32 DACRYDIUM CUPRESSINUM. 
curved branchlets. Nut, about din. long, invested at its base by a membranous 
cup, and seated on a fleshy receptacle clothed with rather distant overlapping 
green scales. The receptacular scales are acute, and spring from remarkably 
broad bases, whilst the receptacle itself varies much in size, and in damp seasons 
is not developed, the nut being simply invested at its base by the membranous 
cup or sheath, which is split on one side. 
EXPLANATION OF PLatEs XVIII. anp XIX. 
XVIII. Dacrydium cupressinum, Solander. 1. Fruiting specimen before 
the full development of the fleshy receptacle, natural size. 2. Cup showing the 
split portion. 3. Nut. 4. Longitudinal section of nut: all magnified. 
XIX. Dacrydium cupressinum, Solander. 1, Branchlet of young plant. 
2. Branchlet from older plant. 3. Male catkins: all natural size. 4. Male 
catkin, enlarged. 5 and 6. Scales from the lower part of catkin, back and front 
views. 7 and 8. Scales from the upper part of catkin, back and front views: all 
magnified. g. Specimen with fully matured fruit: natural size. 10. Ripe fruit. 
tt and 12. Receptacular scales: all magnified. 
ON THE Conversion oF Rrmu. 
Rimu occurs in comparatively small quantity in the Auckland District, and 
is rarely used for building purposes, kauri superseding all other timbers in the 
North; but in Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Wellington, the northern portion of 
Marlborough, the south-west parts of Nelson, Westland, Southland, and Stewart 
[sland it occurs in vast quantities, and is the chief timber employed for building 
and general purposes in those districts, as well as in Otago and Canterbury,* 
which obtain their supplies from Southland and Marlborough. 
It is not easy to obtain precise returns of the total quantity of rimu con- 
vetted yearly in the above districts, as it is usually mixed with miro, matai, 
totara, kamai, and other kinds; but the annual output may be safely estimated 
at 80,000,000 superficial feet of inch thickness. 
The most important centres of conversion are Southland and Wellington. 
In Southland the timber-supply is obtained almost entirely from State forests ; 
in Wellington, from private forests. 
In Southland small mills are furnished with a breaking-down bench and 
twin circular saws, working one above the other, to cut deep logs, a circular saw 
with rack-bench to cut ordinary boards and scantling, a small circular saw for 
cutting palings, &c., and a small American planing-machine, fitted with revolving 
cutters. In larger mills conversion is effected by similar machinery worked by 
more powerful engines; they are also furnished with moulding and _ other 
machines for special purposes. The breaking-down frame-saw common in 
other districts is almost unknown in Southland; most of the logs being of small 
dimensions, the converters have been content with the double circular saw for 
this work, but the adoption of a frame-saw for this purpose would result ina 
saving of power and diminution of waste. The use of frame-saws for converting 
wide planking for cabinetwork would be still more beneficial, as the boards 
would be better manufactured, and the waste of good paying material greatly 
reduced, 
The tramway forms an important part of the sawmiller’s plant. It is 
constructed of split or sawn sleepers placed from 24in. to 30in. apart from centre 
to centre, and sawn rails 3in. by 4in., which are laid in notches cut in the ends 
* A small quantity is converted at Catlin's River, in Otago, and Banks Peninsula, Canterbury. 
