646; 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



quarter-sawed stock is due to the 

 medullary rays with certain modifica- 

 tions by rings of annual growth. The 

 figures of plain oak and chestnut, for 

 example, are due almost wholly to the 

 rings of growth. Gum's figure is due 

 to neither. The shades and tones cross 

 the rings in every direction, though 

 they sometimes follow them with sonu- 

 regularity and medullary rays have 

 practically no visible effect. It is hard 

 to explain why some trees are figured 

 and many are not, although it is quite 

 certain that the figure in red gum is 

 influenced b\' the soil and situation. 



The red gum tree produces both 

 sapwood and heartwood. Commer- 

 cially the term " red gum " applies to 

 the heartwood. Unselected gum or sap 

 gum may be partially heartwood and 

 partially sapwood, or all sapwood. 



Practically 60 per cent of the stock 

 coming from the tree is common or 

 sap grade. This finds an almost ex- 

 clusive use in the manufacture of boxes, 

 for which it has been employed for 

 the last six years, taking the place of 

 Cottonwood, pine, poplar, and sycamore, 

 the latter used for tobacco boxes. The 

 export trade of gum timber consists 

 of clear heart, 6 inches wide and over, 

 and of all thicknesses from three- 



„;„i .1 ,- • , .-, . , obtained by staining are varied and unusually 



eighths ot an inch up to 2 inches, attractive 

 Practically 75 per cent of 

 the clear-heart gum lumber 

 cut in this country until 

 recent years has been ex- 

 ported for use in England, 

 France, and Germanv for 

 the manufacture of furni- 

 ture and inside furnishings, 

 newel posts, stair railings, 

 etc. In England the w^ood 

 is commonly called satin 

 walnut. In 1912, over 

 66,000,000 board feet of 

 red gum was exported to 

 Europe. 



One-third of the veneer 

 manufactured from domes- 

 tic woods, or four times 

 the amount demanded of 

 any other species, is made 

 from red gum. It is better 

 adapted than most other 

 woods for cutting into thin 

 sheets ; it takes glue better 

 than any other wood; 

 therefore, it has the dis- 



DOOR OF QL'.\K 1 KR S.WVKU KhlJ L,U.M. 

 FIGURED WOOD MATCHED 



Two of the most important uses of red gum 

 are for doors and interior finish. Finished in its 

 natural color, or stained, it may be made very 

 attractive, and, when properly seasoned, it ful- 

 fills every requirement for these purposes. Red 

 gum veneer-built doors are rigid and free from 

 warp, and rank with the very best, both in ap- 

 pearance and stability. The effects that can be 



QUARTER-SAWED RED GUM, FIGURED WOOlJ 

 Some red gum trees produce what is termed "figured red gum." The colors 

 ramify through tlie wood, obeying no known law of growth or deposit of earthy 

 matter. It is in this that red gum's figure resembles that of Circassian walnut. 

 The latter, however, has a feature generally absent from gum. It is a modifica- 

 tion of the figure, due to the rings of yearly growth. The deposits of the pig- 

 ments in the two woods appear to be much the same. Note the richness of 

 stripes and color tones peculiar to this method of manufacture. It is used in 

 the best lines of furniture and in artistic architectural woodwork of all kinds. 



tinction of being the ideal veneer wood. 

 It is manufactured into rotary-cut, 

 sliced and sawed veneer, and is used 

 for a wide variety of purposes — from 

 light weight fruit packages to the best 

 grades of the richest-colored and 

 highly-figured panels used in furniture, 

 pianos and the most expensive and artis- 

 tic architectural wood-work of all kinds. 

 In 1*'12, over 30 million feet, board 

 measure, of red gum was manufactured 

 into baskets, and fruit and vegetable 

 packages. For the manufacture of 

 slack barrels red gum is now one of 

 the most important woods in the 

 countr_\-, ranking second to elm both 

 as a stave and as a heading wood. 

 For paving blocks the essentials are 

 durability, close grain and the power 

 of resisting abrasion. These are found 

 in red gum. For treated blocks, un- 

 selected gum is used. The heartwood 

 of the gum is used extensively in the 

 .South for fence posts, and, in a limited 

 way, for sills. Where it is carefully 

 selected and well seasoned, red gum is 

 more lasting than red oak or shortleaf 

 pine. Red gum has been used to some 

 extent for railroad ties. 



A large amount of red gum is put 

 into wagon-box boards, which have a 

 separate grade under the National 

 Hardwood Lumber Association's rules. 

 All of the sapwood that will 

 make wagon-box lumber 

 is cut up for this purpose, 

 because, when thoroughly 

 dried and painted, sap- 

 wood is as good as heart. 

 Unselected gum siding and 

 ceiling contain no acid or 

 other ingredients injurious 

 to nails. It is close-grained, 

 presenting a smooth surface 

 for paint. It should be 

 primed, however, as a pre- 

 cautionary measure as soon 

 as it is in place. If used 

 for siding, or in any place 

 exposed to the weather, 

 sapwood must be excluded 

 or kept covered with paint. 

 .Vs flooring, red gum wears 

 well, is free from splinters, 

 and does not shrink if 

 thoroughly kiln-dried be- 

 fore it is laid. 



Various other articles 

 are made of red gum, such 



