Wood : A Manual of the Natural History and Industrial Applications of the Timbers of Commerce

The work of eminent natural historian George Simonds Boulger (1853–1922), this illustrated 1902 publication explores the features and common uses of trees. The work's first part covers the general characteristics and classifications of wood. The second part is devoted to the various commercial uses of different kinds of timber.

An eminent botanist and natural historian, George Simonds Boulger (1853–1922) wrote a number of books on plant life in the British Isles. First published in 1902, this manual explores the characteristics and uses of one of the most abundant and versatile natural materials. In the first part, Boulger outlines the general biological function and uses of wood. He also describes the classification of wood, and the durability of different timbers. The second part catalogues the types of wood that are used commercially. Boulger explains the distinguishing characteristics and uses of hundreds of different kinds of timber, which are listed alphabetically. Featuring 82 illustrations, the book also includes appendices explaining some of the terminology and science of wood, and a select bibliography. Boulger's work on economic botany, The Uses of Plants (1889), is also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection.