Yellow Birch (local and common name).
Gray Birch (Vt., R. I., Pa., Mich., Minn.).
Swamp Birch (Minn.).
Silver Birch (N. H.).
Merisier, Merisier Rouge (Quebec).
Locality.
Newfoundland to North Carolina, westward intermittently to Minnesota
and Texas. Best developed north of the Great Lakes.
Features of Tree.
Sixty to eighty feet or more in height, two to four feet in
diameter. A medium-sized tree. Bark on trunk silvery gray to silvery
yellow, branches green to lustrous or dull brown. Bark exfoliates,
causing a rough, ragged appearance.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light reddish brown, sapwood nearly white, close-grained,
compact structure, satiny.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, very strong, and hard, tough, susceptible of high polish.
Qualities suggest those of maple. Not durable when exposed.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Furniture, buttons, tassel-moulds, pill-boxes, spools, and
wheel-hubs.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
40.
Modulus of Elasticity.
2,290,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
17,700.
Remarks.
Occasional trees have thin outer bark ruptured, and exhibit inner
bark of almost metallic yellow. Lutea, signifying yellow, alludes to
color of bark. Inner bark has pungent, pleasant flavor. [p074]
SWEET BIRCH, CHERRY BIRCH.
_Betula lenta Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Sweet Birch, Cherry Birch (many localities).
Black Birch (N. H., Vt., Mass., R. I., Conn., N. Y., N. J., Pa., W.
Va., Ga., Ill., Ind., Mich., Ohio).
Mahogany Birch (N. C., S. C.).
River Birch (Minn.).
Mountain Mahogany (S. C.).
Locality.
Newfoundland intermittently to Illinois, southward intermittently
along Alleghanies to Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida.
Features of Tree.
Fifty to eighty feet in height, three to four feet in diameter, dark
reddish-brown bark, resembling that of cherry; does not separate
into layers as paper-birch. Leaves, bark, and twigs sweet, spicy,
and aromatic.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood dark brown tinged with red, sapwood light brown or yellow,
close-grained, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, very strong, hard, receives stains and high satin-like polish.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Woodenware, furniture, ship-building (Canada), fuel.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
47.
Modulus of Elasticity.
2,010,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
17,000.
Remarks.
A common tree in Northern States. Wood often stained so as to
resemble cherry and mahogany. Essences suggest wintergreen, contain
much salicylic acid, and are used in medicine. The name "cherry"
is because bark resembles that of cherry. "Sweet" is because of
essences. [p075]
[Illustration: PLATE 15. LOCUST (_Robinia, Gleditsia_).
Black Locust Tree and Bark (_Robinia pseudacacia_).
Honey Locust (_Gleditsia triacanthos_).
Locust Wood.]
LOCUST, MESQUITE.
(_Robinia, Gleditsia, Prosopis_.)
The name Locust applies to species of three distinct genera, all of
which belong to the family Leguminosæ. The black locust (_Robinia
pseudacacia_), the honey locust (_Gleditsia triacanthos_), and
the Mesquite or honey locust (_Prosopis juliflora_) are principal
representatives of their respective kinds. The first-named genus is
North American, the other two have species on both continents.
[Illustration: BLACK LOCUST (_Robinia pseudacacia_).]
Black locust wood is tough, durable, unequalled for torsional
strength and resilience, and is in every way in the first rank of
American woods. It is fitted not only for exposed constructions,
but for finer articles; hubs, pins, bolts, and trenails having no
superiors. Trees develop rapidly when young, heart wood forming as
early as the third year. Later growth and ultimate commercial value
in the United States are much affected by insect borers, which
practically limit the usefulness of the species. The black locust may
be known by its clusters of large pea-blossom-shaped flowers, its
bean-shaped pods, three to six inches in length, and by the prickles
on the bark. The genus has six species, four of which are natives
of the United States.[45] _Robinia_ is from Robin, the name of an
early French botanist. [p076] The black locust has been extensively
introduced into Europe, both for ornamentation and for wood.[46]
The wood of the honey locust resembles that of the black locust,
but is seldom used or appreciated save for fencing and similarly
unimportant purposes. Trees grow rapidly and are not subject to
the attacks of insects, so that they frequently attain to normal
proportions. The flowers are much smaller than those of the
black locust, but the pods are several times as long (twelve to
eighteen inches). These often curl in drying and are thus rolled
to some distance by the wind. Thorns or spines are present on some
individuals and are often from three to six inches in length. The
foliage resembles but is more delicate than that of the black locust.
There is at least one other American species. _Gleditsia_ is from
Gleditsch, the name of a botanist.
Mesquite, also called honey locust, affords wood that is hard, heavy,
and almost indestructible in exposed positions. The tree grows in
the desert where vegetation would often seem to be impossible. The
roots are developed to great size by their search for water, and are
gathered and burned in the absence of other fuel. The trunks are
small, but afford posts and ties. There are pods filled with rich
edible pulp. Sixteen or more species belong to this genus, prosopis,
of which one other, the screw-pod mesquite (_Prosopis odorata_), is
found in the United States. [p077]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 45: Three of the four United States species are trees; the
other species of this genus grow in Mexico. No one is approximately
as important or well known as the Black Locust.]
[Footnote 46: Black Locust was introduced into Europe early in the
seventeenth century, being first cultivated by the son of Jean
Robin, for whom the genus is named. Few American species have
received such attention abroad.]
LOCUST, BLACK LOCUST, YELLOW LOCUST.
_Robinia pseudacacia Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Locust, Black Locust, Yellow Locust (local and common names).
False Acacia (S. C., Ala., Tex., Minn.).
Pea-flower Locust, Post Locust (Md.).
Red Locust, Green Locust (Tenn.).
Honey Locust (Minn.).
White Locust (R. I., N. Y., Tenn.).
Acacia (La.).
Locality.
Southern Alleghany region, widely cultivated in United States east
of Rocky Mountains.
Features of Tree.
Fifty to seventy feet in height, two to three feet or over in
diameter. Leaves curl or close at night. Long spikes or briers on
young branches.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood brownish, thin sapwood, light-greenish yellow.
Close-grained and compact. Annual layers clearly marked.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, very hard, strong, and durable under extreme conditions of
wet and dry.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Long wooden bolts or pins called treenails. Posts, ties,
construction, turnery, ship-ribs, ornamentations, fuel.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
45.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,830,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
18,100.
Remarks.
Often a low shrub. Extensively planted, particularly in West, but
subject to attack by borers. One of the most valuable of American
timber trees. Heartwood is formed very early in this species.
Pseudacacia means false acacia or imitation of acacia. [p078]
HONEY LOCUST.
_Gleditsia triacanthos Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Honey Locust (local and common name).
Thorn or Thorny Locust Tree or Acacia (N. Y., N. J., Ind., Tenn.,
La.).
Three-thorned Acacia (Mass., R. I., La., Tex., Neb., Mich.).
Black Locust (Miss., Tex., Ark., Kans., Neb.).
Honey or Honeyshucks (R. I., N. J., Va., Fla., Iowa).
Honeyshucks Locust (Ky.).
Sweet Locust (S. C., La., Kans., Nebr.).
Piquant Amourette (La.).
Confederate Pintree (Fla.).
Locust (Nebr.).
Locality.
Pennsylvania to Florida, westward intermittently to Nebraska and
Texas. Best in lower Ohio River basin.
Features of Tree.
Seventy to ninety feet or more in height, two to four feet in
diameter. Frequent long thorns.[47] Light thin foliage. Brown pods
contain sweet pulp.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood bright brown or red, sapwood yellowish, annual layers
strongly marked, coarse-grained, medullary rays conspicuous.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, hard, strong, very durable in contact with soil.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Fence-posts, rails, wagon-hubs, rough construction, etc.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
42.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,540,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
13,100.
Remarks.
Widely cultivated for landscape effect. Young trees used for forming
hedges. [p079]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 47: Thorns plentiful on some individuals, but absent on
others.]
MESQUITE.
_Prosopis juliflora (Swartz) de C._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Mesquite (Tex., N. M., Ariz., Cal.).
Algaroba (Tex., N. M., Ariz., Cal.).
Honey Pod or Honey Locust (Tex., N. M.).
Ironwood (Tex.).
Locality.
Texas, west to San Bernardino Mountains, California. Also Colorado,
Utah, and Nevada and northern Mexico.
Features of Tree.
Forty to fifty feet in height, one to two feet in diameter.
Sometimes low shrub. Roots often very large. Pods with sweet pulp.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood rich dark brown, often red. Sapwood clear yellow.
Close-grained, compact structure, distinct medullary rays.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Weak, difficult to work, heavy, hard, very durable.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Posts, fencing, ties, house-beams, fuel, charcoal.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
47.
Modulus of Elasticity.
820,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
6800.
Remarks.
A locally important tree. Trees sometimes stunted by fires have
numerous roots. Large roots used for fuel. [p080]
FOOTNOTE
Holsinger, "Forestry and Irrigation." Vol. VIII, No. 11, p. 447.
WHITEWOOD OR TULIP-TREE WOOD, POPLAR OR COTTONWOOD,
(_Liriodendron_.) (_Populus_.)
CUCUMBER-TREE WOOD, BASSWOOD.
(_Magnolia_.) (_Tilia_.)
These trees are not related, but are all noted for woods with soft,
fine qualities, such as fit them for carvings, woodenware, and
paper-pulp. No one of the woods is durable when exposed, and all are
used for boxes because they nail without splitting. The names are
commercially interchangeable.
The whitewood or tulip tree (_Liriodendron tulipifera_) is a
native of America and an acclimated tree in Europe. It is the sole
surviving species of its genus. The wood is soft, stiff, clean,
fine, straight-grained, and obtainable in large-sized pieces. Much
whitewood is made into lumber, the wood standing among those of the
broadleaf series as white pine does among the conifers. Whitewood
is particularly suitable for carvings. In spite of its name it is
largely greenish yellow. It is often divided commercially, according
to color, into "white poplar" and "yellow poplar." Trunks often
attain to a very large size. Matthews mentions a specimen[48]
thirty-three feet in circumference. The species may be known by its
large tulip-shaped flower. _Liriodendron_ is from two Greek words
meaning lily and tree.
[Illustration: WHITEWOOD (_Liriodendron tulipifera_).]
[Illustration: PLATE 16. WHITEWOOD OR TULIP TREE (_Liriodendron
tulipifera_).]
The poplars, sometimes called cottonwoods because of their seeds
covered with a cotton-like down, are represented on both continents.
The wood was made into shields by the [p081] ancients, because
it was light and tough and would indent without breaking. The wood
is often substituted for whitewood, but is less desirable, although
valuable as a basis for paper-pulp. The trees may be known by the
long drooping catkins that appear early in the spring before the
leaves, and that are followed by white downy seeds that soon escape
to whiten the surrounding ground. The poplars are noted for foliage
more or less constantly in agitation. This peculiarity, so pronounced
in the aspen (_Populus tremuloides_), is due to the very long
petioles or leaf-stems. The cottonwoods abound in many otherwise arid
regions of American Western deserts.
