88 OF WOOD IN GENERAL 



Crab-apple, Eurze, Maple, Hornbeam, and Rowan. Medlar {Mis- 

 filus germdnica) and Chestnut (Castdnea sativa) are imported from 

 France ; Cork Oak {Quercus Suber) from Spain ; Carob {Oeratonia 

 Siliqua) from Algeria ; Guelder-rose {Vihurnum Opulus), under the 

 names of " Teazle " or " Balkan-rose," from the Balkans ; Olive 

 and Orange from Southern Europe, while " Black Orange " is a 

 trade name for the common Broom {Cytisus scopdrius) ; Box, from 

 Persia ; Ebony, from Ceylon ; and, from the West Indies, Cocus 

 or "Flowered Ebony" {Brya Ehenus), Partridge-wood {Andira 

 inermis), Pimento (Pimenta officindlis), and Letter- wood or Leopard- 

 wood [Brosimum AuhUtii). Edward IV. ordered all bows in 

 Ireland to be made of Yew, Wych-hazel {Ulmus glabra), Ash, or 

 Alder ; and, in his time, much Yew was imported from Dalmatia 

 via Venice. Lancewood and Hickory are now largely used for this 

 purpose. 



Engraving. — For wood-engraving, the Box {Buxus semper- 

 virens) of Turkey is unequalled, and the use of metallic blocks has 

 diminished the urgency of the search for a substitute for, as wasteful 

 consumption threatened exhaustion of the supply of, this species. 

 The Cape Box {Buxus Macowdnii), introduced in 1885, is now con- 

 siderably used : Ebony is nearly equal in texture to Box, but its 

 colour mihtates against its use ; Hawthorn is probably next best 

 to Box of any known wood, but cannot readily be obtained of 

 sufficient size : Pear (P^rus communis), used for calico-printer's 

 blocks, the Chinese T'eng li mu {Pyrus betulmfolia), and Pafcha 

 {Euonymus europdeus, var. Hamiltonidnus), the American Box or 

 Dogwood (Gornus florida) and other species are suitable for coarse 

 work ; but Jamaica Box {Tecoma pentapJiylla) is on the whole the 

 most likely successor to Box. 



Musical instruments. — While any weU-seasoned ornamental 

 wood, such as Rosewood, Mahogany, or Walnut, is used for the 

 cases of pianofortes, those parts of musical instruments in which 

 resonance is produced must consist of wood of uniform texture, 

 free from all knots or other defects or contrasts of grain. Ancient 

 Etruscan flutes seem to have been made of Box ; whilst at the 

 present day the Green Ebony {Br{ia Menus) of the West Indies 

 is, when properly seasoned, the very best wood for this purpose. 

 Evelyn writes that Cypress is a sonorous wood, and is employed in 

 making harps, organ-pipes, and other musical instruments ; but 

 the Spruce [Picia excdsa), known in the trade as " Swiss Pine," 

 is now accounted the most resonant of all woods, and is used for 

 the beUies of the violin and the sounding-boards of pianos. Sycamore 

 {Acer pseudo'pldtanus) or Hard Maple [A, barbdtum) being employed 

 for the back and sides of the former instrument. 



