THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



THE HARD WOODS OF COMMERCE * 



BY P. L. SIMMONDS. 



Few but those who have looked into the subject would suppose that 

 foreign woods were imported to the value of nearly twelve millions 

 sterling annually, besides our own supplies of British oak and home- 

 grown woods, which are utilized for various purposes. Notwithstand- 

 ing the extensive adoption of iron for constructive purposes in ships 

 and buildings, there has been no diminution in our consumption of 

 foreign building woods. Indeed, the imports in the past two years show 

 an increased value of one million and a quarter over the imports of six 

 or seven years ago. The second great class of woods — dye woods — has 

 remained somewhat stationary, and this may arise from the extensive 

 use of mineral dyes within the last few years. The class of foreign hard 

 woods and furniture woods has, however, increased considerably in con- 

 sumption within the jiast ten years, an indication of the greater demand 

 for the purposes of Art and luxury, and possibly from the stimulus given 

 by Exhibitions, since that of X851, for these have served to bring into 

 many new and beautiful woods previously unknown or disregarded. 

 Since 1856 the value of the hard woods and ornamental woods imported 

 into this country has doubled. It would be impossible in the compass 

 of a brief article to pass under notice all the principal furniture woods 

 used by the cabinet maker, and we shall confine ourselves, therefore, to 

 a glance at the hard woods used by the turner and engraver. Several 

 of these woods are also employed for other purposes, but we shall speak 

 chiefly of their application in turnery. 



The principal woods used by the turner are — African Black- wood, 



* From the 'Art Journal.' 