The cucumber trees are of the magnolia family and grow in many of the
Eastern States. The wood resembles and is probably often mistaken for
whitewood, for which it is a fair substitute. The trees may be known
by their fruit, which resembles vegetable cucumbers. Magnolia is from
Magnol, a botanist of the seventeenth century.
Basswood is a name applied to trees known in Europe and America
as limes, lime trees, lind, linden, tiel, tiel trees, bass, and
basswood trees. The trees and their wood were early esteemed, the
first for their shade and appearance, and the last for their working
qualities, which resemble, but are inferior to, whitewood.[49] The
trees are characterized by their dense foliage and clusters of small
cream-colored fragrant flowers, so attractive to bees as to have
originated the further name bee-tree. _Tilia_ arises from the ancient
name for these trees. [p082]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 48: F. Schuyler Matthews, "Familiar Trees" (Appleton,
1901), p. 39.]
[Footnote 49: The carvings of Gibbons, a famous English artist, are
said to have been made entirely of linden, no other available wood
being so even-grained and free from knots. (Keeler.)]
TULIP TREE, WHITEWOOD, YELLOW POPLAR.
_Liriodendron tulipifera Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Tulip Tree, Whitewood, Yellow Poplar (local and common names).
Poplar (R. I., Del., N. C., S. C., Fla., Ohio).
Tulip Poplar (Del., Pa., S. C., Ill.).
Hickory Poplar (Va., W. Va., N. C.).
Blue Poplar (Del., W. Va.).
Popple (R. I.).
Cucumber Tree (N. Y.).
Canoewood (Tenn.).
Locality.
New England to Florida, westward intermittently to Michigan and
Mississippi.
Features of Tree.
Ninety to one hundred and fifty feet in height, six to twelve feet
in diameter. Tulip-shaped flowers in spring. Greenish cones dry and
remain after leaves have fallen.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light yellow or greenish brown, thin sapwood, nearly
white. Close, straight-grained, compact structure, free from knots.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, moderately strong, brittle, easily worked, durable.
Hard to split, shrinks little, resembles white pine, stands well.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Lumber, interior finish, shingles, boat-building, pumps, woodenware,
shelves, the bottoms of drawers.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
26.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,300,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
9300.
Remarks.
Very large trees formerly common. Indians hollowed logs into boats.
"Some large enough to carry twenty or thirty persons" (Hough),
whence name canoewood. Tulipifera, signifying turbans and to bear,
refers to flowers. One of the largest as well as most useful of
American deciduous trees. [p083]
POPLAR, LARGETOOTH ASPEN.
_Populus grandidentata Michx._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Poplar, Largetooth Aspen (local and common names).
Largetooth Poplar (N. C.).
Large Poplar (Tenn.).
White Poplar (Mass.).
Popple (Me.).
Large American Aspen (Ala.).
Locality.
Nova Scotia and Delaware, westward intermittently to Minnesota,
Alleghany Mountains to Kentucky and Tennessee.
Features of Tree.
Sixty to eighty feet high, two feet or more in diameter. Irregular
points or teeth on margins of leaves. Smooth gray bark.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood brownish, sapwood nearly white, close-grained, compact
structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Soft, light, weak.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Paper-pulp and occasionally woodenware.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
28.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,360,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
10,200.
Remarks.
The several "poplars" are much prized for paper-pulp. The quaking
aspen (_P. tremuloides_) has long leaf-stalks flattened vertically
to the leaf-surface, so that leaves tremble in slight winds. [p084]
COTTONWOOD.
_Populus deltoides Marsh._
_Populus monilifera Ait._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Cottonwood (local and common name).
Carolina Poplar (Pa., Miss., La., N. M., Ind., Ohio).
Yellow Cottonwood (Ark., Ia., Neb.).
Big Cottonwood (Miss., Neb.).
Whitewood (Ia.).
Cotton Tree (N. Y.).
Necklace Poplar (Tex., Col.).
Broadleaved Cottonwood (Colo.).
Locality.
Canada to Florida, westward intermittently to Rocky Mountains.
Features of Tree.
Seventy-five to one hundred feet in height, four to five feet
in diameter, occasionally much larger. Long catkins distribute
cotton-like fibres.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Thin heartwood, dark brown, sapwood nearly white, close-grained,
compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, weak, liable to warp, difficult to season.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Greatly valued in manufacture of paper-pulp, also packing-boxes,
fence-boards, fuel.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
24.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,400,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
10,900.
Remarks.
_Monilifera_ is from the Latin _monolinum_, a necklace, and _fero_,
to bear, and refers to the long necklace or catkin. [p085]
BLACK COTTONWOOD.
_Populus trichocarpa Torr. and Gr._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Black Cottonwood (Oreg., Cal.).
Balsam Cottonwood, Balm (Oreg.).
Cottonwood (Oreg., Cal.).
Balm Cottonwood (Cal.).
Locality.
Pacific coast region, Alaska to California.
Features of Tree.
A large tree sometimes one hundred and fifty feet in height and four
to six feet in diameter.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light dull brown, sapwood nearly white, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, weak.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Staves, woodenware (local).
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
23.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,580,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
8400.
Remarks.
Largest deciduous tree of Puget Sound district (Sargent). [p086]
CUCUMBER TREE.
_Magnolia acuminata Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Cucumber Tree (R. I., Mass., N. Y., Pa., N. C., S. C., Ala., Miss.,
La., Ark., Ky., W. Va., Ohio, Ind., Ill.).
Mountain Magnolia (Miss., Ky.).
Black Lin, Cucumber (W. Va.).
Magnolia (Ark.).
Locality.
New York to Illinois, southward through Kentucky and Tennessee to
Gulf (intermittently).
Features of Tree.
Fifty to occasionally one hundred feet in height, two to four
feet in diameter. A large, handsome, symmetrical tree, with cones
resembling cucumbers.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood brownish yellow, sapwood nearly white, close-grained,
compact structure. Satiny, thin medullary rays.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, not strong, durable. Qualities similar to whitewood.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Cabinet-making, cheap furniture, flooring, pump-logs, troughs,
crates, packing-boxes. Used similarly to L. tulipifera.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
29.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,310,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
9500.
Remarks.
Wood resembles and is often sold for tulip-tree wood. [p087]
BASSWOOD, LINN, LINDEN.
_Tilia americana Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Basswood, Linn, Linden, American Linden (local and common names).
Limetree (R. I., N. C., S. C., Ala., Minn., La., Ill.).
Black or Smooth-leaved Limetree (Tenn.).
Whitewood (Vt., W. Va., Ark., Minn.).
Yellow Basswood, Lein (Ind.).
Beetree (Vt., W. Va., Wis.).
White Lind (W. Va.).
Wickup (Mass.).
Locality.
New Brunswick to Georgia, westward intermittently to Nebraska and
Texas. Wide range.
Features of Tree.
Sixty to ninety feet in height, two to four feet in diameter,
occasionally larger. Large smooth leaves.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light or reddish brown, thick sapwood nearly similar, very
straight and close-grained, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, easily worked, tough, not strong nor durable.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Sides and backs of drawers, bodies of carriages, woodenware,
paper-pulp.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
28.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,190,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
8300.
Remarks.
Basswood refers to the inner bark or "bast," sometimes utilized for
cordage. The flowers attract bees, whence the name bee-tree. White
Basswood, (_Tilia heterophylla_,) is not distinguished commercially.
[p088]
WILLOW.
(_Salix_.)
The willows are very widely distributed over both continents, and
their history extends back over a very considerable period. Pliny
states that Britons used to make voyages in boats of willow. The
willow mentioned in the Bible was the Salix babylónica, or weeping
willow, later acclimated in this country.
The principal experience with the tough, light, workable, elastic
wood has been in Europe. The ancients used it for shields, because
it was one of the woods that would indent without breaking. Lazlett
states that it is used for cart-linings because it will not splinter
when struck by stones. It has been used for lap-boards, cricket-bats,
keels, paddles, and water-wheels. It resists heat and friction and is
therefore used for lining friction-brakes. Willow charcoal ignites
readily and is highly esteemed in the manufacture of the finer kinds
of gunpowder. The bark is used in tanning. The little branches have
long been associated with baskets and woven work. American trees are
seldom cut up into lumber, but are valued for shade and appearance,
and are often planted along the banks of streams to prevent erosion.
Willows grow very rapidly and have a characteristic and attractive
appearance. They usually prefer low moist places. There are so many
hybrids and peculiar species as to render classification in all
cases difficult.[50] Black willow is the native species, oftenest
attaining to tree size in North America. The White, Crack, Bedford,
and Goat Willows (_Salix alba_, _S. fragilis_, _S. russeliana_, and
_S. caprea_) are said to afford good wood. _Salix_ is said to be from
the Celtic _sal_, meaning near, and _lis_, water. Salicylic acid is
abundantly present in the bark of some species. [p089]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 50: About 140 species and varieties of the willow family
have been enumerated.]
[Illustration: PLATE 17. BLACK WILLOW (_Salix nigra_).]
BLACK WILLOW.
_Salix nigra Marsh._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Black Willow (local and common name).
Swamp Willow (N. C., S. C.).
Willow (N. Y., Pa., N. C., S. C., Miss., Tex., Cal., Ky., Mo., Neb.).
Locality.
New Brunswick to Florida, westward intermittently to Dakota,
Arizona, and California, Mexico.
Features of Tree.
Forty to fifty feet in height, two to four feet in diameter. Long
narrow leaf, characteristic appearance.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood brown, sapwood nearly white, close-grained.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Soft, light, weak, checks badly in drying, readily worked. Dents
without splitting.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Lap-boards, basket-making, fuel, charcoal.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
27.
Modulus of Elasticity.
550,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
6000.
Remarks.
Prefers borders of rivers and bottom lands. Many varieties of
willow grow in the United States. No one is used to any extent in
construction. [p090]
CATALPA.
(_Catalpa_.)
Many kinds of wood that were formerly plentiful are now much less
so. Attention is being turned to trees that give best results under
artificial conditions. Catalpa, formerly but little known, now bids
fair to become of some importance in this connection.
The catalpa grows rapidly and produces a coarse, brittle, weak, but
durable and desirable, lumber, well fitted to meet the requirements
of railways and other branches of construction where the annual
consumption is the largest. Fifty thousand catalpa trees have
recently been planted by a Western railway at a cost of one cent
apiece. Catalpas at Hutchison, Kansas, were large enough to cut for
posts at the end of six years.[51] A sample tie recently removed
from a Western railway was found to be perfect after fifteen years
of service. Mr. John Brown[52] mentions specimens sixteen inches in
diameter seventeen years after planting. The species Catalpa speciosa
is said to be much the more desirable in that it is hardy and reaches
a tall upright form.
The catalpa may be known by its showy flowers, suggesting those of
the horse chestnut. These are succeeded by long pods filled with
many-winged seeds and often used by children as cigars. [p091]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 51: U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Div. of Forestry,
Bulletins 27 and 37.]
[Footnote 52: _The Forester_, October, 1900, and November, 1902.]
Kansas Agricultural College Experiment Station, Bulletin 108.
[Illustration: PLATE 18. CATALPA (_Catalpa_).]
CATALPA, HARDY CATALPA.
