144 WOODS OF COMMERCE 



Biwa. See Loquat, 



Blackbutt [Eucalyptus piluldris Sm. : Order Myrtdcece). " Flint- 

 wood, White-top," or sometimes "Mountain Asb., Willow," or 

 " Stringy-bark." Ahorig, " Toi, Tcheergun, Benaroon." South- 

 Eastern Australia. Height 50—150 ft. ; diam. 2—4 ft. S.G. 990. 

 W 46—66. E 1-152. / 5-79. fc 3-75. fs -36. Warm greyish 

 brown, close and straight-grained, moderately heavy, very strong, 

 but occasionally liable to gum-veins and shakes, working fairly 

 well, but warping and requiring careful seasoning, comparatively 

 non-inflammable. Suitable for sleepers, paving, telegraph-poles, 

 planks, or house-carpentry. The demand for waggon-planks of 

 Blackbutt is increasing as the supply of American Oak diminishes. 

 The name is applied in New South Wales to E. hcemdstoma [See 

 Gum, Spotted] ; in Victoria, to E. amygdalina rignans [See Ash, 

 Mountain] ; in Tasmania to E, Sieheridna [See Gum, Cabbage] ; 

 occasionally to E, piperita [See Peppermint] ; and in South-West 

 Australia to E. patens Benth., which reaches a height of 100 ft., 

 with a diam. of 6 ft., W 46—74, is tough and durable, especially 

 underground, and is used for wheelwrights' work, paving, piles, 

 and sleepers. 



Blackthorn {Pr4nus spinosa L. : Order Eosdcece), " Sloe." Hard, 

 tough. Sapwood reddish ; heart blackish-brown, often with pith- 

 fiecks, pith-rays distinct, vessels small, numerous, equally dis- 

 tributed. Used for walking-sticks. 



Blackwood, in Australasia (Acacia melanoxylon E. B. : Order 

 Leguminosce). In Tasmania " Lightwood," in ISTew South Wales 

 "Hickory, Silver Wattle," or "Black Sally," Aborig. " Moot- 

 chong," " Mooeyang." Tasmania, and South-East Australia, and 

 naturalized in India. Height 60 — 100 ft. ; diam. 1| — 3 ft. S.G. 

 854—529. W 36—63-5. E 1,064. / 5-45. fc 3-24. fs -687. 

 Dark brown, the older growth beautifully figured, sometimes 

 " fiddle-back," with about an inch of nearly white sapwood, hard, 

 close and very even in grain, easily split and worked, and taking, 

 with care, an excellent polish, but warping unless very carefully 

 seasoned. One of the most valuable of Austrahan timbers, an 

 excellent substitute for American walnut ; but it has the defect of 

 resin-veins, so that newly-sawn boards feel sticky. Largely used 

 for oil-casks, in staves 3 inches thick, for gun-carriages, furni- 

 ture, gun-stocks, tool-handles, crutches, the sounding-boards of 

 pianos, picture-frames, etc., the figure-wood being cut into veneers 

 for railway-carriage panels, billiard-tables, etc. 



Blackwood, in Cape Colony {Eoyena lucida L. : Order Ebendcem). 

 Boer " Zwartbast," Zulu " Umcaza." Height 40—50 ft. ; diam. 

 1 — 2 ft. W 39. Yellowish with brown stripes, very hard, tough, 

 taking a good poHsh. Used in waggon-building, but adapted for 



