MISCELLANEOUS USES OF WOOD 89 



Miscellaneous uses. — Even tobacco-pipes consume large quan- 

 tities of certain woods, such as the Bruyere, commonly known as 

 Briar {Erica arborea), from Southern Europe, the Myall {Acdoia 

 homalofhylla) from Austialia, and the Cherry [Prunus avium, 

 Mdhaleh, etc.), used for long pipe-stems and grown mainly in 

 Austria. The light white woods of the Horse-chestnuts or Buck- 

 eyes {JEsculus) are used for artificial Hmbs, just as, judging by the 

 writings of the comic dramatists, Linden-wood was employed in 

 making corsets for male dandies in ancient Greece. MilHons of 

 cubic feet of Bermuda Cedar and of the Red or Pencil Cedar of 

 Virginia {Juniperus hermudidna and J, virginidna) are cut annually 

 for the manufacture of pencils alone. The quantities of Alder 

 {Alnus glutinosa)^ Beech, Willow {Sdlix dlba more especially), Spruce 

 or White Deal {Picea excelsa), Birch {Betula dlba), Linden, Poplars, 

 and even Horse-chestnut [Msculus Mppocdstanum) in Europe, and 

 of Tupelo {Nyssa sylvdtica) and Canoe Birch {Betula papyrifera) in 

 North America, consumed for sabots must be immense, to say 

 nothing of the quantities of these and other woods used for shoe- 

 lasts, shoe-pegs, boot-trees, hat-blocks, etc. Soft white woods, 

 such as Willow, Alder, Linden, Poplar, or " Cottonwood," that of 

 the Tulip-tree {Liriodindron) and the Cucumber-tree {Magnolia 

 acuminata), confounded together as " Canary Whitewood," and 

 the Spruces {Picea) and Soft Pines {Pinus Strobus, etc.), are those 

 chiefly in demand by the toy-manufacturer. 



Cooperage. — The requirements of the cooper are more varied 

 than might be supposed, different woods being needed for staves, 

 for hoops, for head-pieces, and for dry, liquid, or volatile goods. 

 Oak is largely used for staves, especially French Oak {Quercus 

 Eobur), and American White Oak {Q. dlba), but in Australia the 

 Black Wattle {Acacia molUssima) takes its place. Willow and 

 Hickory are used for hoops and Ash for a great variety of purposes, 

 but for dry goods the cooper employs cheap soft white woods such 

 as those used for the manufacture of packing-cases. 



Packing-cases. — ^Packing-cases made of inferior Silver Eir 

 {Abies pectindta) are sent all over the world from Switzerland and 

 the Tyrol : its cheapness causes Norway Spruce {Picea excelsa) to 

 be almost as universally employed ; and on the continent of Europe 

 the Black Austrian, Bordeaux Cluster, and Itahan Stone Pines 

 {Pinus austriaca, Pindster, and Pinea) are also largely used for this 

 purpose. Their not sphtting when nailed renders the Poplars 

 admirable for this purpose, and the White, Aspen, and Lombardy 

 Poplars {Populus canescens, tremula, and fastigidta) are accordingly 

 largely used in France, as are Populus monilifera and other *' Cotton- 

 woods," as they are there called, in the United States. Picea 