_Catalpa speciosa Warder._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Catalpa (R. I., N. Y., La., Ill., Ind., Mo., Wis., Ia., Neb., Minn.).
Hardy Catalpa (Ill., Ia., Kan., Mich.).
Western Catalpa (Pa., Ohio, Kans., Neb., Ill.).
Cigar Tree (Mo., Ia.).
Indian Bean, Shawneewood (Ind.).
Bois Puant (La.).
Locality.
Central Mississippi valley, naturalized in many localities.
Features of Tree.
Forty to sixty feet or more in height, three to six feet in
diameter; well-formed trunks. Large, white, faintly mottled flower,
long pod or bean.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Thick heartwood brown, thin sapwood lighter, nearly white,
coarse-grained, compact structure, annual layers clearly marked.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, not strong, durable in contact with soil.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Railway ties, fence-posts, rails, adapted for cabinet-work and
interior finish.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
25.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,160,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
9000.
Remarks.
Hardier and better formed trunks than afforded by C. catalpa. A
rapid grower; sprouts vigorously from stumps. A valuable tree,
promising to become better known. Foliage subject to attack by
insects. [p092]
FOOTNOTE
John P. Brown (_The Forester_, October, 1900).
CATALPA.
_Catalpa Catalpa (Linn.) Karst._
_Catalpa bignonioides Walt._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Catalpa (local and common name).
Indian Cigar Tree (Pa.).
Smoking Bean (R. I.).
Cigar Tree (R. I., N. J., Pa., W. Va., Mo., Ill., Wis., Ia.).
Indian Bean (Mass., R. I., N. Y., N. J., Pa., N. C., Ill.).
Catawba, Catawba Tree (Del., W. Va., Ala., Fla., Kans.).
Bean Tree (N. J., Del., Pa., Va., La., Neb.).
Locality.
Naturalized in many localities east of Rocky Mountains.
Features of Tree.
Thirty to fifty feet in height, one to two or more feet in diameter.
Trunks not well formed. A low, wide tree, large heart-shaped leaves,
characteristic flower. Long slender pod or bean.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Thick heartwood is light pink brown; thin sapwood is nearly white.
Coarse-grained, compact.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, not strong, durable in contact with soil.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Fence-posts, railway ties, etc.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
27.
Modulus of Elasticity.
960,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
8300.
Remarks.
Grows rapidly. Pods remain on tree after leaves fall. Sometimes used
as cigars by children. Wood is less desirable than C. speciosa.
[p093]
[Illustration: PLATE 19. SASSAFRAS (_Sassafras officinale_).]
SASSAFRAS. MULBERRY.
(_Sassafras_.) (_Morus_.)
The sassafras was one of the first American trees to be described
in Europe,[53] where many fictitious properties were early credited
to its aromatic essences. The wood is not distinguished by unusual
qualities, but trees are cut for lumber as encountered with other
and more valuable species in the forest. The mucilaginous leaves
are of three separate shapes. Some have lobes on both sides of the
central surface, others have one lobe at one side so as to resemble
mittens, while yet others on the same branch have simple oval shapes.
The dark-blue berries on bright-red stems are so eagerly devoured
by birds as to be seldom seen. The characteristic flavor is most
pronounced in the bark of the root.
The Red, White, and Black Mulberries are named from the color
of their fruits. The former, which is the American species, has
wood resembling that of the sassafras, only in that it is not
distinguished by unusual qualities. Its leaves, like that of
the sassafras, are of several shapes on the same tree. The very
sweet fruit resembles blackberries in form. The leaves used in
silkworm-culture are from the Russian mulberry, a cross between the
white mulberry and black mulberry (M. alba and M. nigra).[54] [p094]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 53: Monardes, a Spanish writer, described the sassafras
about half a century after the landing of Columbus.]
[Footnote 54: Annual Report Chief U. S. Forestry Division, 1887;
also Bulletins on Silk, published by U. S. Dept. Agriculture.]
SASSAFRAS.
_Sassafras officinale Nees and Eberm._
_Sassafras sassafras (Linn.) Karst._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Sassafras (local and common name).
Saxifrax, Sasifrax Tree (Fla., Tenn.).
Sassafac, Sassafrac (W. Va., Del.).
Gumbo file (La., negro).
Locality.
Vermont to Florida, westward intermittently to Michigan and Texas.
Features of Tree.
Thirty to fifty feet in height, one to three feet in diameter,
sometimes larger, often low shrub, characteristic odor and leaves.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Thick heartwood, delicate brown, thin sapwood yellowish white,
coarse-grained, annual rings clearly marked.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, not strong, brittle, checks in drying, very durable in
contact with soil. Slightly aromatic.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Pails, buckets, ox-yokes, fence-posts, and rails.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
31.
Modulus of Elasticity.
730,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
8500.
Remarks.
Leaves and shoots mucilaginous. Bark of root rich in highly aromatic
essences. Sassafras often forms thickets. [p095]
RED MULBERRY, MULBERRY.
_Morus rubra Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Red Mulberry, Mulberry (local and common name).
Black Mulberry (N. J., Pa., W. Va.).
Virginia Mulberry Tree (Tenn.).
Murier Sauvage (La.).
Locality.
Massachusetts to Florida, westward intermittently to Nebraska and
Texas. Best in lower Ohio and Mississippi River basins.
Features of Tree.
Fifty to sixty feet in height, two and one half to three feet in
diameter. Sweet edible fruit. Dark brown broken bark, smooth gray
branches.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Thick heartwood, light orange yellow, thin sapwood whitish,
coarse-grained, compact structure, annual layers clearly marked.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, not strong, very durable in contact with soil, receives
good polish.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Local ship-building, agricultural implements, fencing, cooperage.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
36.
Modulus of Elasticity.
11,700,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
11,000.
Remarks.
An ornamental tree. The leaves of this species are not adapted to
silkworm culture. [p096]
BUCKEYE. HORSE CHESTNUT.
(_Æsculus_.)
The buckeye and horse chestnut are species of the same genus. The
common horse chestnut (_Æsculus hippocastanum_) was once thought
to have been a native of Asia, but it is now quite certain that
it originated on the mountains of northern Greece. Trees have
been cultivated in Europe for at least three centuries and are
now extensively grown over the United States. The name buckeye is
generally applied to such species as are natives of North America.
[Illustration: Horse Chestnut (_Æsculus hippocastanum_).]
The woods resemble one another in that they are soft,
straight-grained, easily worked, and decay rapidly when exposed.
They are employed to some extent in woodenware, artificial limbs,
and paper-making. The trees may be known by their round prickly
pods, containing smooth chestnut-colored bitter nuts. The leaves
of the buckeye are arranged in groups of five, while those of the
horse chestnut are in groups of seven. The horse chestnut produces
showy spotted flowers. There are thirteen species of this genus,
eight of which are North American. The name "horse chestnut" may
refer ironically to the coarse nuts, or may arise from the fact that
they are occasionally eaten by cattle, or from a horseshoe marking
seen on young twigs. _Hippocastanum_ is from _hippos_, a horse, and
_castanea_, a chestnut. The name buckeye refers to the appearance
of the brown nut through the paler husk partly separated when ripe,
suggesting the eye of the common deer. [p097]
[Illustration: PLATE 20. HORSE CHESTNUT (_Æsculus hippocastanum_).]
OHIO BUCKEYE, FETID BUCKEYE.
_Æsculus glabra Willd._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Buckeye, Ohio Buckeye (local and common names).
Fetid Buckeye (W. Va.).
Stinking Buckeye (Ala., Ark.).
American Horse Chestnut (Pa.).
Locality.
Ohio River basin to Alabama, portions of Iowa, Kansas, and Indian
Territory.
Features of Tree.
Twenty-five to forty-five feet in height. One to one and one-half
feet in diameter. Yellowish-white flower, succeeded by round prickly
pod or fruit.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood white, sapwood a little darker, close-grained, frequent
dark lines of decay.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Weak, light, soft, hard to split.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Artificial limbs, woodenware, paper-pulp, rarely lumber.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
28.
Modulus of Elasticity.
910,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
7000.
Remarks.
FOOTNOTE
The nearly similar horse chestnut (_A. hippocastanum_) is forty to
fifty feet or more in height and two to four feet in diameter. The
light, weak wood is seldom used. The name horse may be applied to
the coarse nuts ironically, or may refer to their occasional use by
cattle, or a horseshoe marking seen on young twigs. [p098]
BUCKEYE, SWEET BUCKEYE.
_Æsculus octandra Marsh._
_Æsculus flava Ait._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Buckeye (N. C., S. C., Ala., Miss., La., Tex., Ky.).
Sweet Buckeye (W. Va., Miss., Tex., Mo., Ind.).
Yellow Buckeye (S. C., Ala.).
Large Buckeye, Big Buckeye (Tex., Tenn.).
Locality.
Alleghany Mountains, Pennsylvania to Georgia, westward
intermittently to Iowa and Texas.
Features of Tree.
Forty to seventy feet in height, one to three feet in diameter,
sometimes low shrub. Large mahogany-colored seed.
Color, Appearance, and Grain of Wood.
Heartwood, creamy white, sapwood similar, compact structure,
close-grained, difficult to split.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Similar to those of Ohio Buckeye (_A. glabra_).
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
26.64.
Modulus of Elasticity.
Modulus of Rupture.
Remarks.
[p099]
[Illustration: PLATE 21. SWEET GUM (_Liquidambar styraciflua_).]
GUM.
(_Liquidambar, Nyssa_.)
This name is applied to two unrelated American trees--the Sweet or
Red Gum (_Liquidambar styraciflua_), a member of the witch-hazel
family, and the Sour or Black Gum (_Nyssa sylvatica_), which is one
of the dogwoods.
The woods afforded by these two trees are also distinct from one
another, although both are referred to by the one name, gum. The
softer Sweet Gum figures in carpentry. Selected pieces so resemble
black walnut as to be cut into veneers and made up into furniture.
Sour Gum is harder, it splits with difficulty, and is fitted for
small work and implements, such as wagon-hubs and tool-handles. Both
woods are close-and often cross-grained, besides being strong, heavy,
tough, and difficult to season.
[Illustration: SWEET GUM (_Liquidambar styraciflua_).]
The Sweet Gum tree is characterized by rough, round balls, resembling
those of the sycamore, by pointed star-like leaves, suggesting those
of the sugar maple, and by corky ridges on the bark of younger
branches. These latter cause the bark to resemble alligator-skin and
give rise to the name alligator-wood. _Liquidambar_ refers to gums
excreted by the tree and sometimes used in medicine. The Sour Gum
bears ovoid bluish-black sour drupes, or fruit containing single
roughened seeds. The thick oval leaves are dark green above and dull
or hairy below. The foliage of both species becomes brilliant in
autumn. [p100]
SWEET GUM.
_Liquidambar styraciflua Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Sweet Gum (local and common name).
Liquidambar (R. I., N. Y., Del., N. J., Pa., La., Tex., Ohio, Ill.).
Red Gum (Va., Ala., Miss., Tex., La.).
Gum, Gum Tree (Va., S. C., La.).
Alligatorwood, Blisted (N. J.).
Locality.
Connecticut to Florida, westward intermittently to Illinois and
Texas, Mexico. Greatest development in basin of Mississippi River.
