154 COMMERCIAL BOTANY. 



" accepted success," so that there is apparently no fear of 

 the mahogany supplies failing. 



One of the valuable woods that has been introduced to 

 this country within the last fifty years is Sabicu, or, as it 

 is sometimes called, Savicu. It is the produce of Lysiloma 

 Sabicu, a leguminous tree of Cuba and San Domingo, from 

 whence it is imported to this country, and latterly in small 

 quantities from the Bahamas. The wood is so hard, dense, 

 and durable, that it was much used at one time in ship- 

 building for keelsons, beams, engine-bearers, stern-posts, etc. 

 It was not much known, however, before 1851, in which 

 year it was used for the stairs of the Great Exhibition; 

 and, notwithstanding the immense traffic upon them, they 

 were found at the close of the exhibition to be but little 

 the worse for wear. In 1879 Bahamas Sabicu wood was 

 first used for weaving shuttles and bobbins, but the demand 

 for this purpose has never been large. 



Another building timber of great importance is Kauri 

 {Dammara australis). This is a large tree, 100 to 150 feet 

 high ; native of the northern Island of New Zealand. Mr. 

 Ransome says, in his report on Colonial Tin\bers (Colonial 

 and Indian Exhibition, 1886), that " this is undoubtedly 

 the best of all soft woods, being remarkably sound, durable, 

 and straight-grained." It is eminently suitable for doors, 

 straight and circular mouldings, match-boarding, and other 

 joiners' work, as well as for casks and engineers' patterns. 

 The wood has been imported in small quantities for many 

 years, and always meets with a ready sale. It yields a 

 valuable resin known as Kauri Gum. {See Resins.) 



Probably there is no branch of the subject relating to the 

 supplies of wood or of its utilisation of more importance than 

 that which touches the supply of boxwood, or the discovery 

 of an efiicient substitute for engraving purposes. For some 

 years past there has been n. gradual falling ofi" in the 

 supplies; indeed,-in 18-75 it'was- stated that the boxwood 



