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THE FURNITURE WOODS OF COMMERCE. 



BY P. L. SIMMOXDS. 



The commerce in Foreign Woods carried on by this country is much 

 larger than would be supposed by those who had not looked into the 

 figures ; and the vast quantities of timber, useful and ornamental, 

 received, form a very interesting subject of inquiry. The timber of 

 many countries is a most important item in its annual income, especially 

 in Russia, Austria, Norway, Switzerland, Brazil, and also in British 

 North America, India, Guiana, and some other of our possessions. The 

 value of the woods of all hinds that we import is not less than twelve 

 millions sterling, whilst about four millions more may be set down as 

 the value of the home produce. These woods, as far as their economic 

 uses are concerned, are divided into three classes : — 



1st. — Woods of construction, useful for ship and house-building and 

 other rough work. 



2ndly. — Those suitable for cabinet and ornamental work, as tables, 

 and other articles of furniture, pianofortes, &c. 



3rdly. — Dye-woods, and many hard woods, used chiefly by the tur- 

 ner, carver, engraver, &c. 



To the first class belong such woods as the fir, and indeed all the 

 Conifers?, if we except the evergreen cypress, whose beautiful colour and 

 pleasing odour fit it in an especial manner to rank among the higher 

 class of cabinet woods. To this division belong also the beech, ash, 

 chestnut, poplar, and willow ; while teak, oak, and plane-tree would 

 seem to occupy a middle class, connecting this with the second, or more 

 ornamental woods, among which are ranked mahogany, rosewood, wal- 

 nut, maple, laburnum, mountain ash, box, &c. 



It is to the Furniture Woods that we purpose confining our 

 present observations, and chiefly to those received from foreign 

 countries. 



The importance of this survey will be better appreciated when it is 

 stated that the annual value of the household furniture made in this 

 country alone was, more than ten years ago, estimated at fifteen millions 

 and has certainly largely increased since then, keeping pace with the 

 wealth and numerous wants of the nation, and the progress of commerce. 

 The computed value of the rough fancy hard woods imported in 1861 

 was 604,426/., to which has to be added household furniture and cabinet 

 ware, valued by the importers at 32,557/. ; 769 pianofortes, of the de- 

 clared value of 24,542/., besides other items. This, then, forms the 

 aggregate trade in which we are specially interested, quite exclusive of 

 the large commercial trade in rough woods and furniture carried on by 

 other European nations. 



The foreign fancy and hard woods specifically enumerated in the 

 official trade returns are very few, being only mahogany, rosewood, 