Features of Tree.
Eighty to one hundred feet or more in height, three to five feet in
diameter. Tall straight trunk, corky ridges frequent on branches.
Star-shaped leaves turn to brilliant scarlet in autumn, round balls
on long stems.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood rich brown suggesting black walnut, sapwood nearly white,
close-grained, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, rather soft, strong, stiff, not durable when exposed,[55]
shrinks and warps badly in seasoning, receives high polish.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Veneers, cabinet-work, substitute for black walnut, shingles,
clapboards, paving-blocks, wooden plates.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
37 (U. S. Forestry Div.).[56]
36.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,700,000 (average of 118 tests by U. S. Forestry Div.).[56]
1,220,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
9500 (average of 118 tests by U. S. Forestry Div.).[56]
9200.
Remarks.
Wood sometimes commercially known as satin walnut and sometimes as
star-leaved gum. Large specimens often have hollow butts. [p101]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 55: E. C. Woodward, C. E. Division Engineer Texas &
Pacific Ry. reports "gum" ties good after 5 years' service. They
hold spikes well.]
[Footnote 56: See page 6.]
SOUR GUM, BLACK GUM, TUPELO.
_Nyssa sylvatica Marsh._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Sour Gum, Black Gum, Tupelo (local and common names).
Pepperidge (Vt., Mass., R. I., N. Y., N. J., S. C., Tenn., Mich.,
Ohio, Ontario).
Wild Pear Tree, Yellow Gum Tree (Tenn.).
Gum (Md.).
Stinkwood (W. Va.).
Tupelo Gum (Fla.).
Locality.
Maine to Florida, westward intermittently to Michigan and Texas.
Features of Tree.
Forty-five to one hundred feet high, one and six inches to
occasionally four feet in diameter. Ovoid, bluish-black, sour fruit,
with seed. Horizontal branches, short spur-like lateral branchlets.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light brown or yellow, often nearly white, sapwood hardly
distinguishable, fine grain.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, not hard, fibres interlaced, therefore hard to work, strong,
tough, checks unless carefully seasoned, not durable in contact with
soil.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Wagon-hubs, rollers, ox-yokes, bowls, and woodenware.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
39.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,160,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
11,800.
Remarks.
Limited usefulness because difficult to work. Larger specimen in
South. Large trees often hollow at butts and sometimes higher.
[p102]
COTTON GUM, TUPELO GUM, LARGE TUPELO.
_Nyssa aquatica Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Cotton Gum, Tupelo Gum, Large Tupelo (local and common names).
Sour Gum (Ark., Mo.).
Tupelo, Swamp Tupelo (N. C., S. C., La.).
Olivetree, Wild Olivetree (Miss., La.).
Locality.
Virginia and Kentucky, southward.
Features of Tree.
Sixty to eighty feet high, two to three feet in diameter. Blue
oblong fruit one inch or more in length.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light brown, often nearly white, sapwood nearly the same.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, not strong, soft, compact, difficult to work.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Turnery, woodenware, roots used as net-floats instead of corks.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
32.
Modulus of Elasticity.
730,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
9300.
Remarks.
Butts of large trees are usually hollow. Parts above are usually
sound. [p103]
[Illustration: PLATE 22. HOLLY, BOXWOOD, LIGNUMVITÆ (_Ilex_, _Buxus_,
etc.).
Box Tree (_Buxus sempervirens_).
Holly Foliage (_Ilex opaca_).
Lignumvitæ Foliage (_G. sanctum_).
Dogwood Foliage (_Cornus florida_).
Dogwood Bark (_Cornus florida_).
Dogwood Wood.
Lignumvitæ Wood.]
HOLLY. BOXWOOD. LIGNUM VITÆ.
(_Ilex_.) (_Buxus, Cornus, etc_.) (_Guajacum_.)
The woods afforded by these trees are all demanded in small and
very perfect pieces to fill needs for which no others appear to be
perfectly fitted. The holly (_Ilex_) grows in Europe and America,
where the brilliant evergreen foliage and red berries have long been
associated with the Christmas season. The name holly is probably a
subversion of "Holy."[57] The true boxwood (_Buxus sempervirens_)
attains to some size in Europe and Asia, but remains a small shrub in
America, where it is seldom if ever cut for wood, but is placed as a
decoration along the borders of walks and gardens. The wood called
"boxwood" in America is not therefore derived from the "box." The
Lignumvitæs grow in Florida, the West Indies, and on the northern
coast of South America.
Holly-wood is noted for its fine, even grain, but chiefly for its
smooth, ivory-white color, fitting it for the white of inlaid work,
for carvings and other decorations where white color and fine
qualities are required. The principal European source is the Ilex
aquifolium, while in America it is the Ilex opaca. Boxwood is, as
stated, the name applied to several woods, all noted for their fine
compact structure, rendering them suitable for very fine carvings
such as are required in wood-engraving. The Eastern product as cut
from the true box is so highly prized as to be sold by the pound.
American boxwood is chiefly derived from the Flowering Dogwood, the
Mexican Persimmon, and the Rose Bay. In Australia several species
of Eucalyptus are said to be used. Lignumvitæ is noted for great
strength and hardness. Layers of fibres alternately cross one another
so that the wood may be said to crumble rather than split. It has no
superior for implements that must be [p104] fine, true, and strong,
such as the sheaves of pulleys and handles of tools. The supply is
obtained from two species (Guajacum sanctum and Guajacum officinale).
Holly may be known by its foliage and berries. Box (_Buxus_) has
small, smooth, ovate, dark, evergreen leaves joining the stem so as
to be opposite one another. The Dogwood is known by its flowers; the
Lignum-vitæ is a low gnarled tree. [p105]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 57: "The German name Christdorn, the Danish name Christorn,
and the Swedish name Christtorn seem to justify this conjecture."
(Keeler, quoting Loudon.)]
HOLLY, AMERICAN HOLLY.
_Ilex opaca Ait._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Holly, American Holly (local and common names).
White Holly (Va.).
Locality.
Massachusetts to Florida, westward intermittently to Indiana and
Texas.
Features of Tree.
Occasionally fifty feet in height and three feet in diameter,
frequently much smaller, particularly in North. Foliage is
evergreen. Bright red berries remain until spring.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood cream-white, darkening or spotting on exposure. Sapwood
similar or lighter. Very close-grained, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Tough, moderately hard and heavy, easily worked.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Inlaid work, carvings, scrollwork, turnery, moderately for furniture
and decoration.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
36.
Modulus of Elasticity.
910,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
9700.
Remarks.
The wood resembles ivory. [p106]
DOGWOOD, FLOWERING DOGWOOD.
_Cornus florida Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Dogwood, Flowering Dogwood (local and common names).
Boxwood (Conn., R. I., N. Y., Miss., Mich., Ky., Ind., Ont.).
False Box-dogwood (Ky.).
New England Boxwood (Tenn.).
Cornel, Flowering Cornel (Tex., R. I.).
Locality.
New England to Florida, westward intermittently to Minnesota and
Texas, Sierra Madra Mountains, Mexico.
Features of Tree.
Twenty-five to thirty-five feet in height, one foot or more in
diameter. Often low shrub, large white flowers precede foliage, red
berry in fall. Rough blackish bark.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood rich brown, changing to green and red. Sapwood lighter,
close-grained.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, strong, tough, hard, receives high polish.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Wood-carving, engraving, bearings of machinery, turnery.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
50.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,160,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
12,800.
Remarks.
The Mexican or Black Persimmon and the Great Laurel (_Rhododendron
maximum_) afford substitutes. Yellowwood (_Schaefferia frutescens_)
is also known as boxwood. The names Dogwood and Poison Dogwood are
often applied to the sumach. _Cornus_ signifies horn and refers to
hardness of wood. [p107]
LIGNUMVITÆ.
_Guajacum sanctum._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Lignumvitæ (Fla.).
Ironwood (Fla.).
Locality.
Semitropical Florida, Bahamas, San Domingo, Cuba, Puerto Rico.
Features of Tree.
Twenty-five feet high, one foot in diameter, a low gnarled tree.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood rich yellow-brown in younger specimens and almost black in
older ones. Sapwood light yellow. Close-grained, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Very heavy and exceedingly hard, strong, hard to work, brittle.
Lubricated by water.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Sheaves of ship-blocks, rollers, pulleys, tool-handles. Bearings for
journals rotating in water.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
71.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,220,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
11,100.
Remarks.
Two other species, Guajacum officinale and Guajacum arborium, afford
similar woods not commercially distinguished from the above. [p108]
LAUREL.
(_Magnolia, Rhododendron, Arbutus, etc._)
The name Laurel applies locally or botanically to a number of
American plants, several of which attain to the dignity of trees.
The Big Laurel or Magnolia (_M. grandiflora_) is an ornamental tree
of the highest rank, extensively planted in parks and gardens of
American cities as far north as Washington, and also grown in Europe.
The wood is suitable for interior finish and is also used for fuel.
The California Laurel (_Umbellularia californica_) and the Madroña
or Madroña Laurel (_Arbutus menziesii_) are Pacific coast species
of beautiful appearance, the strong, heavy, hard woods of which are
of economic importance. Professor Sargent considers[58] that the
former is the most valuable interior or cabinet wood produced by the
forests of the Pacific coast. The wood of the Madroña has little or
no place in construction, but its charcoal is used in the manufacture
of gunpowder. The wood of the Great Laurel or Rose Bay (_Rhododendron
maximum_) has been used as boxwood. The gnarled roots of the Mountain
Laurel or calico bush (_Kalmia latifolia_) are used for rustic
hanging-baskets, seats, and the like.
All of the kinds here noted have evergreen foliage. [p109]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 58: Page 69, "Catalogue Jesup Collection," Sargent.]
CALIFORNIA LAUREL, MOUNTAIN LAUREL.
_Umbellularia californica Nutt._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
California Laurel, Mountain Laurel (Cal., Nev.).
California Bay Tree, Spice Tree (Cal., Nev., Oreg.).
Laurel, Bay-tree, Oreodaphne (Cal.).
Myrtle-tree, Cajeput, California Olive (Oreg.).
Californian Sassafras.
Locality.
California and Oregon.
Features of Tree.
Seventy-five to one hundred feet in height, three to five feet in
diameter. Evergreen foliage, beautiful appearance.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light rich brown, sapwood lighter brown. Close-grained,
compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, hard, strong, receives beautiful polish.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Ship-building, cabinet-work, cleats, crosstrees.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
40.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,510,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
11,400.
Remarks.
A valuable Pacific coast cabinet wood. [p110]
MADROÑA, MADROÑA LAUREL.
_Arbutus menziesii Pursh._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Madroña, Madroña Laurel (Cal., Oreg.).
Laurel, Laurelwood, Madrone.
Madrone-tree, Manzanita (Oreg., Cal.).
Madrove (Cal.).
Locality.
Pacific coast from British Columbia to southern California.
Features of Tree.
Fifty to seventy-five feet in height, occasionally higher. Two
to four feet in diameter. Straight well-formed trunk. Evergreen
foliage. A shrub in the South.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Thick heartwood reddish, thin sapwood slightly pink. Close-grained;
numerous and conspicuous medullary rays.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, hard, strong, checks badly in seasoning.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Largely for gunpowder, charcoal, also furniture.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
43.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,190,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
12,000.
