222 WOODS OF COMMERCE 



Nut, Queensland [Macaddmia ternifolia P. v. M. : Order Pro- 

 tedcece), JSTortli-east Australia. Ahorig. *' Eandal-kindal." Height 

 30 — 50 ft. ; diam. small. Reddish, firm, fine-grained, prettily- 

 figured. Used for staves, bullock-yokes, shingles, cabinet-work, 

 and veneers. 



Oak, originally Quercus BShur L. (Order OupuUferce), the principal 

 hardwood of Europe, afterwards extended to other species of 

 the genus in Southern Europe, l^orth America, the Himalayas, 

 and Japan, and to various other entirely unrelated timber- trees, 

 chiefly species of Casuarina, in Australia. It will be convenient 

 to depart from the strictly alphabetical arrangement of the many 

 kinds of '' Oak " in use, in favour of a geographical enumeration. 

 Beginning, therefore, with the Common Oak of Europe, we will 

 then describe the other European and North African forms, taking 

 those of North America next, and then those of the Himalayas and 

 of Japan, and relegating the so-called Oaks of Africa and Australia 

 to the last. 



Oak, Common, British or European {Q. Rohur L.). Syria, Mount 

 Taurus and Mount Atlas to 60° N. lat. French " Ch^ne." Oerm, 

 "Eiche." Span. "Roble." Japan. '' Gashi." Height 60— 

 100 ft. ; diam. 1 — 22 ft., often with a straight stem 30 — 40 ft. 

 high, and 2 — 4 ft. in diam. S.G. 1,280 when fresh cut, to 780 or 

 597 when seasoned. " It must be borne in mind, however, that 

 these weights refer to the wood as a structure, and do not give 

 the specific gravity of the wood-substance itself. This latter may 

 be obtained by driving ofi all the air and water from the wood, 

 and is found to be 1,560 " (Marshall Ward). W 62—43. E 635— 

 800 tons, e' Mr. Laslett takes the mean elasticity of British Oak 

 as unity for the comparison of other woods. Other specimens 

 of the species range from •64—1-41. p 6,500—11,300. p' Here, 

 too. Oak is unity, its range being -6 — 1-06. / 5-27. ft 1-9 — 8*8. 

 c 7,571—8,102. c' English Oak being taken as unity, Erench- 

 grown Oak is 1-071. fc 2-7.— 4-5. v' English Oak unity, Dantzic 

 Oak, probably the same species, -99, French 1^04. fs •4—1-03. 

 E 10,000—13,600 lbs. Sapwood narrow, yellowish; heart of 

 various shades, from greyish or yellow-browa (fawn-colour) to 

 reddish or very dark brown, darkening on exposure. "Oak is 

 neither the hardest and heaviest, nor the most supple and toughest 

 of woods, but it combines in a useful manner the average of these 

 qualities. Good Oak is hard, firm, and compact, and with a glossy 

 surface, and varies much ; young Oak is often tougher, more cross- 

 grained, and harder to work than older wood '' (Marshall Ward). 

 A stress of 1,900 lbs. per square inch is stated as the average 

 requisite to indent Oak -^ in. transversely to its fibres. Oak 

 timber is apt to be affected by star- and cup-shakes, especially in 



