C—4.

Varieties of Timber-trees, and Uses. 2. Totara. —Scattered over the whole of Hawke's Bay, but no great quantity now remaining, as most of the timber has been milled. The Kereru Bush, in the southern portion of the district, still contains some valuable totara. Of extreme durability ; used for all purposes when a lasting timber is required. When seasoned is light and easily worked. It is utilised for house and bridge building, fencing-posts, sash and door and cabinet work, and the mottled totara for furniture-veneering. As a rule totara in any quantity was to be found growing on light stony ground. There is a great t demand for the timber for local use and for export. t--4. Matai (Black-pine).—Formerly fairly plentiful in Hawke's Bay District, but now rapidly becoming scarce. Some very fine specimens in Motu and Puketitiri Forests. Very hard and durable, but brittle, and consequently not so capable of bearing strain as totara. Used for house-building (especially flooring), bridge-work (excepting long stringers), fencing, and firewood. At certain seasons of the year the tree can be tapped and a fluid extracted —very palatable, known by bushmen asjnatai beer. 5. Kawaka. —Northern portion of district. Have met with it principally in North Forest. Used to some extent in house-building cabinet-work, and is valuable in the manufacturing of lead pencils, small quantities having been exported for this purpose. An easily splitting in appearance very similar to the wood used in the superior imported lead pencils. 10. Yellow-pine. —To be found in parts of district in very small quantity. Ranks with totara as a durable timber. Used in house and bridge building. The timber is of a yellow colour, though the outward appearance of the tree is similar to that of the white-pine. 11. Puriri. —ln northern portion of district, mostly along the sea-coast, in small quantity. A very hard and durable timber, and very useful for hardwood blocks in bridge-building, also fencingposts, house-blocks, and general cabinet-work. The foliage is very beautiful, the leaves being a darkgreen colour, and forming a great contrast to the usual shade of green met with in New Zealand forests. The heart of the timber is very dark, and in some cases black. 16. Maire raunui. —Fairly plentiful in this district: some very fine specimens to be found in Motu Bush. Remarkably hard, and difficult to cut, though easy to split. Suitable for constructive works generally, and the best firewood in the Dominion. Makes excellent hardwood blocks for/bridge-work. Known to bushmen as " black heart" maire. 19. Northern Rata. —Fairly plentiful in this district. Tough and elastic. Not very durable when exposed to weather. Used for wheelwright's work, ship-timbers, and ribs in boat-building. Very fine firewood. The home of the Sphceris robertsia, commonly known as the " vegetable caterpillar." 20. Southern Rata. —Similar to the northern rata, but of smaller dimensions, and the trunk knotted and twisted. Makes capital maul-heads, and is used for firewood. Covered in scarlet blooms once in every three years, and when in season is very conspicuous, the blooms presenting a grand contrast to the background of green foliage of the other trees generally found in hilly country. 21. Pohutukawa. —New Zealand Christmas tree. Mostly to be found near the sea-coast, also in a few instances inland. Withstands the action of sea-water better than most timbers, so is useful in ship or boat building. Flower similar in some respects to that of the rata, but of a darker and duller colour. 22. Manuka rauriki (White Manuka). —In most parts of the district. Have met with specimens 2 ft. 6 in. in diameter. Very tough and elastic. Used in manufacture of handles for agricultural implements, shafts for drays ; also excellent firewood. 24. Kowhai (Yellow Kowhai). —Fairly common in Hawke's Bay. Generally grows on the outskirts of a forest, along the banks of streams, and rarely attains a diameter of more than 12 in. Of extreme durability, but not much used in this district for commercial purposes on account of its small size. Makes excellent firewood, and is highly ornamental. Used for cabinet-work, and in the manufacture of agricultural implements, fencing-posts, &c. 25. Rimu (Red-pine). —The most widely distributed commercial timber in the Dominion. Hawke's Bay formerly contained magnificent forests of this timber, which is fast being consumed by the sawmiller. Not considered durable in exposed situations. Used in housebuilding, sash and door and cabinet work. 26. Kahikatea (White-pine).—Grows all over Hawke's Bay. No large forests of it, but mostly to be found in small clumps intermixed with other trees. It is used for building purposes, and has been known to last for twenty years ; but is very liable to what is known as dry-rot and the ravages of the borer. Used in this district in limited quantities for building, and largely for fence-battens, and in the manufacture of butter-boxes. The timber has been used for railway-sleepers after being creosoted at the Woodville works ; but the treatment is somewhat too expensive to allow of its coming into common use at present. 27. Miro. —Generally to be found on high country from 2,000 ft. above sea-level, and upwards. Not durable if exposed to weather. Used for inside house-building. At present not very highly thought of as a commercial timber. The berry is the favourite food of the native pigeon and kaka. 28. Tanekaha. —Mostly to be found in northern portion of district. A very tough and elastic timber, but not very durable. The bark is exported for tanning purposes. The young saplings are used by the Natives for spring traps for birds, and in the walking-sticks, which are stained by bruising the bark, and immersing in water forseveral days.'J 33. Pukatea. —Fairly common in swampy parts of'district. Of little commercial value. Very hardy and fire-resisting, and will live and thrive even~|when a goodjportion of the trunk has been burnt through. Very often the tree is hollow, and affords a home for the bush-bees,

26