196 SYLVAN WINTER. 



generally known as an ornamental kind, it pos- 

 sesses beautiful veins, and where it has grown 

 to a large size it is used for ornamental pur- 

 poses by cabinet-makers and turners, the boards 

 being obtained by diagonally sawing them out 

 from the trees, by which means the beauty of 

 their markings is increased. 



The extreme slowness of growth is compen- 

 sated for in the Bos {Buceus sempervirens) by the 

 useful results which ensue — for Box is amongst 

 the most valuable of the timber products of the 

 world. Its exceptional weight is a particular fea- 

 ture of interest ; for a cubic foot, when dry, weighs 

 almost sixty-nine pounds. It will, in fact, sink 

 in water. For a thousand and one articles of 

 beauty it is used by the turner and cabinet-maker. 

 When inlaid wood-work was more in fashion than 

 it now is. Box was largely used to vary the colours 

 of other materials ; for the wood parts of mathe- 

 matical, musical, and many other instruments, 

 and for the handles of all sorts of ornamental 

 things, it is still extensively used ; for games, toys, 

 fancy boxes, cases, spoons and forks for salads, 

 &c. J for pins and pegs of wood, where exceptional 



