BOGWOOD.
Deeply buried in the peat bogs of Ireland, have been found the relics of primeval forests ; specimens of oak, fir, deal, and yew have been dug up at intervals, and used by the peasants for firing and other domestic purposes. The oak thus found is as black and as hard as ebony, and possesses considerable value as an article of turnery. That best suited for carving is brought fron3 the counties of Meath, Tipperary, Kerry, and Donegal. A load of it as disinterred costs only about 30s. ; but a considerable portion of it is unfitted for carving, 13St the presence of flaws and splits. It is first cut into suitable pieces, and is then worked on the end of the section, or across the grain, and not on the length of the grain or plankwise. The process employed resembles that adopted in the case of ivory. The more experienced workmen can carve designs without having any pattern to work from, earning from 40s. to 50s. per week. The wages of the less expert vary from 108. a week upwards, women earning nearly as much as men. The total number of persons employed in this industry is said to be over 200. Many of them work on the premises of their employers, others at home.
About fifteen years ago, a method of 'stamping the design in the wood was devised ; this per mitted the production of very fine effects, without incurring the great cost of skilled hand labour. According to this plan, the piece of wood, cut to the required size, is placed on tho top of the die, which -latter is heated by means of a hot plate of metal on which it stands. Over the wood, a
similar hot plate is laid ; upon this a powerful screw press descends, and the wood receives the impression of the dies as freely as wax, the bitumen in it preventing the fibre from cracking or crumbling. In this way, objects of exquisite delicacy and very laigh relief (almost to the height of 1 in.) can be produced in a few moments. The designs thus obtained by the die are readily distin guishable from those wrought by the carver's tool; they want the extreme sharpness of the carving, but, on the other hand, they are capable of showing more minute figuring and more elaborate details. The dies, some of which arc very beautiful in design, and all sharply cut, are made in the establishments where the carved objects are produced. The dt-signs are not conspicuous for great variety of conception; they take the form principally of antique 'sculpture crosses in high relief, round towers, abbeys, antique brooches, fibulas, harps, shamrocks, and other national emblems, besides a multitude of articles used in the boudoir aud drawing room.
There are three or four defilers in such articles in Dublin, each of whom sells, perhaps, 5000/. worth per annum.
The wood has been utilized as fuel, for centuries past ; but its application to artistic purposes dates only from George IV.'s visit to Ireland in 1821.