836 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



By couUcsy The Manimi .-i>ls I'n'ss 



YELLOW I'CiPLAR BOARDS 



Tangential or bastard cut section 

 of yellow poplar, showing an- 

 nual growth rings as wavy 

 lines, referred to commercially 

 as grain. 



Radial or quarter sawed section 

 of yellow poplar, showing pitli 

 rays (streaks and flecks runnini^ 

 across board). Dark portion i^ 

 heart wood and light portii>ii 

 sapwood. 



in that State in IHOT was ^O.j.dTl.ooii feet, or abont 11 

 per cent of the stand. In that year the whole country'^ 

 cut of yellow poplar was 8(i2,S4!l,iiOO feet. If the same 

 ratio of cut to stunipage applies, as in Kentucky, the yel- 

 low poplar stand in the United States at the close of 1!M)" 

 was a little less than eight billion feet. 



What white ])ine has been in the softwood lumber in- 

 dustr\-, yellow poplar has been among the hardwoods. 

 While it was plentiful it was used to the exclusion of 

 man\- others. During the time when Ijoth white pine and 

 yellow pojilar were plentiful they came into direct com- 

 petition, and the pine crowded poplar out of some lines. 

 Eiut the former rose in price first, and })0])lar recovered 

 its lost ground and held it until cheaper w(.iods tonk its 

 place as a common lumber. 



In regitms where yellow poplar grew it was early put 

 to such uses as the first settlers could find for it. They 

 made canoes of it almost exclusively, and the dugout 

 plaved an important part in frontier development. Trav- 

 elers utilized it ujion 

 long and short jour- 

 neys. It was the pio- 

 neer's ferryboat. As 

 a means of e.xtending 

 settlements and facili- 

 tating communication, 

 it was a close second 

 to the pack-hnrse. It 

 went out of use gradu- 

 allv as roads were 



Properties of Wood 



Light, soft, weak, 

 brittle, very close, 

 straight-grained, compact. 

 easily worked, medullary 

 rays numerous, not 

 prominent: color light 

 yellow or brown, 

 thin sapwood, nearly 

 white. 



made and bridges built, but to this day the canoe is oc- 

 casionally seen on the rivers where it has done service 

 since white men settled the country, and where it was 

 the Indian's water-craft long before. 



Yellow poplar was peculiarly fitted for canoes. Its 

 trunk was long, sound and shapely ; the wood light and 

 easily worked. It was strong enough to stand the hard 

 knocks of rocky rivers; sufficiently durable to give from 

 ten to thirty years' service, barring accidents. The cost 

 in labor of making a canoe was from $2 to $5. A safe 

 load was from OtK) to l.niKi pounds, but records exist of 

 canoes large enough to carry twenty men. 



The early settlers used yellow poplar for troughs of 

 various kinds and sizes. In that portion of its range 

 where maple sugar was made, its wond was hewed into 



By courtesy The Manual Arts Press 



MAGNIFIED CROSS-SKCTION OF YELLOW POPLAR 

 This shows the annual rings, the tine dark lines marking the limit of 

 the annual growth. There is no change in structure by warping or 

 shrinking in wood which has been properly dried. 



troughs of 4 to H gallons capacity, to catch the sap that 



drii)i)ed fmm the maples. Trough makers preferred 



trees 12 to 18 inches in diameter for the purpose, but 



they made large troughs, sometimes of 15 barrels 



capacity, in which to store the maple sap after it was 



hauled to the camp to be boiled. Poplar served for 



other farm troughs, including those for watering stock, 



storing meat, grain, soap, and other domestic products, 



and for mangers and 



feeding troughs. The 



same wood served f i ir 



trays, dishes and bowls 



and was fitted for that 



use, because the wood 



is odorless, tasteless 



and will not stain or 



spoil articles of food 



brought in conflict 



with it. 



