476 STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



of some slight staining of liglit or dark, or red, just a little to vary the 

 appearance and bring ont the grain to the best advantage. 



NEW USE FOR THE BOTANIST. 



Veneers cut around a steamed log, then properly dried and finished are 

 a splendid addition to the lumber cut by ordinary methods. Where the 

 medullary rays of the wood are thick enough, as in the oak and buttonwood, 

 or sycamore, what is known as "quarter sawed" lumber is much employed 

 for unpainted furniture, finishing of the interior of houses, etc. With our 

 large niimber of fifty-six species of commercial woods still increased by 

 many peculiarities of growth of some of them there is an admirable 

 opportunity, now often improved, to see what can be done in "natural 

 finish." In the markets there is no distinction made between several 

 kinds of oak, two of maple, several of ash, poplar and other trees, but the 

 merchant and manufacturer is quick to discern the beauty of knots, burls, 

 crotches, blistered wood, wavy, curly and bird's eye, of fast growth and 

 slow, brittle and tough, heart wood and sap wood. If properly combined 

 for harmony and contrast in an almost endless variety of ways, most 

 charming effects can be produced. Any one who attended the Columbian 

 Exposition must have noticed this in the Michigan furniture and in the 

 specimens of native wood shown in the state forestry exhibit. Think of 

 the splendid veneers and panels from Grand Rapids and the wainscoting 

 and counters surrounding the display of timber. Here no use was made 

 of stains but Berry Brothers' hand labor and varnish left nothing to be 

 desired. The end is not yet, for in the future more and more study will be 

 given the subject; manufacturers will learn more and more about different 

 methods of cutting, seasoning, staining, filling and finishing and make 

 more use of species that are not now found in the markets. They may 

 even resort to the botanist to select for them certain rare or small kinds of 

 trees that usually find their way into the wood pile near the farm house. 



OUR LEADING COMMERCIAL WOODS. 



The ashes are very useful, pre-eminent among them the white ash, the 

 wood of which is employed for furniture, farm implements, oars, floors, 

 wagon tongues, parts of buggies and sleighs, finishing the interior of 

 houses, railway cars, butter tubs and other purposes. Black ash is very 

 useful in its way and in some respects so nearly resembles the wood last 

 named that novices have been known to buy wagon tongues made of this 

 timber. It is really more valuable, however, to use for other purposes, 

 such as lumber for finishing houses, for furniture and like, barrel hoops, 

 fence rails and hewn timber. 



Blue ash is of a lighter color, as we judge from the bark of the tree, is' 

 much less common, of slow growth and seldom found in the markets. The 

 timber is quite durable for posts and sills where exposed to alterations of 

 moisture and dry air. The timber is rather brittle, but would add variety 

 for furniture and house finishing. The wood of green ash passes for 

 that of white ash, the wood of red ash goes the same way. 



Balsam is an evergreen found in our northern swamps. The trees yield 

 the Canada balsam of commerce. The wood is soft and until lately was 

 thought to be nearly worthless, but it is now much employed for making 

 paper. 



