356 Fox\yoRTi!V. 
T 
encirclino- the log:, and wIkto thev aro numerous some of them can usuallv 
be seen to do this even iu a small piece. 
Vessels. — Fine, tuhular passageways are foutid iu all of these woods; 
in observing the end view of the log they appear as pores or sieve-like 
openings. 
Concentric lines of soft tissue are found in some woods. These may 
be fine or coarse, wavy, broken, or straiglit. They are of very constant 
occurrence and serve clearly to delimit certain groups. The size, number, 
and arrangement of the vessels as well as the relation of the soft tissue 
and vessels to each other and to the pith-rays is very important. 
PLANES OF SECTION. 
Each -wood should be observed in the following three planes of section: 
Cross section. — Any section directly across tlie stem at right angles to the 
direction of growth ; in this the pith-rays appear as long lines from pith to bark. 
Tangential section or slah cut. — Any longitudinal section parallel to the bark 
and at right angles to tlie pith-rays. This is the one used in making ordinary, 
cheap planking, and it shows what is known as the cat-faced or bastard grain. In 
this plane of section the vessels appear as long lines tln-ough the wood and the 
pith-rays are seen in end view. 
Radial section. — 'Any longitudinal section parallel to the pith-rays. Here the 
pith-rays appear as flat, expanded surfaces and the vessels as long linos; the 
timber so cut is known as quartered or rift-sawed, and lias the beautiful silver 
grain which is familiar to most users of wood. This is the best method of cut- 
ting to secure the maximum of beauty and strength, but the tangential cut is 
niucli the easier to make, as it necessitates less handling and involves less waste; 
Iiowever, it gives an inferior timber. 
GEAIN. 
This is the figure presented by the structure of the wood. It is 
fine or coarse, straight or crooked, according as the elements of the 
wood are coarse or fine, crowded or loosely put together, straight or 
twisted. The best grain of the wood is brought out by careful attention 
to the cutting. The occurrence of a knot or branch, an irregularity in 
the trunk or root, or some local imperfection in the wood, may produce 
a regional modification of the grain, causing what is known as curly, or 
bird's-eye grain, or burl. Specimens showing the latter are at times 
very pretty and are nnicli prized for certain classes of furniture. One 
of the best-known modifications of the grain is found in the large 
buttresses or buttress roots of some of our trees; some of these are of 
sufficient size to furnish single-piece table tops. Narra {Pterocarpus 
spp.) is probably the most widely known for this, purpose, but we have 
a number of different trees show^ing this habit. Tindalo (Pahudia 
rliomhoidea Prain), palo maria (CalopJujJIum spp.), tanguile (Sharea 
poJysperma (Blco.) Merr.), calantas {Toona spp.) may be mentioned 
among the trees showing the fancy burl or bird's-e^'e grain. 
Spiral grain, — A tree in growing often takes a spiral direction as 
indicated by the twistings of the bark; this gives the grain a spiral twist 
