82 OF WOOD IN GENERAL 



Angelique in Guiana ; Canella preta {Neddndra dtra and N, mollis) 

 in Brazil ; and Cagiieyran {Copaifera hymenceifoUa) in Cuba, are all 

 timbers valuable to the builder. 



Wood-paving, — ^The consumption of wood for paving in our 

 large towns, already enormous, is rapidly increasing, although the 

 comparative advantages of soft wood, in England mainly Pine, 

 with its greater cheapness, and hard woods, with their greater 

 durabiHty and the chance of their becoming sHppery, are not yet 

 decided. The chief hard woods as yet used in England are Jarrah 

 (Eucalyptus margindta) and Karri [E. diversicolor) from South- 

 western Australia. In Paris Pinus Pinaster and Larch are em- 

 ployed. Black-butt {JE. piluldris) and Crow's Ash [Flindirsia 

 austrdlis), from Eastern Australia, were laid experimentally in 

 Wellington Street, Strand, in 1895 ; and Tallow- wood {Eucalyptus 

 microcorys), from New South Wales, Bloodwood (E. corymhosa) 

 and Ironwood {Tarriitia argyrodendron), from Queensland, and Blue 

 Gum {Eucalyptus globulus) and Stringy Bark {E. oUiqua), from Tas- 

 mania, have also been tried. Little can be said in favour of the Red 

 Gum of the Eastern United States {Liquiddmhar styraciflua), a large 

 quantity of which was ordered for use in Westminster in 190L 

 " Cedar," often spoken of in this connection in Western American 

 cities, is probably mostly the wood of Thuya gigdntea {T. plicdta) 

 and Cuprissus lawsonidna. 



Shingles and fencing. — ^Wooden shingle roofs, for which Oak 

 used to be employed, are of much less importance in England than 

 in the United States, where White Cedar {Thuya gigdntea and 

 jT, occidentalism Cuprissus lawsonidna, and G. Thyoides and Lihocedrus 

 decurrens) is largely used for this purpose, which requires a straight- 

 grained wood, easy to spht. In all countries enormous quantities 

 of split and sawn timber are consumed for fencing purposes ; more 

 especially Oak, Larch, and Spanish Chestnut with us ; " Cedar " in 

 the United States ; the so-called " Birch," really a Beech {Fdgus 

 Soldndri), in New Zealand ; and Beefwood or Swamp or Forest 

 Oak {Gasuarina equisetifolia) and allied species, together with 

 various species of Eucalyptus, in Austraha, of which, perhaps, 

 E. amygdalina, E, rostrdta, and E. vimindlis are the chief. 



Carpentry. — ^The work of the carpenter and joiner Hnks that 

 of the builder to that of the cabinet-maker. In Europe, in addition 

 to much Baltic and American Pine, chiefly Pinus sylvistris, P. 

 Strobus, and P. palustris, he uses much Spruce {Picea excelsa), 

 Bordeaux Pine {Pinus Pindster), and Swiss Pine {Abies pectindta), 

 besides Oak, Ash, and Chestnut. To give additional strength, Elm 

 is used for the ends of ammunition-boxes, whilst their sides are of 

 Pine. So also in the United States and Canada, the Hemlock 



