Alerse (Libocedrus tetragona).—This is a Cbilian tree, affording a timber whieh is largely need on the S. Paeifie eoaot of America, and an important article of eommeree. It gives spare 80-90 ft. long, and 800-1500 boards. Its grain is so atraight and even that shinglea split from it appear to have been planed.
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior).—The common ash is indigenoua to Europe and N. Asia, and found throughbut Great Britain. The young wood ia more valuable than the old ; it is durable in the dry, but soon rota by exposure to damp or alternate wetting, and ia very aubject to worm when felled in full sap. It is difficult to work and too flexible for building, but valuable in machinery, wheel-carriagea, blocks, and handles of tools. The weight is 34-52 lb. a eub. ft. ; eohesive force, 6300-17,000 lb. ; strength, 119 ; stiffnesa, 89 ; toughness, 160.
Assegai-wood or Cape Lancowood (Curtisia faginea).—This tree, the oomhlebe of the African natives, gives a very tough wood, used for wheel-spokea, shaft& waggon-raila, spears, and turnery, weighing 56 lb. a eub. ft.
Beech (Fayus sylvatica).—The eommon beech inhabits most temperate parts of Europe, from Norway to the Mediterranean, and is plentiful in S. Rnssia. It is most abundant in the S. and Midland connties of England, growing on chalky soils to 100 ft. high and 4-6 ft. diam. Wood grown ln damp valleys becomes brittle on drying; it ia very liable to destruction by worms, decays in damp situationa, loss in a dry state, but leaat of all when constantly under water. It is thus most useful for piles, and for lineea and planking of ships. Its uniform texture and hardness make it very valuable for tools and common furniture. It is also used for carriage-panels and wooden tramways. Its weight is 43-53 lb. a cub. ft.; cohesive force, 6070-17,000 lb. ; strength, 103 ; stiffness, 77 ; toughness, 138. (See Oils, p. 1378 ; Tar, p. 1683.) Beech species of Fagus are common in N. America,—the white (F. syl vestris), and the red (F. ferruginea). The perfect wood of the former is frequently only 3 in. in a trunk 18 in. diam., and it is of little use except for fuel. The wood of the latter, which is almost exclusively confined to the N.-E. States, Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, is stronger, tougher, and more compact, but so liable to insect attacks as to be little used in furniture ; yet it is very durable when constantly immersed in water.
Birch (Betula spp.).—The common birch (B. alba) is less important as a source of wood than as affording an empyreumatic oil (see pp. 1417-8, 1684). Its wood is neither strong nor durable,
but is easily worked, moderately bard, and of straight and even grain, rendering it useful for chair-making, cabinet-making, and light turnery. Memel exported by sea in 1880, 175,051 birch staves, value 340/., and 45,596 logs, value 8321. 10s.
The American red birch (B. rubra) has similar nem The black or ebony birch (B. lenta inigra]) of N. America is superior to all others, and imported in logs 6-20 ft. long and 12-30 in. diam., for furniture and turnery. Quebec birch is worth 3/. 5s.-4/. 158. a load.
Box (Buxus sempervirens),—Tho common evergreen box ia a nativo of Europe as far as 52° N. lat., and is abundant in S. and E. France, Spain, Italy, the Black Sea coast, Per,ia, N. India, China, and Japan. For some years past, tho supply of this important wood has diminished in quantity and risen in price. It is mainly derived from the forests of the Caucasus, Armenia, and the Caspian shores. The wood of tho hest quality comes from the Black Sea 1;,rests, and is princi pally shipped from the port of Poti. The produce of tho Caspian forests, known in the trade as " Persian," used also to be exported through the Black Sea from Taganrog. This found its way, after the commencentent of the Russo-Turkiab war, via. tbe Volga canal, to St. Petersburg. The produce of the Caspian forests is softer and inferior in quality to that of the Black Sea. It is a large article of trade witb Russia, reaching Astrakhan and Nijni-Novgorod in the spring, and being aold during the fair. It recently amounted to 130,000 poods (of 36 Ih.). True Caucasian boxwood rnay be said to be commercially non-existont, almost every marketable tree baying been exported. The value of the yet unworked Abkhasian forests has been much exaggerati d, many of the trees being either knotted or hollow frotn age, and most of tbe good wood having been felled hp the Abkbasians previous to Russian occupation. The boxwood at present exported from Rostov, and supposed to be Caucasian, comes from the Persian provinces of Mazanderan and Ghilan, tbe Caspian. Boxwood is characterized by excessive hardness, great weight, evenness and closeness of grain, light colour, and capacity for taking a fine polish. Hence it is very valuable for wood-engraving (see p. 1610), turning, and instrument-making. The Minorca box (B. baleariea), found in aeveral of tho Mediterranean islands, and in Asia Minor, yields a similar but coarser wood, which pro bably finds its way into commerce.