BOTANY IN RELATION TO STUDY OF TIMBER. 43
THE TIMBERS OF SOME COMMON BRITISH TREES.
The outstanding characters of the timbers of a few genera
represented by trees in this country, either wild or commonly
grown, may now be considered.
Softwoods. Of the native conifers, Scots Pine (Pinus
sylvestris) and Yew (Taxus baccata) alone are of economic impor-
tance ; the Juniper (Juniperus communis), which in Britain
is rarely more than a shrub, yields an extremely durable wood
and is sometimes used for fencing : woods of the same genus,
however, chiefly that of the American Juniperus virginiana,
the Pencil Cedar, furnish the most suitable wood for the casing
of lead pencils ; this wood has a very even texture and is fairly
soft; in consequence it cuts easily and cleanly in any direction,
a useful feature both for grooving the wood for the reception of
the lead, and also for sharpening the pencil. Yew wood is
very hard and durable, and is of value for furniture and decora-
tive work ; figured wood is not uncommon, produced by
irregularities in the growth of the trees, and such wood makes
very beautiful ornamental timber. The wood of Scots Pine
is the most important timber in this country and in north eastern
Europe, and is commonly known as red or yellow deal. Large
quantities are imported into this country annually from Northern
Europe, ready sawn into planks and boards. The wood is
largely used for general constructional work in buildings, for
crates and packing cases, pit props, telegraph poles, sleepers
and road blocks. Its use for the last two purposes brings out
some of its most valuable features : for both purposes a wood
is required which will not only wear well when creosoted, but
which is able to resist sudden shocks in sleepers from the chairs
pressing into it as the train passes, and in road blocks from the
impact of traffic. Hardwoods like Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata)
are used extensively for these purposes and, while, appearing to
give excellent results, are not, it would appear, looked upon
with as much favour as Scots Pine in this country. Compared
with a harder wood the advantage of Scots Pine lies in its
resilience : when subjected to pressure it gives, regaining its
normal form when the weight is removed. Harder, less resilient
woods tend to stand up to the pressure, and in consequence
the fibres of the wood are broken. While not indigenous, the
Larch (Larix europaea) is a familiar tree in this country. It