134 



FOREST COMMISSIONERS REPORT. 



Handles. 



The handle plants of Maine make two general classes of han- 

 dles. The first includes ax and tool handles, which require a 

 tough, strong wood, such as white ash and sugar maple. The 

 other class of handles includes package handles and handles for 

 small tools. For this purpose paper birch is mostly used, while 

 yellow birch makes a satisfactory substitute in most cases. 



In the manufacture of those kinds of handles which require 

 tough wood, hickory is the favorite material in the Central 

 States, but in Maine, its place has been taken by white ash and 

 to some extent by sugar maple. White ash was used for such 

 articles as shovel and pick handles. Ax handles were made 

 from red and white oak. 



The manufacture of small handles calls for a material which 

 is easily worked on a lathe and for this purpose paper birch is, 

 of course, the best native wood. Among the substitutes for 

 paper birch, yellow birch, particularly young stock known as 

 silver birch has met with some favor, although it is a harder 

 wood than paper birch. 



The entire amount of paper birch shown in Table 32 went 

 into the manufacture of small handles, while a part of the yel- 

 low birch was used for the same purpose, and a part of it was 

 made into larger handles and such articles as lumber carriers, 



TABLE 33. 



Kinds of Wood. 



Total cost 

 f. o. b. factory. 



Grown in 



Maine. 

 Feet, B. M. 



Grown out 

 of Maine. 

 Feet, B. M, 



Red spruce. . . 

 Paper birch. . . , 

 Basswood . . . . 

 Yellow birch. . , 

 Sugar maple. . . 



White ash 



Aspen (popple) 



Beech 



Red oak 



White pine. . . , 

 Balsam fir ... . 



Red maple 



Black ash 



Totals 



$101 ,744 00 



45,611 00 



15,805 00 



11,412 00 



4 ,878 00 



5 ,863 00 



1,290 00 



750 00 



840 00 



,102 00 



39 00 



39 00 



32 50 



1, 



3,814.000 



2,077,000 



405.000 



352 ,000 



297 ,000 



111.000 



110.000 



50 000 



35 ,000 



34,000 



3,000 



3.000 



2,500 



$189,405 50, 7,293,500 



65.000 

 270.000 

 315 .000 

 153,000 



100,000 



903,000 



