345 
THE FURNITURE WOODS OF COMMERCE. 
BY P. L. SIMMONDS. 
HE commerce in Foreign Woods carried on by this country 
is much larger than would be supposed by those who had 
not looked into the figures • and the vast quantities of timber, 
useful and ornamental, received, form a very interesting subject 
of inquiry. The timber of many countries is a most important 
item in its annual income, especially in Russia, Austria, Norway, 
Switzerland, Brazil, and also in British North America, India, 
Guiana, and some other of our possessions. The value of the 
woods of all kinds that we import is not less than twelve millions 
sterling’, whilst about four millions more may be set down as 
the value of the home produce. These woods, as far as their 
economic uses are concerned, are divided into three classes : — 
1st.— Woods of construction, useful for ship and house build- 
ing and other rough work. 
2ndly. — Those suitable for cabinet and ornamental work, as 
tables and other articles of furniture, pianofortes, &c. 
3rdly. — Dye-woods, and many hard woods, used chiefly by 
the turner, carver, engraver, &c. 
To the first class belong such woods as the fir, and indeed all 
the Coniferge, if we except the evergreen cypress, whose beautiful 
colour and pleasing odour fit it in an especial manner to rank 
among the higher class of cabinet woods. To this division 
belong also the beech, ash, chestnut, poplar, and willow ; while 
teak, oak, and plane-tree would seem to occupy a middle class, 
connecting this with the second, or more ornamental woods, 
among which are ranked mahogany, rosewood, walnut, maple, 
laburnum, mountain ash, box, &c. 
It is to the Furniture Woods that we purpose confining our 
present observations, and chiefly to those received from foreign 
countries. 
The importance of this survey will be better appreciated 
when it is stated that the annual value of the household furni- 
ture made in this country alone was, more than ten years ago, 
estimated at fifteen millions, and has certainly largely increased 
since then, keeping pace with the wealth and numerous wants 
of the nation, and progress of commerce. The computed value 
of the rough fancy hard woods imported in 1861 was £804,426, 
