THE NEW ZEALAND BUSH.

Shannon News, 7 September 1926, Page 3

THE NEW ZEALAND BUSH.

(Continued from Last Issue.)

' Another venture into the realm of 'strong drink may 'here be recorded, | namely the manufacture of tutu. wine. I Though the green shoots and seeds are i intensely poisonous, the Maoris pre- ! pared from the juice of the berries a beverage, of which, according to Coli enso, they drank large quantities, in the early days of the Colony the setj tiers also used to make a wine from the fruit after removing the seeds. However, this wine was not above suspicion. j Canon Stack relates how he drank the wine on one occasion when travelling in company with Bishop Harper. Fortunately neither of them, did more than taste it. Shortly after swallowing it the Canon v lost all feeling in his extremities and . could scarcely retain his scat but felt that he must fall forward on his face. A mist came over the room and he perceived that he was being poisoned and must :isk for an emetic. Soon, however, his feet began to tingle and the strange sensation passed. Tho good Bishop was similarly affected, so, judging from this case the beverage can scarcely be recommended for general use. It'is just as well this incident did not happen to members of the local L.8.A., instead of to two churchmen of standing. It .would most certainly have been rumoured that they were stunned if it had been Mangahao citizens carrying on like this. Alcohol, for power purposes, of course, may be distilled from wood waste. A ton of dry coniferous wood will produce 20 to" 25 gallons of 95 per cent, alcohol. If New Zealand ever goes "pussvfoot,!'-watch the forests disappear. ".While on this subject I'll just remark that in Catlin's Bush, which is in the Clutha electorate, and therefore dry, it is hardly possible to find a watai tree without an auger hole in it, where the bushmen have been prospecting for beer. One timber has been omitted from Kirk's first list, namely the Miro. This was always preferred as a beam for a Chinaman in working out a cutting on railway works, as it would give good warning before breaking. 'For this reason it was regarded as being about the best timber for a temporary beam. Its breaking weight is given by Baifour a*< 197.21b5. Blair gives it as 220 lbs. When cut on the quarter, much of the timber is beautifully figured. Figured specimens are useful for the cabinet maker, and could be used for ornamental turned work. When dry, Miro boarding is apt to split when nail- ! cd without boring. It is suitable for . house framing, except near the ground, also for flooring, and weather-boards. It is probably superior to Rimu as a , weatherboard timber. For marine piles it is highly valuable as it is. not readily attacked by the teredo. I : have seen Miro piles at the Old Mill at Catlins river, that I was informed were m 40 years. All below water level, appeared sound. Puriri. —The strongest and most durable timber in the bush. As a rule, the timber is hard to work owing to the interlaced and. crossed arrangement ol fibres. It has been used as house blocks, piles, railway sleepers, fence posts, culverts, bridges and constructive works generally. As a fence post' it is too hard for ordinary slice pointed staples to be. used. Special diamond pointed Puriri staples are required. Posts o-i the railway at Gisborne, were turned end for end and used after being m u«c over 30 years. It is the best timber for posts, but old trees are extremely difficult to split. Nothing can be done as a rule without powder, the Puriri beino- too tough a proposition for maul alnd°wedges alone. It should be a valuable tree for ornamental planting. It may be propagated by seeds or cuttings, and is of the easiest cultivation. It does not oceur further south than Povertv Bay on the East coast and Stony 'River in Taranaki. A feature of the timber is the way it is bored by the larvae of the Puriri moth. _ This makes it difficult to get clean timber. Great trouble was experienced m getr tin or suitable boards for the Speaker s chair in the House at Wellington, where Puriri was specified to be used. Maire rau nui.—Timber, heavy, dense, compact, straight and even in the grain easily worked and takes a good finish. Breaking weight, 327 to 15351b5. Suit able for bridges, wharves, etc. Extensively used for framing of railway carriages and wagons. Used in rough for fence posts, sleepers, etc., and when converted, has been used for gates, etc. Old specimens beautifully streaked an i figured, are well adapted for cabiuet makers work, either as solid or m veneers. Specially valuable for turned work, serviette rings, bowls, egg cups, etc. It has been employed for miU- . wrights work and ship bbiks, and has served well as a substitute for metal j bearings for. heavy ?ha'U, and for, wooden parts of agricultural machinery It has been used for printers' blocks tor printing newspaper headings. It is a North island tree, being seldom found south of Cook Strait. Titoki. —Not very durable under exposure to weather. Very strong, tough, j and elastic. Valued for bullock yokes . in- olden days. Excellent for axe handles, tool handles, and swingle trees. Highly esteemed by wheelwrights and ' coackbuilders, being used for spokes, felloes, hubs, panels and bent ware. Suitable for woodwork of farm implements. Tho bright scarlet colour of the berry and the glossy black of the seed make a striking contrast. 1 lieberries are eaten by children, but have ( rather an astringent taste for the aduit p&lnto. ' Tawhiwhi (Pittospormn Tenuifolium). j —Sometimes called black maple in the I Catlins district. Breaking weight, j 243ibs, twice as strong as English oa<t. Used for fence rails. Occasionally used where great strength and elasticity required in small scantlings for inside, j work. . | Manuka-Rauriki (Leptospcrmum En-, ciodios).—The manuka, or tea tree of

