NATIVE TIMBERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 January 1933, Page 8

NATIVE TIMBERS.

INTERESTING EXHIBIT. New Zealand has been richly endowed by Nature with- timber trees suitable for a variety of purposes. At present, however, only about six kinds are used for. commercial purposes, rimu easily being the commonest. Of all the New Zealand timbers put to commercial uses, rimu aggregates about 57 per cent.; kauri, matai, totara, and beech are also used, but only in quantities ranging from about 7 to 3 per cent, of the total timber used. The time will compel attention to be paid to timbers at present little used.

To demonstrate that there are plenty of good timber trees in New Zealand awaiting exploitation is the object of a novel exhibit prepared by a Wellington timber enthusiast who has made a lifelong study of native trees. Neatly arranged and labelled in a wooden case are 97 slabs, each measuring approximately four inches by two and a-half. Roughly speaking, - the specimens of wood, may be classified in accordance with their beauty, durability or historic interest.

Beauty in knots or grain is exemplified in specimens of silver pine, totara, figured rimu, mottled kauri, kohekohe (New Zealand mahogany), kaikawaka (New Zealand cedar), and rewarewa (honeysuckle).. Particularly beautiful is the wavy grain in the specimen of mountain and . for inlay work one could hardly look for anything more attractive than horopito, the pepper tree.

Specimens of . historic interest, which are also examples of durability, are numerous. One is a piece of totara from the first wharf built in Wellington —Rhode’s Wharf, in the vicinity of Lower Cuba Street, built in 1841. There is also another bit of totara from Wellington’s second wharf, Waitt’s Wharf in Farish Street, also built in 1841. Timber used in the construction of New Zealand’s first railway in 1863 from Ferrymead to Christchurch is also shown. This, too, is the durable totara. A piece of the totara doorstep of Sir George Grey’s . residence in Wellington, built after his arrival in 1846, figures among the specimens, with pieces of the rimu windowsill and the matai flooring of the same residence. A.' piece of pukatea used as weather-boarding for 33 years is another interesting example showing the durability of New Zealand timbers. One of the most interesting of the specimens is a piece of akeake from an ancient Maori club which was given to the exhibitor by Maggie Papakura,