Page:Reminiscences of Earliest Canterbury 1915.pdf/103

 perhaps, than any other variety, and is the favourite timber for house-building, but it must be kept from the damp, it is of no use for ground purposes. It makes very fine furniture.

Manuka is one of our hardest and strongest timbers, being capable of bearing a very heavy strain. Although useless in the ground, it stands well in either fresh or salt water. It grows on poor clay soil, and is about the best firewood we have. There are several varieties, including the ubiquitous “ti-tree,” which is a flowering shrub, aromatic, and having a pleasant perfume.

Titoki is a handsome tree with fine green foliage, and bearing a curious berry like a raspberry, from which protrudes a glossy black kernel. The berry has a very astringent flavour. The timber is chiefly used for firewood. The wood is white, but in the larger trees (two to three feet in diameter) the centre is of a reddish colour, hard, and tough, making excellent mauls, and being well adapted for the turning lathe.

Matipo is an ornamental tree, not attaining any large growth. The timber is only useful for firewood. There are several varie-