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better material than a good piece of yellow pine free from 
knots and shakes. Sycamore, beech, and holly, which are of 
light or nearly white colour, are also useful softwoods. 
Of hardwoods, Italian walnut is admirably suited for fine 
work, but only the hardest and that of closest grain should 
be chosen. It is a fine-grained wood of even texture, cuts 
with something of the fineness of English oak, and is 
capable of receiving even more finish. English walnut 
has too much figure to be suitable for this purpose. 
American walnut is best fitted for sharply cut and shallow 
carving, as its figure is caney. 
Honduras mahogany is very similar to American walnut 
in grain ; Cuba mahogany is closer. 
Of hardwoods there are not many to equal English oak 
for sharpness, clearness of detail, and lasting qualities, as 
so much of the carving in English cathedrals and church 
stalls testifies. 
There are some marvellous specimens of minute mediseval 
carving in box to be seen in the British Museum, and also 
some good carving in pear tree wood of the same period. 
Much of Grinling Gibbons' work was done in pear tree, 
but this wood is not easily procurable. 
Timber used for Veneer. 
The manufacture of wood into veneer is one which has 
made rapid strides of late years. In the United States 
something like 25,000,000 cubic feet are annually used for 
this purpose. 
Veneers are sawn, sliced, and rotary cut. Their average 
thickness varies from 5 to 15 to the inch. Beech can be 
cut as thin as 30 to the inch. In Germany they are cut 25 
to the inch, and both French and German merchants cut 
their veneers thinner than in England. 
