20 KAURI TIMBER. 
Laslet’s classic, on timbers used by the British reacts (2nd edition, 
p. 390), says, ‘* It is exceedingly doubtful if any pine tree 1 any part 
of the world is capable of such wide apphcatinns possesses So many good 
qualities, and 7s so relatively free from defects. Gee 
As mentioned in my inaugural address to the lores eague, pre wal 
prices of Kauri on the English market were As. oe re NE tor 
Kauri, against 3s. for such valuable tittbers as Black-wa nut and 
Pencil-cedar, Ils. 8d. to 5s. for Mahogany, 3s. for quartered Oak—in 
fact, there is no ordinary good timber that fetches a higher price on 
the English market than Kauri. Kauri 1s equally in favour on the 
Australian market. ‘‘ Kauri possesses a larger number of good qualities 
than any other pine known to commerce, says Kirk in the best chapter 
of his ‘‘ Forest Flora’’ (p. 143). Said Professor Scott, speaking re- 
cently at the University Senate, ‘‘ No timber in the world approached 
Kauri in its suitability for ship-building. He knew of many instances 
in which vessels built of Kauri timber remained absolutely sound after 
forty years. In the Clyde every yacht-designer specified that the deck- 
timber should be Kauri, but it could not be obtained . . . owing to 
our destruction of the forests.”’ 
Kauri and Oregon.—In northern New Zealand Kauri is preferred to 
imported Oregon timber (Douglas). It is mentioned that when at 
Whangarei boats were made of Kauri and of Oregon the Kauri boat 
had a higher value, sometimes almost double that of the Oregon boat. 
Said the Timber Commission of 1909 after their exhaustive inquiry, 
“Kauri is our finest timber, combining strength with durability, and 
being easy to work.’’ After enumerating the various purposes for 
which Kauri is employed, they added, ‘‘It is used for almost any 
purpose needed in the building or timber trades.’’ Outside New 
Zealand its great use in Australia is for furniture. One sees 
Kauri furniture everywhere in Australia; it works so easily, and 
does not warp or crack under the trying Australian climate. Kauri 
has been aptly called the Teak of Australasia: it is, in fact, put to the 
same multiplicity of uses in Australasia as is Teak in India. Kauri is 
not quite so strong nor so durable as Teak, but it is strong enough and 
durable enough for all ordinary purposes; and, happily, it is not so 
heavy as Teak. Teak, air-dry, ayerages 40 Ib. per cubic foot (Gamble) ; 
Kauri, 341b. (Laslet). Kauri is stronger than all the ordinary pines 
and softwoods, and not much heavier. It is not so strong as Pitch-pine. 
but lasts longer in the ground. Its weak point is its shrinking, and 
some tendency to warping when first cut. These defects are perhaps due 
to cutting out of season, and more certainly to putting ill-seasoned 
boards and scantling into joinery, Both are remediable. Cutting out 
of season would be remedied straight away as soon as systematic forestry 
was introduced to New Zealand ( p. 80). 
_ Kauri timber working thirty years ago is described and illustrated 
in Kirk’s ‘‘ Forest Flora.’ The endless procession of logs being rolled 
out and the water-carriage are well shown. : L 
Recocxrrion—Four CLASSES. 
: Kauri timber is easily recognizable; it cuts like cheese under a sharp 
cnife, and generally shows a peculiarly speckled surface on all sections 
tangential to the axis of the bole. 
a E. Bartley, architect, in a paper read before the Auckland 
nstitute in 1885, distinguished four classes of Kauri—viz., red, white, 
