132 ' FOREST COMMISSIONERS REPORT. 



small quantities of black locust (Robinia pseudacacia) are used 

 for frame pins. 



The manufacture of row boats, motor boats and batteaux, is 

 carried on in many places throughout the State, but no attempt 

 was made to secure a report from every man in the State who 

 builds an occasional boat for sale. There are, of course, num- 

 bers of large boat shops working entirely on small boats, but at 

 the same time large numbers of such boats are made by men 

 who do this work in the winter time and other work in the 

 summer, or by men who have a general wood-working shop and 

 build boats in connection with job work for houses. In the man- 

 ufacture of small boats, oak is most largely used for frames, 

 and the planking is sometimes one of the southern pines, or it 

 may be native white pine. The southern white cedar shown in 

 the table was brought from Virginia almost entirely for the 

 purpose of planking small boats. Small quantities of such fin- 

 ishing woods as mahogany and oak are used in motor boats. 

 The quantity of white ash shown in the table was manufactured 

 mostly into oars and paddles. 



The manufacture of canvas-covered canoes has come to be 

 one of the more important wood-working industries of Maine. 

 It is quite impossible to hazard even a guess as to the year in 

 which the first canoe was built in this State, for the reason that 

 the Indians built and used canoes made from the inner bark of 

 paper birch for probably centuries before this country was first 

 visited by white men. Today the paper birth tree contributes 

 little material to the manufacture of canoes, and, in fact, the 

 most of the material in any canoe is probably obtained outside 

 of Maine. Northern white cedar is used almost exclusively 

 for ribs, and canoe makers say that it is the best wood for this 

 purpose. Maine cedar is considered best for canoe ribs because 

 it is tough, bends well, and is light. It is also good for plank- 

 ing, but can not be obtained in clear wide boards, so that western 

 red cedar has come into use and suits the purpose extremely 

 well. Southern white cedar is said to be too brittle for canoe 

 ribs or planking. Gunwales are made of clear spruce or ma- 

 hogany ; the thwarts are of yellow birch or sugar maple, and 

 these woods together with white ash, are used for seats and 

 backs ; while paddles are usually made from, spruce or hard 

 maple. 