Remarks.
A beautiful ornamental tree. [p111]
[Illustration: PLATE 23. PERSIMMON, OSAGE ORANGE, CHERRY
(_Diospyros_), (_Maclura_), (_Prunus_).
Osage Orange Trunk (_M. aurantiaca_).
Wild Black Cherry Trunk (_P. scrotina_).
Cherry Wood.
Osage Orange Wood.
Persimmon Wood.]
PERSIMMON. OSAGE ORANGE. CHERRY.
(_Diospyros_.) (_Maclura_.) (_Prunus_.)
The Persimmon (_Diospyros virginiana_) grows in many of the central
and southern United States and affords a hard, tough wood, resembling
fine-grain hickory, that is used for implements and other small
work. The plum-like fruit is remarkably astringent when green, but
is sweet, rich, and palatable when ripe. The persimmon is a member
of the ebony family (_Ebenaceæ_), and the extremely close-grained
heartwood is almost black. The ebony of commerce is derived from
tropical species of this genus.
The Osage Orange or Bois D'Arc (_Maclura aurantiaca_) is found in the
Gulf and neighboring States, and has been cultivated in the North.
The wood is unusually hard and strong, and is of a yellow color,
which, however, darkens with age. It is in many ways a unique and
serviceable product, widely utilized locally in the South, but almost
unknown in the North, and nowhere sufficiently appreciated. The
aborigines made bows and arrows of it, whence the name Bois D'Arc.
The tree affords a useless fruit somewhat resembling the common
orange in appearance.
The widely distributed Wild Cherry or Wild Black Cherry (_Prunus
serotina_) supplies the cherry wood of commerce. This wood is
strong, hard, fine-grained, red-colored, and one of the most popular
decorative woods of the American forests. Sweet or Cherry Birch
(_Betula lenta_) is often stained so as to imitate it, while it
of itself is stained so as to resemble mahogany. The wood of the
cultivated cherry is not used in the United States. The wild cherry
bears purplish-black fruit somewhat larger than peas, sweetly bitter
when ripe. The bark is also bitter. It should be noted of these woods
that the thin heart of the persimmon is black, that of the Bois
d'Arc is yellow, and that of the cherry is red. Each receives a high
polish. [p112]
PERSIMMON.
_Diospyros virginiana Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Persimmon (local and common name).
Date Plum (N. J., Tenn.).
Simmon, Possumwood (Fla.).
Plaqueminier (La.).
Locality.
Connecticut to Florida, westward intermittently to Missouri and
Texas.
Features of Tree.
Occasionally seventy feet in height, one to two feet in diameter.
Soft plum-like fruit, astringent when green, sweet when ripe.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood dark-brown or black, sapwood light-brown, often with
darker spots. Very thin heartwood. Very close-grained, compact
structure. Medullary rays conspicuous. Resembles hickory.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Hard, heavy, strong.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Plane-stocks, shoe-lasts, etc. Prized for shuttles.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
49.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,110,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
12,400.
Remarks.
The astringency of unripe fruit is due to tannic acid. The dried
and roasted seeds have been used for coffee.[59] Heartwood is not
greatly developed in trees under one hundred years of age. [p113]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 59: U. S. Dispensatory.]
OSAGE ORANGE.
_Maclura aurantiaca Nutt._
_Toxylon pomiferum Raf._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Osage Orange (local and common name).
Bois D'Arc (La., Tex., Mo.).
Bodark, Bodock (Kans.).
Yellow-wood, Osage Apple Tree (Tenn.).
Hedge, Hedge-plant, Osage (Ill., Ia., Neb.).
Mock Orange (La.).
Bow-wood (Ala.).
Locality.
Southern Arkansas, Indian Territory, and Texas. Cultivated
elsewhere, as in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Features of Tree.
Twenty to fifty feet in height, rarely beyond one and one-half feet
in diameter. Fruit resembles orange. Long thorns.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood bright orange, turns brown on exposure. Sapwood light
yellow, close-grained, annual rings clearly marked.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Hard, heavy, very strong, flexible, durable in contact with soil.
Receives beautiful polish. Shrinks in seasoning.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Fence-posts, piles, telegraph poles, railway ties, paving-blocks,
occasionally indoor decoration.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
48.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,300,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
16,000.
Remarks.
Indians used wood for bows, thus the name Bois D'Arc, corrupted into
Bow Dark or Bodark. A valuable wood not enough appreciated. Often
planted as hedges. The fruit is useless. [p114]
[Illustration: OSAGE ORANGE.]
WILD BLACK CHERRY, WILD CHERRY.
_Prunus serotina Ehrh._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Wild Black Cherry, Wild Cherry (local and common names).
Black Cherry (Me., N. H., Vt., R. I., N. Y., Miss., Ky., Mich.,
Wis., Ind., Neb.).
Rum Cherry (N. H., Mass., R. I., Miss., Neb.).
Whiskey Cherry (Minn.).
Choke Cherry (Mo., Wis., Ia.).
Locality.
Eastern to Central United States.
Features of Tree.
Forty to eighty feet in height. Two to three or more feet in
diameter. Bitter bark, pea-sized fruit.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood reddish brown, sapwood yellow, fine straight grain,
compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, hard, strong, easily worked.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Cabinet-work, interior finish.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
36.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,200,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
11,700.
Remarks.
The bitter bark contains medicinal properties valued in bronchitis
and other troubles. The fruit, agreeable when ripe, is also used in
medicines and cordials. [p115]
[Illustration: WILD BLACK CHERRY (_Prunus serotina_).]
[Illustration: PLATE 24. TEAK AND GREENHEART (_Tectona_, _Nectandra_,
etc.).
Greenheart (_Nectandra rodiali_).
Teak (_Tectona grandis_).
Teak Tree.
Teakwood.
Lignumvitæ Wood.]
TEAK. GREENHEART.
(_Tectona_.) (_Nectandra_.)
There are two Teaks; the principal one (_Tectona grandis_), a native
of Asia, has been called the "Oak" of the Indian forests, the other
(_Oldfieldia africana_) is an African tree.[60] The Greenheart
(_Nectandra rodiali_) is of the laurel family and grows in South
America. The woods, although foreign, are of such nature as to have
widely established reputations, and each has at some time been used
in construction.
Teak suggests oak, save that it is lighter and has a more uniform
structure. It is very durable, and an oily secretion repels insects
and preserves iron fastenings. During the supremacy of wooden vessels
it was regarded as one of the best ship-building woods in existence.
The grain fits it for carvings, and it is now known in North America
chiefly because of this fact. Indian teak is the wood usually
referred to.
Greenheart was early placed among the first class of ship-building
woods by Lloyd's Register, and is yet taken to Europe to some extent
for dock-and ship-building and for implements, but is seldom found
and but little known in the United States. It is strong, hard,
durable, and extremely heavy, the latter quality being so pronounced
as to limit its field of usefulness. [p116]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 60: It was long supposed that African teak was supplied
by the species Swietenia senegalensis. It is now known that the
source is Oldfieldia africana, of the family Euphorbiaceæ. It is not
impossible that wood passing as teak may be derived from yet other
species.]
TEAK.
_Tectona grandis._
Nomenclature.
Teak.
Indian Oak.
Teek.
Sagwan.
Locality.
India, Burma, Siam, Ceylon.
Features of Tree.
Eighty to one hundred feet in height, three to four feet in
diameter, sometimes larger. Straight trunk, large drooping deciduous
leaves.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Variable, brownish-yellow, straight, even-grained.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Moderately hard, strong, easily worked, stands well, oily, fragrant,
resists termites, preserves iron.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Furniture, ship-building, timbers, backing for armor-plates.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
50 (Laslett).
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,338,000 (Lazlett).
2,100,000 (Thurston).
Modulus of Rupture.
15,000 (Thurston).
Remarks.
The oil is thought to preserve iron and repel termites. Burma,
Malabar, Rangoon, and other teaks take names from districts
producing them. The distinct African teak (_Oldfieldia africana_)
affords wood sometimes marketed as African mahogany and sometimes
as African oak. (Forestry methods, see "Burma Teak Forests," Sir
Dietrich Brandis, "Garden and Forest," Vol. IX, "Forestry and
Irrigation," Vol. IX, No. 3, p. 139.) [p117]
GREENHEART.
_Nectandra rodiali._
Nomenclature.
Greenheart (local and common name).
Locality.
British Guiana and adjacent portions of South America and the West
Indies.
Features of Tree.
Twenty-five to sometimes seventy feet in height, two to four feet in
diameter. A straight tree.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood dark green to chestnut or nearly black, sapwood similar.
Clean, straight, compact structure, free from knots. Numerous pores,
annual layers hardly distinguishable.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Exceptionally heavy, strong, and durable, tough, hard, elastic,
receives high polish, breaks suddenly.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Ship-keels, frames, rollers, turnery, also beams, planks, and piles
(Europe). In America tops of fishing-rods and very occasionally
veneers.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
72 (Lazlett).
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,090,000 (Lazlett).
Modulus of Rupture.
10,000 (Thurston).
Remarks.
Excessive weight unfits it for many purposes. Placed in first class
of ship-building woods by Lloyd's Register. Formerly supposed to
repel teredo. Generally exported through Demerara to England. [p118]
MAHOGANY.
(_Swietenia, Khaya, Soymida, Cedrela, etc._)
There are three principal mahogany trees: the Central American or
true mahogany (_Swietenia mahogani_), the African mahogany (_Khaya
senegalensis_), and the Indian mahogany (_Soymida febrifuga_). There
are also minor species called mahoganies.[61] American mahogany was
originally divided by dealers into Spanish and Honduras wood, the
former from the then Spanish-American possessions. A considerable
supply now comes from Mexico, taking name from port of shipment;
as, Frontera, Laguna, Santa Ana, Tecolutla, Minatitlan, and Tonala,
desirability being much in the order named. The African field is the
latest and probably most important, very large quantities of its wood
being distributed through English markets.
[Illustration: PLATE 25. MAHOGANY (_Swietenia mahagoni_).
Two Specimens of Wood.]
Mahogany, placed among the second class of ship-building woods by
Lloyd's Register, was once used to some extent in place of oak in
naval architecture, but is now so greatly valued for decoration as
to be employed for little else, save occasionally the hulls of small
pleasure craft. The decorative value is due to a combination of
beauty, working qualities, and durability. Beauty is influenced by
both grain and warm red color. The latter is generally light, and
although it subsequently darkens, in most cases, to a characteristic
and rich reddish-brown, is usually induced immediately by stains.
The grain is not only beautiful of itself, but is such as to receive
those stains and finishing processes thus demanded. Different
localities produce woods varying in tint and grain. Individual
[p119] trees also differ in desirability. No two are alike.
Beautiful grain effects are often obtained in "crotches" or junctions
between trunk and branch, and such pieces bring high prices.
Mahogany is generally used as a veneer. Layers are glued either to
some central piece or "core" or else to one another. The layers are
arranged so as to cross one another's grain, and results are usually
thought to be more desirable than those obtained from solid wood. Few
woods glue better, and few shrink or distort less when in place.
