USES OF WOOD. 233 



known. The nianufacture of baskets from the 

 twigs is one of the most extensive uses to which 

 this tree is put, the wood being very light as well 

 as soft and smooth. Cricket-bails, bats, fish- 

 coracles, and many other things of less importance 

 are manufactured from it. 



Last to consider in this examination of woods 

 is the Yew {Taxus baccata). Its extreme slowness 

 of growth promotes the compactness, hardness, 

 closeness of grain, flexibility, elasticity, and, it may 

 finally be said, the incorruptibility of its timber. 

 Besides all these fine qualities. Yew wood is a 

 beautiful colour, orange-red inclining- to deep 

 brown. Where the sap-wood and the heart-wood 

 Join in the trunk, there are varying shades of 

 colour — brown, red, and white. These, joined to 

 the waviness of the grain, give a very beautiful 

 appearance. The term waviness in this case is 

 very well applied, for the resemblance of the 

 figures made in the wood is like the waters of 

 a sea, not only when in motion, but when troubled. 

 When polished — and the wood of the Yew is suscep- 

 tible of a very high polish — the appearance just in- 

 dicated is very beautiful. If when veneer has been 



