The woods above enumerated are those most extensively or largely used by the carpenter; but there are several others employed for small articles, and for particular purposes, which deserve mentioning.
Box is the wood of the Buxus sempervirens, a hardy evergreen plant, indigenous in all the southern parts of Europe and Western Asia, and long domesticated in our shrubberies. Box is especially the wood for turning, it being closer-grained, denser, and tougher than perhaps all others, except iron-wood, Lignum Vitæ, and one or two rarer woods. Box is used for rules, scales, and for small cabinet works; but that which gives it particular importance is its universal use for wood-engraving.
Lance is the name given to the wood of the Guatteria virgata, a tree indigenous to Jamaica, and one of the most important that are so, from the valuable qualities of its timber, lance-wood far exceeding our ash in lightness, strength, and elasticity; hence it is admirably calculated for shafts to carriages, handles to spears, and for all purposes where straight, light, flexible, and tough wood is required. It is neither so close-grained nor so hard as box, but it turns well, and does not split; in colour, it is lighter than box.
Ebony is the name given to the wood of several different trees, which agree in being dark-coloured, dense, and durable; it is used for inlaying and for making rules or scales, as not being liable to warp. It is an excellent wood for turning; but, except for these purposes, it is less in request now than formerly, when it was much used in cabinet-making.
Lignum Vitæ is the wood of the Guaiacum officinale, a large tree indigenous in the West Indies. This wood is the hardest and heaviest known, and can only be worked in the lathe. It is much used for making the sheaves, or pulleys of blocks used in shipping, and for friction-rollers, &c.
There are various foreign woods which, from their beautiful grain and varied tints, are used in cabinet-making. But as these woods are too valuable to be used solid, they are sawed into thin leaves, called veneers, which are glued down on a backing of ordinary mahogany. The principal of these fancy woods are—
Rose-wood, which is produced by a tree a native of Brazil. This wood is much used for furniture, both as a veneer, and solid for legs of tables, chairs, &c.
King-wood is also the produce of Brazil; it is a dark chocolate wood, veined with fine black veins.
Beef-wood comes from New Holland; is of a pale-red even tint, and intensely hard and heavy. It is used for inlaying and bordering.
Tulip-wood is a wood of a clouded red and yellow colour, and very hard, and used for bordering to larger woods. The tree is unknown to our botanists.