COA/IMERCIAL USES OF RED GUM 



647 



as coflin boards, barrels, packing 

 boxes, screen doors, mouldings, 

 saw handles, gun stocks, broom 

 handles, mop handles, wheel- 

 barrows, brush backs, mouse 

 traps, all kinds of animal traps, 

 agricultural implements, refrig- 

 erators and kitchen cabinets, 

 musical instruments, picture 

 frames, wooden ware, trunks, 

 whips, canes and umbrella 

 handles, tobacco pipes, clocks 

 and toys. The spicy gum which 

 exudes from the bark of the 

 sweet gum and accounts for its 

 name is of commercial value for 

 use in chewing gum, and as a 

 perfume for leather. It is also 

 used medicinally under the name 

 copalm balm, and has been used 

 in incense. 



The wood is steadily growing 

 in favor, andat present dealers re- 

 port orders for all manufactured red gum for interior trim 



matei lal tney can produce, in tact Some red gum trees produce what is termed "figured red gum." The figure in red gum is fundamentally 

 1 1 (^ ^1 i- ' i- A A 1' different from the characteristic figures of oak and many other woods. Gale's figure in quarter-sawed stock is 



laCK 01 Cai S liaS restricted dellV- due to the medullary rays with certain modifications by rings of annual growth. The figures of plain oak and 

 _. ^ ., .,, r\i 1 chestnut, for example, are due almost wholly to the rings of growth. Gum's figure is due to neither. The shades 



ei leS until many mills are tilled and tones cross the rings in every direction, though they sometimes follow them with some regularity, and medullary 



rays, have practically no visible effect. 'The colors ramify through the wood, obeying no known law of growth or 



deposit of earthy matter. 



with orders awaiting shipment, 



A "TEAR-DOWN" CAMPAIGN 



TO test public sentiment regarding obnoxious ad- 

 vertising posted on public highways, the Massa- 

 chusetts Forestry Association recently declared a 

 " Tear-Down Week," beginning October 9th, The mem- 

 bers of the Association were asked to help individually. 

 Automobile clubs, women's clubs. Boy Scouts, and the 

 tree wardens were requested to assist. The newspapers 

 all over the State fell in with the idea and commented 

 favorably on the plan in their editorial columns, and tree 

 wardens, whose duty it is to protect the trees from these 

 signs, were vigorously reminded of their neglect of duty. 



^Massachusetts has two laws regarding this subject, 

 one which declares all signs, not required by law, that 

 are posted within the limits of the public highway, " a 

 public nuisance, and may be forthwith removed or oblit- 

 erated and abated by any person." The other refers to 

 signs on trees within the public way. 



Under these laws anyone in Massachusetts may re- 

 move any advertising sign within the public highway, 

 except those that are required by law, and the Forestry 

 Association's aim is to inform the people concerning these 

 laws and to encourage the removal of all such signs. 

 Reports are coming in from tree wardens and other indi- 

 viduals and groups stating that these signs, running into 

 the hundreds in their respective communities, have 

 been removed. 



To those who knew the conditions before this cam- 

 paign was started, the results are very gratifying. Thou- 

 sands of miles of highways in the state are now free from 

 signs and the Association proposes to carry this work 

 further and offenders who persist in this illegal method 

 of advertising will be prosecuted. 



FIRE DANGER SHIFTS TO EAST 



ALTHOUGH final figures are not yet available, re- 

 ports received by the Forest Service indicate that 

 the forest fire season in the West and North is 

 practically at an end. At the same time, say the officials, 

 the fall fire season is just beginning on the National 

 Forests in the Southern Appalachians. 



The difference in the occurrence of the fire seasons 

 is caused by the difference in the character of the forests 

 and of the climate in the two regions. In the North and 

 West the forests are composed almost entirely of conifers, 

 and are located at comparatively high altitudes or high 

 latitudes. The greatest fire danger in these regions 

 occurs during the late spring and summer months, when 

 the rainfall is light. During the rest of the year, there 

 is, as a rule, enough rain and snow to prevent fires from 

 starting. On some of the forests in southern California, 

 however, the fall rains are sometimes late in coming 

 and the fire-fighting organization must often remain on 

 duty until late in November. 



In the Southern Appalachians, however, the situation 

 is practically reversed. The forest is largely composed 

 of hardwoods and the hea\'iest rainfall occurs in the 

 si)ring and summer and about two months in late winter. 

 As a result, there are two distinct fire seasons. The first 

 of these occurs in the fall, when there is usuallv little 

 rain and the ground is covered with the dry fallen leaves, 

 which are very inflammable. The fall fire season lasts 

 until about December 15th, when the winter rains set in. 

 In the later winter months, the woods dry out and in 

 February or March the spring season begins, and con- 

 tinues until the spring rains come or the trees and plants 

 put out new leaves and become too green to burn readily. 



