CHAPTER IX 
TIMBERS OF NEW ZEALAND AND TASMANIA 
New Zealand : Kauri Pine— Totara— Black Maire— Eimu— Matai— 
Kaliikatea or White Pine — Silver Pine— Puriri — Beeclies — Miro — 
Rata — Hon ey s uckle. 
Tasmania : Blue Gum — Stringy Bark — Ash or Swamp Gum — Gum 
Top Stringy Bark— Ironbark — Peppermint— Blackwood — Huon 
Pine — Celery Top Pine— King William Pine— Beech or Myrtle — 
Tea Tree — Honeysuckle — Leatherwood, Lancewood, etc. — Oaks 
— Government Specification for Eucalyptus Timber. 
New Zealand Timbers. 
Kauri Pine (Agathis australis) is the best Icnown of the 
New Zealand timbers and is indeed the chief timber of the 
colony. It is yellowish white in colour, straight in grain, 
with a silky lustre on the surface, and is easily worked. It 
is light, fairly strong and elastic ; amongst the pines it is 
only exceeded in strength by pitch pine and Baltic red- 
wood. It is generally remarkably free from knots and 
defects, and may be obtained perfectly clear of them. It 
can be had in planks nearly 3 ft. wide in the colony — a 
piece has been got 20 ft. long by 5 ft. wide absolutely clear 
of knots and shakes, and only recently pieces were to be 
had in the London market 18 ft. long and 50 inches wide 
and practically perfect. 'J'he timber requires to be seasoned 
before being put into use, as it shrinks considerably. In 
one case where it was used on the deck of a vessel it 
had in twelve months shrunk considerably both longi- 
tudinally and cross ways. Good for all classes of joinery 
