THE FURNITURE WOODS OE COMMERCE. 351 
which was in great favour here at one time, and realized a high 
price, but could not be obtained in large planks. 
The Laburnum, has a wood of a darkly variegated colour, 
rendered more beautiful by a lustre of metallic green, and 
when knotted is equal to mahogany. The medullary plates, 
which are large and very distinct, are white, and the fibres of a 
dark brown, a circumstance that gives quite an extraordinary 
appearance — a peculiarity not to be observed in any other 
wood. 
Incidental mention has already been made in the Notes on the 
Exhibition,* of some of the fine woods of our colonies ; but as yet 
scant justice has been done to them in the way of publicity, 
either in the Jury Reports or through any other medium. Such 
a magnificent collection of woods of all kinds, many of them 
new and rare, from different countries, was never before brought 
together, and it is very doubtful if it ever may be again. 
Many of these woods are as yet comparatively unknown ; the 
difficulties in the want of labour, proper roads, and available 
means of transport, have hitherto prevented the various trea- 
sures of our colonial forests from becoming readily accessible to 
the requirements of our artizans. 
Numerous illustrations were afforded of the suitability of 
many of these woods for furniture, for smaller articles of tur- 
nery aud ornamental workmanship, and for parti-coloured work 
in marquetry, wood mosaic or Tunbridge ware, and Sorrento 
inlaying. Innumerable specimens of. cabinet-work, of the 
highest excellence, were seen to great advantage, and obtained 
universal commendation from competent judges. 
Many of these elegant pieces of ornamental work dis- 
played the peculiar beauty and figure, the closeness of grain, 
and, in some cases, revealed the fragrant odours of the smaller 
woods, and showed how well they are deserving’ of more exten- 
sive notice than they have hitherto received. Many of the 
woods exhibit a peculiar beauty of structure ; some are highly 
fragrant, and retain their agreeable odour for a considerable 
pei'iod of time, which renders them additionally pleasant and 
acceptable in the form of ornamented articles to the boudoir 
and drawing-room. 
Some of the rarest and most esteemed ornamental woods are 
South American, and come chiefly from Brazil ; among these 
are tulip-wood, zebra-wood, the produce of Omphalobivm 
Lamberii, king-wood, canary-wood, partridge and pheasant 
wood, and purple-wood. 
Coromandel or Calamander wood is the produce of an ebena- 
ceous tree of Ceylon, and considered, from its peculiar marking, 
* “ Popular Science Review,” No. VI. — ■“ The Colonies,” &c. 
2 b 2 
