254: WOODS OF COMMERCE 



suitable for masts were protected in our American colonies at the 

 beginning of the eighteenth century ; but a century later seven- 

 tenths of the houses in North America, except in the large towns, 

 were built of wood, and of these about 75 per cent, were of this 

 species. Eeference has already been made to its reckless destruc- 

 tion by the axe and by fire. 



Pine, White, of Western North America (P. monticola Don.). 

 British Columbia to Cahfornia, at altitudes of 2,000 — 10,000 ft. 

 Height 80 — 100 ft. ; diam. 4 — 5 or 7 ft. Nearly white, very light, 

 soft, close- and straight-grained, but inferior to P. Strohus, which 

 it much resembles. 



Pine, White, of New Zealand {Podocdrpus dacrydioides A. Eich. = 

 DacY'^dium excelsum D. Dox and D. ferrugineum Van Houtte : 

 Order Taxinece). Maori " Kahikatea." Height 80 — 150 or 180 ft. ; 

 diam. 4 — 5 ft., sometimes 60 ft. to the lowest branch. S.G. 488 — 

 428. W 26-75—35. p 106. Yielding timber 20—60 ft. long, 

 squaring I— 2|- ft., white, light, soft, straight and even in grain, 

 tough, easily worked, not durable when exposed or in contact with 

 soil. Used in house-building and occasionally for canoes, but 

 better adapted for indoor use, cheap furniture, packing-cases, or 

 paper-pulp. This valuable timber, comparable in many respects 

 to Yellow Pine {Pinus Strohus), is likely to have a great future 

 on the European market. It has only come into notice with 

 the great Australasian demand for butter-boxes ; but it can be 

 imported at a cheap rate in baulks of great lengths and widths, 

 and is hkely, therefore, to compete with the better qualities of 

 Canary Whitewood. P. latifolia Wall, of Burma is finer in grain 

 and darker in colour, and P. Milanjidna Rendle, of British East 

 Africa, is very similar to this last. 



Pine, Yellow. See Pine, White, Bull, Grey, and Short-leaf. The 



Yellow Pine ot the English trade is the American White Pine 

 [Pinus Strobus). 



Piney-tree* See Poon. 



Piney Varnish (VaUria indica L. : Order Dipterocarpdcece), 

 Southern India and Ceylon. Known also as " Indian Copal " or 

 ''White Dammar." Ganarese "Dupa maram." Tamil "Piney- 

 maram." Sink. "Hal." Height 30—60 ft.; diam. 2—5 ft. 

 W 26. Sapwood reddish-white ; heart grey, tough, moderately 

 hard, porous, said to be termite-proof. Used on the West Coast 

 of India for boat- and house-building and masts, and in Ceylon 

 for cofSbas, packing-cases, etc. It yields a fine copal or gum anime, 

 used in Ceylon as incense, the finest specimens being sold as amber. 

 Of allied species F. acuminata Hayne, of Ceylon, is used for tea- 

 chests. 



