400 TIMBER AND TIMBER TREES. [CHAP. 



It is of straight growth, and attains a height of from 

 80 to 100 feet, with a circumference of 6 to 9 feet. It 

 rises fully 40 to 50 feet clear of branches, above which 

 they are thrown out in long, curved, pendulous forms. 

 These, in their turn, give out numerous filamentary 

 branchlets, surrounded with short, light green, thread- 

 like leaves, the whole drooping, and exhibiting a very 

 graceful appearance, and rendering the tree especially 

 valuable for ornamental purposes. 



The duramen, or heart-wood, is much varied in 

 colour ; for some few inches round the pith it is brown 

 or chestnut, but beyond this it is lighter, with a nice 

 diversity of shade and figure. It is moderately hard, but 

 appears to be deficient in tenacity, it planes up smoothly, 

 takes a good polish, and would be useful to the cabinet- 

 maker for the manufacture of furniture. 



The Rimu tree yields timber 10 to 30 inches square, 

 and 30 to 50 feet in length ; the natives employ it for 

 their buildings and stockades, and occasionally for 

 making canoes, but they swim rather heavily as com- 

 pared with Kauri ; they wear well, however, and last 

 them a long time. 



Several of these beautiful Rimu plants, which I 

 brought to England in the years 1841 to 1843, Sir Wm. 

 Symonds presented to the Royal Gardens at Kew, 

 where, under the careful management of Sir Wm. 

 Hooker, they grew up to be fine trees of 25 to 30 

 feet in height. They stood for many years, during 

 the summer months, in large square cases or tubs in 

 the open, and were greatly admired by the visitors, 

 but, in the winter time, they were removed under 

 shelter. 



The specific gravity of the Rimu, when seasoned, is 

 about 678. 



