COLOURED WOOD

Southland Times, Issue 18858, 25 June 1920, Page 6

COLOURED WOOD

AN AMERICAN IDEA. Some very interesting experiments have been carried out in the United States to show that it is possible to grow coloured wood (writes S.L.B. in the Star.) My the plan described, wood of any desired shade may be produced with the greatest ease; and this is likely to prove of considerable value to furniture makers and r hose who require timber for decorative schemes. The method, which is certainly ingenious, is on the following lines:— In the spring of the year, when the sap movements are most vigorous, a hole is bored right through the trunk just above the ground tr-vel. One end of this hole is nlugged with a piece of wood. Then strong solution i.i aniline dye and water is prepared, and this is poured into (he opening. The tree absorbs the dye at a wonderful rate. The actual amount varies according to the kind of tree. In some cases only about a gallon a week is taken up, in others, almost as much as this in a day will be consumed. Quite soon the newest layers of wood, those closest to the bark, begin to take on the colour of the dye mixture. Naturally a longer time is needful for the tinting of the trunk right to the heart. This mav be a matter of a few weeks, but, eventually, the colour travels to every part of the wood through the cellular tissue. Curiously enough, the tree itself does not seem to be in any way affected adversely by the dye mixture. The foliage is green as usual and the outside of the bark gives no hint of the colour beneath. When the time conies to cut down the tree the wood is found .to be evenly coloured in just the desired manner. Thus you can have pink, blue, brown or yellow wood, just as you please. The colouring matter goes all through, and no amount of cutting or scratching will make the slightest difference to the tinting, which is absolutely permanent.