"Spanish Cedar" (_Cedrela odorata_) is a broadleaf wood, and not a
conifer as is usually supposed. It is nearly related to, and usually
found and cut with, true mahogany. Lindley[62] divides Cedrelecæ
into two sub-orders: Swieteniæ, including the true mahoganies, and
Cedrelæ, with nine genera and twenty-five species distributed over
tropical Asia and America.
Prima vera or white mahogany belongs to Bignoniaceæ, which also
includes the catalpas. [p120]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 61: Mahogany and mountain mahogany are names applied in
the United States to Rhus integrifolia, a native of Lower California
and the coast islands, and to the following species of the Rocky
Mountain Region (Idaho to Arizona):
Cercocarpus ledifolius, Used for fuel.
Cercocarpus parvifolius, Used for fuel.
Cercocarpus breviflorus, Heavy, hard, not common.]
[Footnote 62: John Lindley, Treasury of Botany, p. 243, Part I; also
see Gifford, "Forestry and Irrigation," Vol. VIII, No. 4, p. 174;
also Correspondence Messrs. Wm. E. Uptegrove & Brother, New York
City.]
MAHOGANY.
_Swietenia mahogani Jacq._
Nomenclature.
Mahogany (local and common name).
Spanish Mahogany (Cuba, San Domingo, West Indies).
Mexican Mahogany (Frontera, Laguna, Santa Anna, and other Mexican
ports).
Honduras Mahogany (Honduras).
Baywood, Madeira, Redwood.
Locality.
Florida Keys, Bahamas, West Indies, Mexico, Central America, Peru.
Features of Tree.
Florida specimens forty-five feet in height and two or more feet in
diameter. Foreign trees larger.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Light, rich reddish brown. Thin sapwood yellow. Smooth, fine uniform
texture, inconspicuous rings, conspicuous pores, sometimes filled
with white substance.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Strong, brittle, durable, holds glue, takes stains and high polish,
small distortion in seasoning, stands well.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Cabinet-work, veneers; formerly ship-building.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
45.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,510,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
14,000.
Remarks.
Desirability varies with locality. Spanish mahogany ranks first,
and harder Mexican woods next. Mahogany is usually stained. African
mahogany is now successfully rivaling the American product. [p121]
WHITE MAHOGANY. Prima vera.
_Tabeuia Donnell-Smithii (Rose)._
Nomenclature.
White Mahogany, Prima vera (local and common names).
Locality.
Mexico and Central America.
Features of Tree.
Fifty to seventy-five feet in height, two to four feet in diameter.
Tall, slender, a beautiful tree. Numerous golden-yellow flowers
precede the leaves.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Cream-white. Beautiful, fine grain, resembles mahogany.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Works and stands well.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Cabinet-work, fine furniture, veneers.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
Modulus of Elasticity.
Modulus of Rupture.
Remarks.
Many twelve-foot logs imported through San Francisco and west.
Higher-priced than Red Mahogany. Named after discoverer. The wood of
the Butternut or White Walnut is sometimes sold as White Mahogany.
FOOTNOTE
See Botanical Gazette, Vol. XVII, 1892, p. 418; Contribution U. S.
National Herbarium, p. 346, Vol. I, No. 9, U. S. Dept. Agriculture,
Division of Botany. [p122]
SPANISH CEDAR, MEXICAN CEDAR.
_Cedrela odorata Linn._
Nomenclature.
Spanish Cedar, Mexican Cedar, Cuban Cedar (local and common names).
Locality.
Mexico, Cuba, West Indies.
Features of Tree.
Fifty to eighty feet in height, two to five feet in diameter.
Pale-yellow flowers. Pods resemble pecan-nuts. Tree suggests English
walnut (_J. regia_).
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Brownish red, straight, even, compact grain.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Soft, fragrant, porous, durable. Resembles cedar woods derived from
coniferous trees (page 167); also resembles mahogany.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Cigar-boxes, boats, fine cabinet-work. May be used in place of
mahogany. The figured Australian Red Cedar (_C. australis_)
is locally used for furniture, joinery, carriages, ceilings,
door-frames, etc.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
Modulus of Elasticity.
Modulus of Rupture.
Remarks.
Used for cigar-boxes, because its porous structure assists cigars
to season, and its odor improves their flavor. The Cuban supply is
practically exhausted. Mexico is now the chief American source.
Trees grow rapidly. [p123]
FOOTNOTES
The Toon Cedar (Cedrela toona Roxburgh) of the Orient is the same as
the Red Cedar (_Cedrela australis F. v. M._) of Australia. The Cedar
(_Cedrela odorata Blanco_) is thought to be distinct Philippine
species.
"Forestry and Irrigation," p. 173, Vol. VIII, No. 4; Writings Dr.
Gifford; Correspondence Wm. E. Uptegrove & Brother, and others.
[Illustration: PLATE 26. EUCALYPTUS (_Eucalyptus_).
Blue Gum Tree (_E. globulus_) California.
Blue Gum Bark (_E. globulus_) California.
Jarrah Trunk, (_E. marginata_) Australia.
Jarrah Wood (_E. marginata_).
Karri Wood (_E. diversicolor_).]
EUCALYPTUS.
(_Eucalyptus_.)
These trees, locally known as Stringy-barks, Iron-barks, and
Gum-trees, are natives of Australia and the neighboring islands. Some
of the nearly four hundred species have been widely transplanted,
although none have thus far succeeded in this country outside of
Florida and California.[63] The Blue Gum (_E. globulus_) is the
species commonly referred to when Eucalyptus is mentioned in North
America.
The Eucalypts are noted for their great size, rapid growth, tough,
durable wood, and alleged effect upon health. Size is illustrated by
the species Eucalyptus amygdalina, specimens of which have reached
a height of four hundred and eighty feet and are thus the tallest,
although not the largest, trees known to man. Growth is shown by
specimens of the Eucalyptus gunnii, which have grown in excess of
two feet a month during the first year.[64] The working qualities of
Jarrah, Karri, and Tuart woods (_E. marginata_, _E. diversicolor_,
and _E. gomphocephala_) are such as to cause them to take high rank
in local construction. The first two have been preferred beyond all
other species for paving the streets of London and of Paris. Some
improvement in health is said to have followed the introduction of
the Blue Gum (_Eucalyptus globulus_) in malarial districts, such
as those around Rome. It is not certain whether these results are
due to the presence of essences in the foliage, although medicinal
properties are ascribed to them and they are used in the preparation
of listerine and similar compounds, or [p124] whether they are due
to the fact that the leaves evaporate unusual quantities of water
drawn by the roots from the soil.[65]
The trees are characterized by leathery evergreen foliage of many
shades, such as blue, gray, and green. The leaves of young and old
trees differ widely in some species. Those of young blue gums are
bright blue, oval, and stalkless, while leaves of older trees have
stems, are dark green and sickle-shaped. The characteristic odor is
the only point in common between the foliage of the old and young
of this species. There are, as stated, nearly four hundred species.
[p125]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 63: First introduced in 1856; 1,000,000 specimens thought
to be in California, 1874. A. Kinney, U. S. Forestry Bulletin No.
11.]
[Footnote 64: Eucalyptus globulus is said to have grown in
California at the rate of two feet a month during the first year.]
Works of Baron von Müller; Report J. Ednie-Brown, Forest
Commissioner, Western Australia; Correspondence M. Francis Chapman,
Esq., London; The Forester, Jan. 1900; Abbot Kinney, U. S. Forestry
Bulletin No. 11.
[Footnote 65: The writer has seen long rows of California blue gums
cut down because they "dried the soil." The general form of a blue
gum tree suggests that of large black Locust.]
McClatchie, U. S. Forestry Bulletin No. 35.
JARRAH.
_Eucalyptus marginata._
Nomenclature.
Jarrah (local and common name).
Mahogany Gum (Australia).
Locality.
Western coast of Australia.
Features of Tree.
Ninety to one hundred or more feet in height, two to five feet
in diameter. Fifty or more feet to lowest branch. Dull, sombre
appearance. Branches concentrated at top.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Reddish, resembles mahogany, also Kauri wood.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, non-absorbent, somewhat oily, durable in contact with the
soil, receives good polish. Characteristic odor, wears thin evenly,
not easily inflammable. Said to repel teredo and termite.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Marine work, exposed positions, ship-building, bridge timbers,
street-paving (London and Paris).
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
65 (Ednie-Brown).[66]
Modulus of Elasticity.
2,080,000 (Ednie-Brown).[66]
Modulus of Rupture.
8900 (Ednie-Brown).[66]
Remarks.
Chief timber tree of southwestern Australia. Preferred by Australian
ship-builders. Often confused with Karri.[67] Specimen forty years
old two feet in diameter. Müller calls it the least inflammable of
woods. Marginata refers to thick-edged leaves. [p126]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 66: Report Forests Western Australia, Presented to
Parliament, 1896.]
[Footnote 67: The Melbourne Argus, December 31, 1892, states that
the woods may be distinguished by the fact that the ashes of Jarrah
are white and those of Karri black. Specimens of Jarrah wood seen by
the writer were dark, suggesting black walnut, those of Karri were
red, resembling mahogany.]
KARRI.
_Eucalyptus diversicolor._
Nomenclature.
Karri (many localities).
White Gum (Australia).
Locality.
Australia, New Zealand.
Features of Tree.
Two to three hundred and fifty feet in height, four to eighteen feet
in diameter. A straight graceful tree, lower branches often one
hundred and fifty feet from ground. Smooth yellow white bark.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Reddish brown, fibres interlaced, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Hard, heavy, tough and elastic, non-absorbent, durable, difficult to
work, wears evenly, characteristic odor.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Construction, railway ties, piles, marine work, pavements (London
and Paris).
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
63 (Ednie-Brown).[68]
Modulus of Elasticity.
2,890,000 (Ednie-Brown).[68]
Modulus of Rupture.
8000 (Ednie-Brown).[68]
Remarks.
Once named Eucalyptus colossea because of great size. Rich in
essential oils. Grows rapidly, one specimen thirty-five years
old, having reached a height of one hundred and thirty-five
feet. Distinct from Kauri Pine (_D. australis_) of New Zealand.
Diversicolor refers to leaves the upper and lower sides of which
differ in color. [p127]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 68: Report Forests Western Australia, Presented to
Parliament, 1896.]
TUART.
_Eucalyptus gomphocephala._
Nomenclature.
Tuart (local and common name).
Tewart (Australia).
Tooart (Australia).
White Gum (Australia).
Locality.
Australia.
Features of Tree.
One hundred to one hundred and fifty feet in height, four to six
feet in diameter. Lower branches forty or more feet from ground.
Bright, cheerful appearance, straight trunk, gray-white bark.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light yellow, compact appearance, fibres interlaced.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Very hard, heavy, strong, tough, rigid, durable, seasons well.
Difficult to split or work.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Keels, buffers, stern-posts, frames, wheel-hubs, shafts.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
67 (Ednie-Brown).[69]
Modulus of Elasticity.
2,300,000 (Ednie-Brown).[69]
Modulus of Rupture.
