THIS work is sure to meet with a cordial reception and to be welcomed by all branches of the timber trade. The information contained in its pages is such that only an enthusiast and expert could bring together with the cooperation of others interested in the growth and utilisation of timber in every part of the globe. In all 247 different species are described, even to the minutest detail. In each case the specific name and authority are stated, and, wherever necessary, to avoid confusion, the synonyms have also been added. Then comes a list of the alternative names, or what we might call the common names. It is a well known fact that frequently one and the same kind of timber receives two different names, whereas two totally different species may be known by the same common name. The vernacular names in foreign languages, so far as they are not to be found in dictionaries, have also been quoted. Following this comes a paragraph dealing with physical characters, &c, such as recorded dry weight, hardness, taste, combustion, character of ash constituents, &c. The grain and bark are next described. The following paragraph deals with the uses to which the timber may be put. The colour is also given as a means of identification, and the anatomical characters, as seen in transverse and longitudinal sections, are fully described.

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Publication history

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/071247b0

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