bushmen. Young trees called "white tea tree.'' Grows to maximum height ; of 60ft., and up to 3ft. diameter. Break- ! ing weight, 200 to 3001bs. Dense, heavy, straight grained timber, great strength and durability, tough .Jtfid elastic. It has been used for house blocks, marine piles, fence rails, cogs of wheels, spokes and other wheelwrights uses. Excellent for marine piles as it is teredo resisting. Highly valued for firewood. Tarata. —AJfIU called white mapou, ; turpentine, or maple by settlers. Timber white, tough, elastic, considerable ' strength, but. soon perishes when exposed. Frequently used for wood turn- | ing and might be used for handles '.of carpenters tools. Difficult of combustion, therefore useless as firewood. The . ; resinous gum was formerly used by the < I Maoris to perfume oil. The leaves and | [ flowers yere bruised and mixed with fat | 'to anoint their bodies. Sometimes planted as a hedge as it stands clipping ' freely. Kowhai. —Timber compact; dense, j heavy, and of great strength and elasticity. Breaking weight to 2751ba. Extremely durable. Trees seldom ex- J ceed 2ft. diameter. Used for' wharf ; piles and bracing, machine shaft bearings, swingle trees, also cabinet work and ornamental turnery. A special use >. is for the teeth and bows of hay rake 3. ; The tree is a decided acquisition to the shrubbery pr pleasure ground. Its bright yellow flowers are produced on naked branches, when other ordinary garden flowers are difficult: to obtain. The silvery drooping foliage forms an agreeable relief to the sombre tints of most native trees. | Tawa. —Wood is win to, very straight 'in grain and easily split. When thoroughly seasoned, it's hard and some- j what brittle. Has been used for dairy j ware, pails, tubs, casks and butter kegs, j Formerly used' by Maoris for thoir bird j spears, which, Mr. Coiense states, were 30 to 36ft. long. Only two spears could | be obtained from a single tree and as these had to be chopped out with stone implements it is no wonder that two years .were required to complete a single spear. The pulp of the fruit was used by the Maoris for food, Silver Beech. (Fagus Menziesii).— Known to Maoris as tawhai. Wood, i deep red colour, remarkably straight in !. grain, even compact, hard and dense, j Tough and elastic, but not durable pn exposure. Often used for shingles, which last 5 to 7 years. Excellent foi' manufacture of furniture, such as bedsteads, sideboards, etc. When French _ polished bears considerable resenibleneo • to Mahogany. Silver beech timber sent : from Catlins to Melbourne, I was in- ] formed, was converted into imitation ',\ walnut, mahogany, etc., by Chinese cabinet makers. It is the strongest of i the beeches, having a breaking weight ! of 1751b5. • I £ntire leaved beech (Fagus Solandri) j —Known in Wellington district as : black birch; in Canterbury black, white, I red and brown birch; in Otago white, j black and black-heart birch. Wood. ', pale red colour or greyish, often streak-.; ed with black, sometimes handsomely I, figured. Hcartwood Black. —Timber is heavy, j tough and strong. If felled when fully j matured, strong and durable, but if j felled too early or too late, it speedily perishes. Sleepers on the LytteltonChristehurch line were rotten in fourteen months after being laid in the track. Tooth leaved beech (Fagus Fusca). —Black birch in Auckland, Bull birch in Southern Lakes district, red bireh in Wellington, Nelson and part of Otago. The wood is red, straight and tough, and of great durability. Used for railway sleepers, piles for wharves and bridges, fence posts and rails, mining , props, caps, etc. Post and rail fences have lasted over twenty five years. Deck planking on Picton wharf was sound after twenty one years. Pohutukawa.—The "Christmas tree-*' of the settlers. Notable for its' beautiful blood red flowers. Grows mostly along the sea margin. Wood is deep red colour, dense, heavy and compact, of great strength and durability. Timber used in ship building also for trenails, machine beds and bearings. Makes excellent fire wood but hard to split. A decoction of the bark was valued by bushmen as a remedy for dysentery, Sometimes planted for ornamental purposes. Under cultivation it commences to flower when 5 or 6 feet high. A tree was some time ago, a notable landmark in Lamb ton Quay, Wellington, where it grew in front of one of the banks. This tree was later moved to the Botanical Gardens.