9300 (Ednie-Brown).[69]
Remarks.
Highly prized locally. One of the strongest of woods. Gomphocephala
refers to peculiarities in lid of calyx-tube. [p128]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 69: Report on Forests Western Australia, Presented to
Parliament, 1896.]
BLUE GUM, FEVER TREE.
_Eucalyptus globulus._
Nomenclature.
Blue Gum (local and common name).
Fever Tree (Australia).
Balluck (Australia).
Locality.
Native of Australia acclimated in southern California and elsewhere
throughout the world.
Features of Tree.
Two hundred to sometimes three hundred or more feet in height.
Three to six feet in diameter. Loose, shaggy, exfoliating bark.[70]
Leaves sometimes twelve inches in length. Color varies with age.
Characteristic odor.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Straw color. Sapwood lighter. Indistinct annual rings. Fibres
interlaced.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Hard, heavy, durable, difficult to split.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Rollers, paving-blocks, ship-building, fuel.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
43 to 69 (Mueller).
57 to 69 (Lazlett).
Modulus of Elasticity.
Modulus of Rupture.
Remarks.
The Eucalyptus of California. The species planted in malarial
districts. Sanitary powers due to evaporation from large leaves or
presence of essential oils, which are thought to have medicinal
qualities. Grows very rapidly. [p129]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 70: The bark is variable. Some trees of nearly 1 foot
diameter have smooth green bark resembling that on young willow
saplings; most others have the shaggy bark, while from some this has
dropped away, exposing a smooth grayish interior suggesting that of
the sycamore.]
[Illustration: PLATE 27. PINE (_Pinus_).
White Pine Foliage (_P. strobus_).
Hard Pine Trunk (_P. palustris_).
(_Photograph by Edward J. Davison_.)
White Pine Tree (_P. strobus_).
(_Courtesy N. C. Geol. Survey_.)
Hard Pine Wood (_P. palustris_).
Soft or Sugar Pine Wood (_P. lambertiana_).]
NEEDLELEAF WOODS.
The trees affording these woods cover large areas in the natural
forests of the Northern Hemisphere. They exist, but to an unimportant
extent, in the South. Cedar, larch, and cypress figure in ancient
history, but woods generally were not employed until recent
times.[71] Pine, spruce, hemlock, and other so-called soft woods are
of this group.
Needle-leaved woods are characterized by uniform fibre-conditions,
presence of resins, and lighter weights. The vertical structure
consists of simple, similar, elongated tubes or cells, tapering and
finally closing at their ends, known as tracheids. These are arranged
with more or less regularity, and woods are correspondingly easy to
work. Pith-rays are scarcely visible, and sections do not show pores.
Cavities known as resin-ducts, and which are not real vessels but
rather simple intercellular spaces, secrete resins so important in
making these woods durable and elastic. Trees afford large, straight
pieces. Woods are used in carpentry and heavy constructions. The
total requirement greatly exceeds that for hard woods.
The resinous, usually evergreen, leaves and the cones are sufficient
to identify these trees. Needleleaf, softwood, conifer, and evergreen
trees are the same. [p130]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 71: See Oak, pages 11 _et seq._ The woods have always been
important in the United States.]
PINE.
(_Pinus_.)
These trees were not regarded seriously until about the latter half
of the eighteenth century. Their woods are now the principal ones
in carpentry and construction, and are more used than any others.
They are to the soft woods what the oaks are to the hard woods, and
they stand at present with reference to all woods much as iron does
to all metals. Pine is prized because of a combination of strength,
elasticity, light weight, working qualities, and availability, such
as fits it for those constructions requiring the largest quantities
of wood.
The pines have smooth, straight, solid trunks, usually destitute of
branches for many feet from the ground. There are needle-shaped,
more or less cylindrical, evergreen leaves from one to many inches
in length, gathered in clusters of two, three, or five, their number
and the fact that they are thus clustered being important bases of
classification. There are also cones of woody overlapping scales.
They reproduce with difficulty,[72] and mature so slowly that
ultimate survival of modern conditions must probably be as cultivated
trees.
Thirty-nine of the seventy known species of pine are found in the
United States. These with their woods are separated into two groups
known as _hard_ and _soft_ pines. The Dantzic or Northern pine
(_Pinus silvestris_) is the principal European species. [p131]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 72: The roots of most species die with cutting of trees.
There is no power of producing new shoots. (The pitch pine (_Pinus
rigida_) is an exception to this rule.) Seeds also have short-lived
vitality. Trees are easily raised from fresh seeds.]
SOFT PINE.
Soft pine is soft, clean, light, uniform, easily worked, not strong,
free from knots and resins, and obtainable in large and perfect
pieces. The wood is whitish and the yearly rings are not pronounced.
The supply is divided, as obtained from the white pine on the one
hand, and from the sugar-pine and all other species on the other.
White pine (_Pinus strobus_) grows in the north, central, and eastern
United States and was formerly the important tree of North America.
It emphasized the forest industries of Maine and of Michigan,
and methods connected with harvesting it have influenced logging
practices in many fields. It was long the only softwood seriously
considered by Northern lumbermen. Thirty per cent of the sawn
timber and lumber used in this country in 1899 was drawn from this
species.[73] White pine is diminishing so rapidly as to be already
practically unobtainable in many places.
The Sugar Pine (_Pinus lambertiana_) of the Western States is a tree
growing at high elevations and is so large as to take rank with the
redwoods and other of the world's greatest trees. Some material is
derived from the Western white pine (_Pinus flexilis_) and one or
more minor species. Sugar pine resembles, but is not as desirable as,
white pine. The sweetish exudations from this tree are sometimes used
in medicine. [p132]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 73: Roth, U. S. Forestry Bul. No. 22, p. 73.]
"White Pine Timber Supplies." U. S. S. Doc. 55-1, Vol. IV.
HARD PINE.
Hard pine differs from soft pine in that it is hard, resinous, heavy,
harder to work, and very strong. It also is obtainable in large
pieces. The orange-yellow wood is more or less figured. The annual
deposits are pronounced and are separated into two sharply divided
rings. The supply is chiefly derived from the longleaf, shortleaf,
Cuban, and loblolly pines of the South Atlantic States.
The longleaf pine (_Pinus palustris_) is distinctly the most
important of its group. The wood is ideal for heavy constructions.
Beams, docks, trestles, and frames of cars are formed of it. The
trees afford the greater bulk of turpentine, tar, and resin, or
"naval stores," produced in this country.[74] Cuban, shortleaf, and
loblolly pine woods (_P. heterophylla_, _P. echinata_, and _P. tæda_)
are nearly similar. Longleaf and Cuban pines are seldom separated,
while shortleaf and loblolly pines are also mixed. Longleaf pine
usually affords finer structure and more heartwood than Cuban pine.
Strength and weight averages of both woods are in excess of those
of shortleaf and loblolly pines. No method of invariably telling
these four woods apart has as yet been determined. (Roth.) Any or
all of them are practically liable to be delivered in response to a
demand for Southern pine. Johnson considers shortleaf pine as good as
longleaf pine of equal weight, and suggests environment as a means of
identification.
Palustris, signifying "swampy," is misleading, since long leaf pine
prefers dry, sandy soil and tracts known as "pine barrens." _Mitis_
refers to the soft, delicate foliage of shortleaf pine. _Tæda_
signifies "torch." The trees may be told by differences in their
leaves and cones. [p133]
Longleaf (_P. palustris_)
Leaves
Number in Cluster 3
Length, in. 10 to 15
Cones
Diameter (open), in. 4 to 5
Length, in. 6 to 10
Cuban (_P. heterophylla_)
Leaves
Number in Cluster 2 or 3
Length, in. 8 to 12
Cones
Diameter (open), in. 3 to 5
Length, in. 4 to 7
Shortleaf (_P. echinata_)
Leaves
Number in Cluster 2 or 3
Length, in. 2 to 5
Cones
Diameter (open), in. 1 to 2
Length, in. 2
Loblolly (_P. tæda_)
Leaves
Number in Cluster 3
Length, in. 5 to 10
Cones
Diameter (open), in. 2 to 3
Length, in. 3 to 4
A confusion exists in the naming of the pines. American white pine
is known as yellow or Weymouth pine in Europe, and all American hard
pines are there often known as pitch pines. The European, Dantzic,
or Northern pine has also many names, principally depending on port
of shipment. Georgia, Southern, Yellow, Hard, and even Pitch pine,
are interchangeable names in this country. The species palustris has
thirty local names. [p134]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 74: Manufacture of tar, pitch, etc. (See Report Chief U.
S. Div. Forestry, 1892, p. 356; also U. S. Forestry Bulletin No.
13.)]
WHITE PINE.
_Pinus strobus Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
White Pine (local and common name).
Weymouth Pine (Mass., S. C.).
Soft Pine (Pa.).
Northern Pine (N. C.).
Spruce Pine (Tenn.).
Pumpkin Pine.
Locality.
North-central and northeastern United States, northward into Canada,
southward to Illinois, and along the Alleghanies into Georgia,
intermittently.
Features of Tree.
Seventy-five to one hundred and fifty feet in height. Three to six
feet in diameter, sometimes larger. Erect impressive form. Tufts of
five soft, slender, evergreen leaves in long sheath. Cones four to
six inches long, one inch thick, slightly curved.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood cream-white, sapwood nearly white. Close, straight grain.
Compact structure. Comparatively free from knots and resin.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Soft, uniform, seasons well, easy to work, nails without splitting,
fairly durable. Lightest and weakest of eastern United States pines.
Shrinks less than other pines.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Carpentry, construction, matches, spars, boxes, numerous uses.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
24 (U. S. Forestry Div.).[75]
24.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,390,000 (average of 130 tests by U. S. Forestry Div.).[75]
1,210,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
7900 (average of 120 tests by U. S. Forestry Div.).[75]
8900.
Remarks.
Formerly the chief lumber tree of the United States. The supply is
rapidly diminishing. [p135]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 75: See page 6.]
"The White Pine." Spaulding. U. S Forestry Bul. No. 22.
"White Pine" a Study. Mr. Gifford Pinchot. (Century Co.)
"White Pine Timber Supplies." U. S. Doc. 40 Senate, 55-1, Vol. IV.
WHITE PINE.
_Pinus flexilis James._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
White Pine (Cal., Nev., Utah, Col., N. M.).
Pine (Utah, Mont.).
Bull Pine (Col.).
Western and Rocky Mountain White Pine (Cal.).
Locality.
Rocky Mountains, Montana to Mexico.
Features of Tree.
Forty to fifty feet in height, one to three feet in diameter. Tufts
of five rather short, rigid leaves in sheaths.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light, clear yellow, turning red from exposure. Sapwood
nearly white. Close-grained, compact structure, numerous and
conspicuous medullary rays.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Construction.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
27.
Modulus of Elasticity.
960,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
8800.
Remarks.
This tree forms mountain forests of considerable extent. Valued
locally. [p136]
SUGAR PINE.
_Pinus lambertiana Dougl._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Sugar Pine (local and common name).
Big Pine, Shade Pine (Cal.).
Little or Great Sugar Pine.
Gigantic Pine.
White Pine.
Locality.
