240 
TIMBER 
with the heartwood sfcreaked with black. It is very iisefnl 
for scarfing timbers, thrust blocks, etc., but is not easily 
obtained in long lengths ; it makes good durable sleepers, 
piles, and fence posts, and is said to make capital wood for 
large engraving blocks if properly seasoned, as it does not 
wear and bears high pressures. The timber takes a long 
time to season. 
Weight 72 lbs. per cubic foot. 
Eimu or Red Pine (Dacrydkim cupressinuvi) can be had 
in logs up to 45 ft. long and 30 inches square. It is a 
useful and ornamental wood of handsome deep red coloured 
heart with light streaks or markings. Solid and clear of 
grain, its chief drawback is its liability to decay under the 
influence of wet. Much used in house framing and 
carpentry, largely for furniture, and especially for the 
panelling of railway carriages, interior of public buildings, 
etc., as some of the timber is handsomely marked, and it 
takes a fine polish and costs less to polish than mahogany 
or walnut. It is a favourite timber for all kinds of wagon 
building in the island except the framework, for which 
Australian tallow wood is preferred. It is very slow in 
growtli. A small amount of this timber now comes into 
the English market in the form of wide planks, and from 
some tests made it would appear to have little tendency to 
shrink and warp in seasoning. 
Weight 34 to 40 lbs. per cubic foot. 
Matai or Black Pine {Podocarptis spicata) produces a 
brownish coloured hardwood of smooth close grain and 
silky texture, and is almost universally used for flooring in 
New Zealand, in which position it possesses excellent wear- 
ing quaHties. The annual rings are clear, distinct, and close. 
It is also largely used for general outdoor work, general 
building material, and occasionally for bridge-building and 