Northern Rata.—This tree grows to a huge size, a specimen being recorded of 68ft. girth, so that it is one of the largest trees in the New Zealand Flora. There is a legend that the rata climbs the loftiest trees and sooner or later squeezes them to death in its iron clasp. Wakefield says: "There are several varieties of this tree; one grows at first as a parasite, creeping in numerous stem like ropes up the trunks of the other forest trees, gradually enclosing them till they perish, and then uniting to form a noble tree taller than that which it has destroyed, with an enormous trunk but hollow within. Kirk remarks that this is a very circumstantial statement but shows that the mode of growth is the reverse of climbing. The seed germinates in the fork of a standing tree and after a few years the plant finds difficulty in obtaining nutriment in its lofty perch. It tflen sends down an aerial root in search of further food supply. These roots gradually take on the appearance of stenr*. If one of these Toot stems is forced away from the supporting trunk, a lateral root is sent out which encircles the supporting tree. In time each aerial root gives forth lateral roots which strangle the supporting tree which is sooner or later killed by their iron embrace. The rata is also remarkable for the splendour of its flowers, si tree in full bloom being one of the most magnificent sights in the forest. The wood is red in colour, usually straight, in the grain, hard, dense, heavy, of great strength and durability. Used for ships timbers, telegraph arms, and bridge buildings. Of great value for wheelwrights work, spokes, felloes and

hubs. Eata is highly valued for firewood. The leaves are charged with an essential oil which probably possesses medicinal value. Of great value in shrubbery, commencing to flower when 6 to 10ft. high. In the North Island is also found the climbing rata or rata vine. Its commercial value is small but it is easily cultivated, and stands cutting freely. Laing and Blackwell mention that bushmen quench their thirst with the juice of the rata vine, and give an instance where a piece of .vinefour feet long and three inches in diameter, was tapped after being kept in a workshop three weeks. They say it yielded a gallon and a half of liquid. Now this is a remarkable phenomenon as I find on calculation that if the stick were all water it would give only 14 gallons. Possibly the wood in the stick turned to water and-in the process expanded a bit. Southern Rata.—Called ironwood by bushmen in the South.' It grows to 6ft. in diameter. The wood is heavy, compact, tough, and very strong, is straight in the grain, breaking point, up to 255 lbs. Makes splendid firewood. The • timber has been used -= for ship building. Also used for trenails, teeth of geared wheels, and bearings for shafts. -Rata . was in good condition after being used for bearings of a water wheel for 18 years. Very useful for framing of railway ■ wagons and carriages and has /be'en used on agricultural implements. A bushman in the South Island always looks for a bit of rata for a maul head and in'my young days, the possessor of a rata spinning top, was reckoned king of the ring. The leaves wnyld probably yield a valuable essential oil, similar to Eucalyptus oil, but of a more agreeable odour. It is a useful tree for ornamental planting, the bright scarlet flowers being one of the wonders of the ' bush. At Otira there is one tree whose flowers are creamy white, this being the only specimen known with this acteristic. Those of you who have seen the Otira Gorge with the bush abaze with rata bloom are not likely to forget such a magnificent sight. Flowers, that with, one scarlet gleam. Cover a hundred leagues and seem To set the hills on fire. There are many other trees in the bush that I have not attempted to deal with, such as the Matai, Kauri, Rimu, Westland pine, Kahikatea or , white pine, TotaTa, Hinau and Kawaka, but as this paper is becoming long winded, I will assume you know all about them, and will now ring off. \