Oregon and California. Best at high altitudes (above 4000 feet),
central and northern California.
Features of Tree.
One hundred to occasionally three hundred feet in height, fifteen to
sometimes twenty feet in diameter. Cones ten to eighteen inches in
length, edible seeds. Sweetish exudations. A great tree.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood pinkish brown, sapwood cream-white. Coarse,
straight-grained, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, easily worked, resembles white pine (_Pinus strobus_).
Representative Uses of Wood.
Carpentry, interior finish, doors, blinds, sashes, etc.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
22.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,120,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
8400.
Remarks.
Grows at as high elevations as five thousand feet or more above
tide-water. Forms extensive forests with Balsam Fir (_Abies
concolor_). [p137]
WHITE PINE.
_Pinus monticola Dougl._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
White Pine (Cal., Nev., Oreg.).
Mountain Pine, Finger Cone Pine (Cal.).
Little Sugar Pine, Soft Pine (Cal.).
Western White Pine.
Mountain Weymouth Pine.
Locality.
Montana, Idaho, Pacific States, and British Columbia.
Features of Tree.
Eighty to one hundred feet in height. Two to three feet in diameter,
sometimes larger. Foliage resembles, but is denser than, white pine.
Long smooth cones.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light brown or red, sapwood nearly white.
Straight-grained, compact, suggests white pine (_Pinus strobus_).
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, not strong.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Lumber.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
24.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,350,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
8600.
Remarks.
Found at elevations of seven thousand to ten thousand feet. Common
and locally used in northern Idaho. [p138]
GEORGIA PINE, HARD PINE, YELLOW PINE, LONGLEAF PINE.
_Pinus palustris Mill._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Turpentine Pine.
Rosemary Pine.
N. Carolina Pitch Pine.
Southern Pine.
Longleaved Yellow Pine.
Longleaved Pitch Pine.
Long Straw Pine.
Pitch Pine.
Fat Pine.
Heart Pine.
Brown Pine.
Florida Yellow Pine.
Florida Pine.
Florida Longleaved Pine.
Southern Pitch Pine.
Southern Hard Pine.
Southern Heart Pine.
Southern Yellow Pine.
Georgia Pitch Pine.
Georgia Longleaved Pine.
Georgia Heart Pine.
Georgia Yellow Pine.
Texas Yellow Pine.
Texas Longleaved Pine.
Locality.
South Atlantic and Gulf States, Virginia to Alabama, intermittently.
Features of Tree.
Fifty to ninety feet or more in height, one to three feet in
diameter. Tufts of three leaves, ten to fifteen inches long, in long
sheath.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood orange, sapwood lighter. Coarse-grained, compact
structure, conspicuous medullary rays.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Hard, heavy, tough, strong, elastic, durable, resinous.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Heavy constructions, ship-building, cars, docks, beams, ties,
flooring, house-trim, many uses.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
38 (U. S. Division of Forestry).[76]
43.
Modulus of Elasticity.
2,070,000 (average of 1230 tests by U. S. Forestry Div.).[76]
2,110,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
12,600 (average of 1160 tests by U. S. Forestry Div.).[76]
16,300.
Remarks.
Finer and has less sapwood than Cuban pine. One of the best woods
for car-building. Principal lumber tree of the Southeast. [p139]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 76: See page 6.]
"Southern Pine." U. S. Forestry Circular No. 12. (Dr. B. E. Fernow,
Chief.)
"Timber Pines of Southern States." U. S. Forestry Bul. No. 13. (Dr.
B. E. Fernow, Chief.)
CUBAN PINE.
_Pinus heterophylla Sudw._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Cuban Pine, Slash Pine (local and common names).
Pitch Pine, She Pine, She Pitch Pine (Ga., Fla.).
Swamp Pine (Fla., Miss.).
Bastard Pine, Meadow Pine, Spruce Pine.
Locality.
Coast region, South Carolina to Florida and Louisiana.
Features of Tree.
Fifty to eighty feet in height, one to two feet in diameter.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Resembles longleaf pine.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Similar to those of longleaf pine, from which it is seldom separated.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
39 (U. S. Forestry Div.).[77]
Modulus of Elasticity.
2,370,000 (average of 410 tests by U. S. Div. of Forestry).[77]
Modulus of Rupture.
13,600 (average of 410 tests by U. S. Div. of Forestry).[77]
Remarks.
Resembles and is marked longleaf pine (_Pinus palustris_). [p140]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 77: See page 6.]
"Southern Pine." U. S. Forestry Circular No. 12. (Dr. B. E. Fernow,
Chief.)
"Timber Pines of Southern States." U. S. Forestry Bul. No. 13. (Dr.
B. E. Fernow, Chief.)
SHORTLEAF PINE, YELLOW PINE.
_Pinus echinata Mill._
_Pinus mitis Michx._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Common Yellow Pine, Hard Pine.
Spruce Pine (Del., Miss., Ark.).
Bull Pine (Va.).
Shortshat Pine (Del.).
Pitch Pine (Mo.).
Poor Pine (Fla.).
Shortleaved Yellow Pine (N. C.).
Rosemary Pine (N. C.).
Virginia Yellow Pine.
North Carolina Yellow Pine.
North Carolina Pine.
Carolina Pine.
Slash Pine.
Old Field Pine.
Locality.
Connecticut to Florida, westward intermittently to Kansas and Texas.
Features of Tree.
Sixty to sometimes ninety feet in height, two to sometimes four
feet in diameter. A large erect tree; small cones have minute weak
prickles. Leaves usually in twos from long sheaths.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Resembles longleaf pine.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Variable, usually hard, tough, strong, durable, resinous, lighter
than longleaf pine.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Lumber, construction, similar to longleaf pine.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
32 (U. S. Forestry Div.).[78]
30.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,680,000 (average of 330 tests by U. S. Forestry Div.).[78]
1,950,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
10,100 (average of 330 tests by U. S. Forestry Div.).[78]
14,700.
Remarks.
Affords considerable pitch and turpentine, and is the principal
species of Northern Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri. [p141]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 78: See page 6.]
"Southern Pine." Mohr U. S. Forestry Circular No. 12.
"Timber Pines of Southern States." U. S. Forestry Bul. No. 13. (Dr.
B. E. Fernow, Chief.)
LOBLOLLY PINE.
_Pinus tæda Linn._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Old Field Pine.
Torch Pine.
Rosemary Pine.
Slash Pine.
Longshat Pine.
Longshucks.
Black Slash Pine.
Frankincense Pine.
Shortleaf Pine.
Bull Pine.
Virginia Pine.
Sap Pine.
Meadow Pine.
Cornstalk Pine (Va.).
Black Pine.
Foxtail Pine.
Indian Pine.
Spruce Pine.
Bastard Pine.
Yellow Pine.
Swamp Pine.
Longstraw Pine.
Locality.
Delaware to Florida and westward intermittently to Texas.
Features of Tree.
Fifty to one hundred feet or more in height, two to sometimes four
feet in thickness. Leaves in twos and threes. Scales or cones have
short straight spines. A large tree.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Resembles longleaf pine.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Resembles longleaf pine.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Resembles longleaf pine.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
33 (U. S. Forestry Div.).[79]
33.
Modulus of Elasticity.
2,050,000 (average of 660 tests by U. S. Forestry Div.).[79]
1,600,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
11,300 (average of 650 tests by U. S. Forestry Div.).[79]
12,500.
Remarks.
Grows naturally on deforested land, whence the name of Old Field
Pine. [p142]
FOOTNOTES
[Footnote 79: See page 6.]
"Southern Pine." U. S. Forestry Circular No. 12. (Dr. B. E. Fernow,
Chief.)
"Timber Pines of Southern States." U. S. Forestry Bul. No. 13. (Dr.
B. E. Fernow, Chief.)
BULL PINE, YELLOW PINE, WESTERN YELLOW PINE.
_Pinus ponderosa Laws._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Big Pine.
Longleaved Pine.
Red Pine.
Pitch Pine.
Southern Yellow Pine.
Heavy-wooded Pine.
Western Pitch Pine.
Heavy Pine (Calif.).
Foothills Yellow Pine.
Montana Black Pine.
Locality.
Rocky Mountains, westward intermittently to Pacific Ocean.
Features of Tree.
One hundred to sometimes three hundred feet in height, six to
sometimes twelve feet in diameter. Thick, deeply furrowed bark.
Leaves in tufts of threes.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Thin heartwood is light red, sapwood nearly white. Rather coarse
grain, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Variable, heavy, hard, strong, brittle, not durable.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Lumber, railway ties, mine timbers, fuel, etc.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
29.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,260,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
10,200.
Remarks.
Ponderosa, signifying "heavy," refers to great size. [p143]
NORWAY PINE, RED PINE.
_Pinus resinosa Ait._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Norway Pine, Red Pine (local and common names).
Hard Pine (Wis.).
Canadian Red Pine (Eng.).
Locality.
Southern Canada, northern United States from Maine to Minnesota,
Pennsylvania.
Features of Tree.
Sixty to ninety feet in height, one to three feet in diameter.
Reddish blossoms and bark on branchlets. Leaves in twos from long
sheaths. A tall, straight tree.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Thin heartwood light red, sapwood yellow to white. Numerous
pronounced medullary rays.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, hard, elastic, not durable, resinous.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Piles, telegraph poles, masts, flooring, and wainscoting.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
31 (U. S. Forestry Div.).[80]
30.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,620,000 (average of 100 tests by U. S. Forestry Division).[80]
1,600,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
9,100 (average of 95 tests by U. S. Forestry Div.).[80]
12,500.
Remarks.
Sometimes commercially handled with white pine. Unimportant as
regards turpentine and resin, in spite of specific name, which
signifies resinous. Long sheaths enable children to make chains of
leaves. [p144]
FOOTNOTE
[Footnote 80: See page 6.]
PITCH PINE.
_Pinus rigida Mill._
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Pitch Pine (local and common name).
Longleaved Pine, Longschat Pine (Del.).
Hard Pine (Mass.).
Yellow Pine (Pa.).
Black Pine (N. C.).
Black Norway Pine.
Rigid Pine, Sap Pine.
Locality.
Atlantic coast, Canada to Georgia, Kentucky.
Features of Tree.
Forty to sometimes eighty feet in height, one to sometimes three
feet in diameter. Rigid flattened leaves in threes from short
sheaths.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light brown or red, thick sapwood yellow to nearly white.
Coarse conspicuous grain, compact structure, very resinous.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, not strong, brittle.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Coarse lumber, fuel, charcoal.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
32.
Modulus of Elasticity.
820,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
10,500.
Remarks.
Rigida refers to rigid leaves. The name "Pitch Pine" is sometimes
applied to all of the Southern pines. The name is yet more widely
applied in foreign markets. Sometimes called Fat Pine. [p145]
NORTHERN PINE, SCOTCH PINE, DANTZIC PINE.
_Pinus sylvestris Linn._
Nomenclature.
Dantzic Fir (from place of shipment).
Rigi Fir (from place of shipment).
Memel Fir (from place of shipment).
Stettin Fir (from place of shipment).
Swedish Fir.
Scots or Scottish Fir.
Northern Fir.
Redwood, Yellowwood.