COMMERCIAL USES OF LONGLEAF PINE 



907 



more perfecth- suited to line interi<_)r liiiish. As it ages, 

 the color of the wood clianges from a light yellow and 

 hrown to a rich golden brown which takes a hue polish 

 and becomes extraordinarilv beautiful. 



chiefly longleaf, than of any other wood. .Although we 

 have no statistics at hand to prove it, it is almost safe to 

 assert that more freight cars are built of it than of all 

 other .American woods combined. 



In the last few years the popularity of wood pa\ing 



blocks in our cities has increased. They are soundless, 



There is an old Episcopal cliurch at Raleigh, \orth sanitary and very durable if treated with preservatives 



Carolina, built in Revolutionary times. It is of stone. ;md maile of the right kind of wood. They are also easy 



lis rafters, pews, and other furnishings are of prime both on the feet of horses and the tires of motor vehicles. 



longleaf, finished in the natural wood, now darkened and A'ellow \nne. because of its hardness and density, meets 



TX A CHURCH OK Ki:\<il.l'nn.\.\KV D.WS 



LONGI,E.\F PINE TIMBERS 



riie most important of tlie yellow ]iine group for heavy structural and bridge timbers is tlie longleaf. Owing to its strength and last properties 

 it was long considered supreme among American woods as a structural timber and only with tlie exploitation of the forests of the Pacific 

 Coast in the last decade has it had to share this place with Douglas fir. 



deepened in color by age. (Jne has a r.ew conception of 

 the value of this wood for decorative purposes after a 

 visit to this cathedral-like building. It is a pity that 

 more manufacturers do not specialize in the curlv grained 

 pme which has as pleasing grain and color as curlv majile. 

 and could be sold much cheaper. 



As a general flooring wood, longleaf has no superior, 

 whether it be thick planking for mills and factories, 

 where strength and durability are the consideraton, or 

 in the home of the average citizen, wdiere it combines in- 

 e.xpensiveness with beauty and utility. The so-called 

 edge-grain, (|uartersawn, or rift flooring is the most dur- 

 able, and takes the best polish. 



^\ e can pause to discuss only lightly a few of the 

 other uses, one of the most important being car stock. 

 More American railroad cars are built of yellow pine. 



tliese requirements, and it is far and aw^ay the leading 

 wood for this purpose. 



In 1907 the railroads of the country i)urchased 34,- 

 215,000 yellow pine ties. The life of an untreated long- 

 leaf tie averages between 5 and 7 years, which compares 

 favorably with that obtained from wdiite oak or locust 

 and other hardwoods. Many of these ties are hewn. 

 Dead trees are often jiref erred, only the seasoned and 

 (hirable heartwood being used. Many are treated with 

 chemical preservatives. 



-An industry is beginning to grow u]) in the South in 

 the manufacture of paper pulp from longleaf, chieflv 

 from sawmill waste. It is in the interests of conserva- 

 tion that this industry be increased, since the waste from 

 the manufacture of Southern pines is far in excess of 

 what it should be. Tests by the Government Forest 



