ASPEN— BABUL 135 



Dingy wHte, looking reddish-brown in transverse section, with 

 no heartwood. Eings circular, broad, distinct ; medullary rays 

 not visible to the naked eye ; vessels small, uniformly distributed, 

 dendritic, 2 — 7 together ; generally with white pith-flecks near the 

 centre. Soft, light, elastic, easily spht, warping and cracking 

 but httle- Used as bhndwood, for cooper's ware, milk-pails, 

 herring casks, butchers' trays, clogs, pack-saddles and paper-pulp ; 

 and, in France, for sabots and for flooring. Imported in small 

 quantities from the southern Baltic ports, mainly for turnery. 



Aspen, American or Quaking Asp {Populus tremuloides Michaux : 

 Order Salicinece). Throughout North America, coming up after 

 fires and replacing destroyed fir-forests. Germ, " Amerikanishe 

 Zitter-Espe," French "tremble d'Amerique," Span, "Alamo 

 tremblon." S.G. 403. W25— 13. Coefficient of elasticity 81441. 

 R 677 kilos. Resistance to longitudinal pressure 330 kilos. Re- 

 sistance to indentation 80 kilos. Height seldom 60 ft. or 2 ft. in 

 diam. Light brown with very thick, very white sapwood. Re- 

 sembling Aspen in texture, close-grained, cottony in fibre, light, 

 soft, not strong, soon decaying in contact with damp. Used in 

 turnery, and occasionally for flooring, chiefly in the Western United 

 States ; but chiefly for paper-pulp, for which purpose, though very 

 white, in strength it is inferior to Spruce. 



Aspen, Large-tooth {Populus grandidentdta Michaux). [See 

 Poplar, Large-toothed.] 



Assegai-wood [Curtisia faginea Ait. : Order Corndcece). Zulu 

 " Umguna," " Umnoiso." " Cape Lancewood." Cape Colony 

 and Natal. Height 40—80 ft. ; diam. 1 — 4 ft. W 60. Bright red, 

 becoming duU on exposure, close-grained, very strong, tough, 

 elastic and durable even in damp situations. Used for furniture, 

 shafts of assegais, tool-handles, spokes and felloes, and is one of the 

 best woods for waggon-building. 



Avocado Pear [Per sea gratissima Gsertn. : Order Lauracece). 

 Cuba "Aguacate." West Indies. S.G. 661. A handsome, dark 

 rod-brown, resembling Mahogany, with wavy figure ; but grown 

 chiefly for its fruit. 



Axe-breaker {Notelcea longi folia Vent. : Order Jasmindcece). 

 '' Mock Olive." Aborig. '' Coobagum." New South Wales. Height 

 48—50 ft. ; diam. 1 — 1 J ft. Hard, close-grained, and firm. 



Babela {Termindlia beUrica Roxb.). See Myrobalan wood. 



Babul [Acdcia ardbica Willd. : Order Leguminosm). Hindi 

 "Babul." Bengali " Babla." Panjabi " Kikar." Height 50-- 

 60 ft. ; diam. 2 — 2| ft. W 45. Heartwood, pinkish to brown, 

 mottled, with dark streaks, hard, and, if well seasoned, very dur- 

 able. Used extensively in Northern India for wheels, sugar and 



