THE TIMBER OF EXOTIC CONIFERS. 



121 



the young state. It produces heart-wood rapidly, and thereby 

 becomes valuable for any purpose to which Pine timber may be 

 applied. Its value as to timber and quality is 140. 



Pinus Laricio. — A well-known tree, fairly fast grower, wood 

 soft at first, but very hard when matured, durable and easily 

 worked. The wood is quite suitable for every purpose for which 

 the timber of the best Pine is used, and its comparative value is 

 about 125. 



Pinus monticola. — The timber of this tree is valuable both 

 from the great bulk produced in a given time and from its 

 elastic quality. It is easily worked and stains beautifully. The 

 wood is light, tough, and durable, but liable to the depreda- 

 tions of moths. It produces wood highly suitable for house 

 furnishings, for which purpose it should be cut in winter, to 

 lessen its liability to attacks by moths. Its value as compared 

 with Scotch Fir is 210. 



Pinus ponderosa. — The tree produces what may be called 

 dense, heavy-grained timber. The heart-wood is full of resin 

 and of a yellow-brown colour, the autumn growth being marked 

 by a very distinct line of a dark Spanish-brown colour, which 

 gives the wood a character of its own. The timber is exceed- 

 ingly well adapted for piles for jetties, embankments, &c., 

 flooring, joisting and roofing ; but probably railway sleepers, for 

 which it would excel the best Larch in point of duration, would 

 be the chief market for the timber. It is difficult to work, oil 

 being constantly required for the tools in working. The few 

 specimens I have had cut up exceeded in specific gravity any- 

 thing I have seen in the Mar, Rothiemurchus, Nethy or 

 Dulnain forests of thirty years ago. It promises to be a very 

 valuable timber when at full maturity, Its value is about 125. 



Pinus pyrenaica. — A tree producing timber similar in 

 appearance to austriaca, but finer grained, more elastic, and 

 better adapted for general purposes. Value 75. 



Pinus rigida. — Like the Pinus jponderosa, the timber of the 

 Pinus rigida is heavy and full of resin, and in other respects very 

 similar, being durable, and useful for the same purposes, and 

 equally difficult to work. So far as I have had opportunity of 

 observing the growth, it is slower and more formal than that of 

 Pinus jponderosa. The value is 95. 



Seqitoia {Taxodium) sempervirens (the Californian Red= 



