DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1401#0332
278
THE ILLUSTRATED EXHIBITOR.
their English cousins, is their timber, that is to say as applicable to cabinet work, and distinguished from " 1
the trade in which has been much damaged by recent fiscal regulations. The Canadian forests'are capable of 1i -r'"
an almost limitless quantity of the black walnut, a beautifully grained and coloured hard wood and the Sp^ -^
collection is almost filled with specimens of various articles of furniture, manufactured not so much with
calling attention to the skill of the artists, as of showing the capabilities of the wood for the purposes"of "thp3^ VK'W °^
maker. There is a suite of furniture in this material from Montreal, which is well calculated to display the j?^""
of the American wood. In colour it is darker than the English or French walnut, but it takes a hiofi polish ^a n
manner in which it has submitted to ' ' the
the carver shows it to be possessed
of an exquisitely fine grain. For
carved and ornamented furniture this
wood is admirably adapted, and its
great abundance would permit it to
be supplied at an infinitely lower
rate than the English or French
wood of the same description. Not
content with showing the capabili-
ties of their favourite article by
means of furniture specimens in
CHAIR BELONGING TO THE SAME SUITE.
CANADIAN TETE-A-TETE CHAIR.—MESSRS. J. AND W. HILTON, MONTREAL.
their compartment, they have erected an immense trophy in the centre of the
nave, composed of planks and logs of various sorts of timber, the principal
being the black walnut, in all stages of preparation, so that our cabinet-makers
can have no difficulty in forming an opinion as to its eligibility for the pur-
poses of their trade.
Next in importance to the timber are the specimens of cereal products
and of agricultural implements. Several samples of wheat are exhibited,
both white and red, and some casks of peas, all of which have been much
visited by English farmers, and pronounced by those competent judges to he
excellent in quality. The collection of agricultural implements are well
worthy of a visit, from their great comparative elegance and lightness, com-
bined with a high degree of strength and durability. There are also " stump
ploughs " for the use of the bush, cradle scythes for various kinds of grain,
and the well-known Canadian axe with which forests are cleared and new
worlds are opened to industry and civilisation. A peculiarity in the latter instrument struck us forcibly as showing
how admirably experience enables men to improve upon whatever circumstances and location may have made them
speciality. The edge of the Canadian axe has no shoulder, technically speaking, but goes off at once in the form of a
wedge, in the thick end of which the handle is inserted. On asking for an explanation of this peculiarity, we were
informed that an axe of this form when struck into a tree flies out itself, whereas, if made in the fashion of the English
axe, it would stick in the incision, and require nearly as much force to pull it out as to strike it in. The truth of the
principle is self-evident, for the elasticity of the suddenly divided wood is quite sufficient to force out the smooth
sides of the metallic wedge. A sight
of these admirably adapted implements
is quite sufficient to convince the spec-
tator that to face the American forest is
not, to men of ordinary strength and
activity, such a very dreadful task as
has been hitherto imagined. The col-
lection also gives a valuable hint to the
intending emigrant.
The natural products of Canada may
be disposed of by an allusion to the
minerals, of which there is a large col-
lection of specimens. Foremost stand
the lumps of gold which it appears
have been obtained from various places
in Upper and Lower Canada. Of the
quality there can be no doubt, and all
that needs to be ascertained is the pre-
sence of auriferous deposit in sufficient
quantity, and with sufficient facility of
approach, to make the region extending widely round Quebec a second California. Of the presence in vast quantity
ot tnat more valuable mineral, in an industrial point of view, iron, the specimens exhibited afford satisfactory proof;
m addition to which there are specimens of coal, lead, and copper, all tending to the conclusion that Canada, in addition
DOUBLE SNOW SLEIGH.—M. o'MEARA, MONTREAL.
THE ILLUSTRATED EXHIBITOR.
their English cousins, is their timber, that is to say as applicable to cabinet work, and distinguished from " 1
the trade in which has been much damaged by recent fiscal regulations. The Canadian forests'are capable of 1i -r'"
an almost limitless quantity of the black walnut, a beautifully grained and coloured hard wood and the Sp^ -^
collection is almost filled with specimens of various articles of furniture, manufactured not so much with
calling attention to the skill of the artists, as of showing the capabilities of the wood for the purposes"of "thp3^ VK'W °^
maker. There is a suite of furniture in this material from Montreal, which is well calculated to display the j?^""
of the American wood. In colour it is darker than the English or French walnut, but it takes a hiofi polish ^a n
manner in which it has submitted to ' ' the
the carver shows it to be possessed
of an exquisitely fine grain. For
carved and ornamented furniture this
wood is admirably adapted, and its
great abundance would permit it to
be supplied at an infinitely lower
rate than the English or French
wood of the same description. Not
content with showing the capabili-
ties of their favourite article by
means of furniture specimens in
CHAIR BELONGING TO THE SAME SUITE.
CANADIAN TETE-A-TETE CHAIR.—MESSRS. J. AND W. HILTON, MONTREAL.
their compartment, they have erected an immense trophy in the centre of the
nave, composed of planks and logs of various sorts of timber, the principal
being the black walnut, in all stages of preparation, so that our cabinet-makers
can have no difficulty in forming an opinion as to its eligibility for the pur-
poses of their trade.
Next in importance to the timber are the specimens of cereal products
and of agricultural implements. Several samples of wheat are exhibited,
both white and red, and some casks of peas, all of which have been much
visited by English farmers, and pronounced by those competent judges to he
excellent in quality. The collection of agricultural implements are well
worthy of a visit, from their great comparative elegance and lightness, com-
bined with a high degree of strength and durability. There are also " stump
ploughs " for the use of the bush, cradle scythes for various kinds of grain,
and the well-known Canadian axe with which forests are cleared and new
worlds are opened to industry and civilisation. A peculiarity in the latter instrument struck us forcibly as showing
how admirably experience enables men to improve upon whatever circumstances and location may have made them
speciality. The edge of the Canadian axe has no shoulder, technically speaking, but goes off at once in the form of a
wedge, in the thick end of which the handle is inserted. On asking for an explanation of this peculiarity, we were
informed that an axe of this form when struck into a tree flies out itself, whereas, if made in the fashion of the English
axe, it would stick in the incision, and require nearly as much force to pull it out as to strike it in. The truth of the
principle is self-evident, for the elasticity of the suddenly divided wood is quite sufficient to force out the smooth
sides of the metallic wedge. A sight
of these admirably adapted implements
is quite sufficient to convince the spec-
tator that to face the American forest is
not, to men of ordinary strength and
activity, such a very dreadful task as
has been hitherto imagined. The col-
lection also gives a valuable hint to the
intending emigrant.
The natural products of Canada may
be disposed of by an allusion to the
minerals, of which there is a large col-
lection of specimens. Foremost stand
the lumps of gold which it appears
have been obtained from various places
in Upper and Lower Canada. Of the
quality there can be no doubt, and all
that needs to be ascertained is the pre-
sence of auriferous deposit in sufficient
quantity, and with sufficient facility of
approach, to make the region extending widely round Quebec a second California. Of the presence in vast quantity
ot tnat more valuable mineral, in an industrial point of view, iron, the specimens exhibited afford satisfactory proof;
m addition to which there are specimens of coal, lead, and copper, all tending to the conclusion that Canada, in addition
DOUBLE SNOW SLEIGH.—M. o'MEARA, MONTREAL.