20 



timber of Lhese western forests of the long-lenf pine is sa.wu into lumber and square stuff, used for 

 framing- and car building, and shipped to the northern markets to sui)ply the timberless regions 

 of the west. During tlie past year the cut has been ascertained to fall not far short of 8(»0,00(»,000 

 feet board measure. Of this output 225,000,000 square feet have to be ascribed to Louisiana and 

 575,000,000 to Texas. 



CHARACTEIIISTICS OF THE WOOD. 



No more difticult task could be set than to describe on paper tlie wood of these pines, or to 

 give the distinctive features so that the kinds can be distinguished and recognized by the unini- 

 tiated. Only the combined simultaneous impressions ui^on all the senses permit the expert to make 

 sure of distinguishing these woods, without being able to analyze in detail the characters by wliich 

 he so distinguishes them. While in many cases there would be no hesitation in referring a given 

 stick to one or the other si>ecjes, others may be found in which the resemblance to more than one 

 species is so close as to make them luirdly distinguishable. The following attempt to diagnose 

 these woods nuist, therefore, be takeu only as an imperfect general guide. So far even micro- 

 scopic examination has not furnished unfailing signs. Color is so variable that it can hardly serve 

 as a distinguisliing feature. The direction of the cut, roughness of surface, exudation of resin, 

 coudition of health, wid:h of grain, moisture condition, even the mode of drying, exposure, etc., 

 all have their share in giving color to the wood. Bearing iu mind this great complication of color 

 effects it will be granted that descriptions of the same, disturbed by peculiarities of each separate 

 observer, w'ill aid but little iu identifying the woods. 



The sapNVood of all the pines looks very nearly alike, and so does the heartwood. The color 

 of the springwood in the sap is a light yellowish with a shade of brown; the summer wood con- 

 tains nunc brown, variable with the density of the cells and appearing darker when the bands are 

 more abruptly separated from the spring wood. The heart-wood shows a nuirkedly darker color 

 with a reddish tlesh-color tinge added. 



It is perhaps easiest to distinguish the wood of the long-leaf and Cuban pines fnmi that of the 

 short-leaf and loblolly. It is also possibh^ to keep apart the long-leaf from the Cuban; but while, 

 in general, the short-leaf ami loblolly can be more or less easily distinguished by color or giaiu, 

 some fornts of the latter (rosemary-pine) so nearly resemble the former that no distiuguishing 

 feature is apparent. 



The most ready means for distinguishing the four seems to be the specific gravity or weight 

 in eonneetion with the grain. The proportion of sap a^nd heart-wood will also be an aid in recog- 

 niziu"- a log or log run lumber iu the pile. These distinctive features are tabulated as follows, 

 the figures representing average conditions of merchantable timber and mature trees: 



Diagnostic feat II reti of the wood. 



Name of species. 



[Possible 

 kiln dried wood. 



q 11 e n t 

 range. 



"WeiKlit, poundat Possible 

 ppr onbic feint,'? range, 

 kiln dried wond.(Avernj:e . 



Cbaraoter of j;ruin aeeu iu 

 cross eeetion. 



Color, general appearance. 



Sap wood, proportion 



Keain 



Long leaf pine 

 (Pinvuimliibhifi Miller). 



.58 (o .90 

 .m to .70 



44 to 52 



4S 

 Fino and nvm; animal 

 rings nnirortnly narrow 

 tlirnuglinni,; not le-sa 

 llian H {nm.stly about 

 18-*J5) rings to tlieinc^li. 



Ev«ii dark rt'ddish yellow 

 to reddisb browu. 



VerylilHf: r;i rely over 2 

 'to 3 imlu's of radiusi. 



Veiy abundant ; tree turn- 

 ing into '"light wood;" 

 pitcliy throughout. 



. Cuban pine 

 [Pinue cnbettsiit Oriseb.). 



.05 10.84 (SiU-g.) 



Variable and coarse; 



rings niosllywidi*: from 

 () to 8 rings to the inch. 



Dark straw color with 

 tinge of flesh color. 



Nearly one-half of the 

 radius. 



Abuiulaut, sometiniifs 

 yiidding more pitih 

 tlian loiig-Ieaf : not turn- 

 insj; into " light wood." 



Short-leaf pifie 

 Pinuh fchuiata AUUer). 



.as to .70 

 .50 to .Uft 



'^G to 44 



4U 



Very variable; medium, 

 coarse; ring.s wiilf iinar 

 lipart. followed by zone 

 of nari-ow ring**: not 

 less than 4 (niustly 

 abcuit 10) rings to thi_^ 

 inch. 



Yellowish-red 



Commonly over 4 inches 



of radius, 

 Moderately a b u n d a n t, 



least pitthy; only near 



stumps, knots, and 



limbs. 



Loblolly pine 

 (Piiiim Trnia Linn.). 



.38 to .61 

 .43 to .48 



34 



Less variable, mostly very 

 coar.se; 3 to 12 rings to 

 the inch ; generally wider 

 than in short-leaf. 



Whitish to brownish yel 

 low; the daik hajuls of 

 sunitnrr wmuiI beinu pro- 

 ]Ku tioiiatrly narrow. 



Vi'ry variable, i to i of the 

 radius. 



Abundant; more than 

 short-leaf, less than iong- 

 leaf and Cuban. 



