pith. Soft, very dark brown, about o - 5-i - o mm. wide, of very 

 large cells. 



Radial Section. Slightly lighter in shade than the Transverse 

 section. Rays, need lens, minute, orange-coloured, translucent 

 flakes of large cells containing resin (micro.). Ring-boundaries 

 very distinct, darker lines which appear sharply cut. 



Tangential Section. As the Radial, but the rays appear as 

 minute, very numerous, orange-coloured lines of one row of cells 

 about i*o mm. high ; resin-ducts not apparent, no resin globules. 

 Rings appear as sharply-defined (not fringed) loops. Microscopic- 

 ally a distinction may be drawn between this species and all 

 other Conifers by " the narrow, pitted, spirally- thickened wood- 

 cells and the small amount of Wood-parenchyma " (131), p. 150. 

 Fig. 82. 



No. 216. WESTERN YEW. Taxus brevifolia. Nutt. 

 (not Hort.) 

 Plate XVI. Fig. 136. 



Natural Order. Coniferse. 



Synonym. T. baccata. Hook. T. Lindleyana. Murray. 



Alternative Names. Pacific, Calif ornian or Oregon Yew (49). 



Sources of Supply. Canada and the United States. 



Physical Characters, etc. Recorded dry-weight 40 lbs. per cu. ft. 

 Hardness Grade 6, compare Walnut. Smell little if any. Taste 

 astringent. Burns very well without aroma : embers glow 

 brightly in still air and consume very slowly : a good fuel : little 

 ash. Solution with water brownish : with alcohol colourless. 



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