XXXVII.] KAURI PINE. 391 



when worked, planes- up well, and leaves a beautiful 

 silky lustre upon the surface, resembling, in some degree, 

 the plainest Satinwood. It shrinks very little, and stands 

 well after seasoning ; further, it takes a good polish. It 

 is, therefore, valuable for conversion into planks and 

 boards, and is very suitable for cabin and other fitments 

 in ships, for joiners' work generally, or for ornamental 

 purposes. 



It is also employed for the decks of yachts, as, from 

 the regularity of its grain and the absence of knots, it 

 looks much better than the Dantzic Fir that is commonly 

 used. It wears, besides, more evenly, and does not 

 require the reconciling or planing over, which is frequently 

 found necessary if other woods are worked. 



The Kauri Pine is generally sound, and free from the 

 defects common to many other descriptions of timber ; 

 it very rarely has more than a slight heart-shake, even in 

 old trees ; the star and the cup-shake are also rare ; it 

 is, therefore, a remarkably solid timber, and may be 

 considered one of the best woods for working that the 

 carpenter can take in hand. 



There are many experiments on the strength of the 

 Kauri Pine, and the first to be noticed are on specimens 

 taken from the butt-end of a log that 

 was fully 60 feet in length and 22 

 inches square. A plank 2 inches thick 

 having been taken out of the middle, 

 it was cut to produce six pieces of 

 2 X 2 X 84 inches, four upon one side 

 of the centre or pith and two upon the ^'°' ^^' 



other (Fig. 33). The centre piece was excluded from 

 the test as being of too weak a nature to bear com- 

 parison with the rest of the wood. 



