WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES OF MAINE. 



143 



Vehicles and Vehicle Parts. 



In many parts of the United States the manufacturers of 

 vehicles and vehicle parts use more hickory than any other 

 wood. Such is not the case, however, in Maine. In fact the 

 Maine manufacturers depend upon native woods almost en- 

 tirely. It was necessary to bring into the State in quantities 

 but three woods, red oak, yellow poplar, and hickory. The 

 manufacturers of vehicles and parts in Maine make wagons, 

 carriages, carts, sleds, pungs, spokes, wheels, and hubs. In 

 the manufacture of vehicles, two classes of wood are needed. 

 Spokes, rims, reaches, and shafts, require a strong, tough wood, 

 and this is supplied in Maine by yellow birch, red oak, white 

 ash, sugar maple, and white oak. The bodies of carriages, 

 wagons and pungs, are best made from material which can be 

 had in extreme widths, and for the finest class of work it 

 should take finish well. Basswood and yellow poplar furnish 

 the best of this material and white pine, spruce and aspen are 

 used for cheaper work. 



A large part of the yellow birch and the cork elm was used 

 in the manufacture of hubs. Hub manufacturers buy the ma- 

 terial in bolts ranging from 9 inches to 14 inches in diameter, 

 and do not care to buy large sized stock because of the ex- 

 pense in turning down to the size of the hub. The aspen 

 shown in the table was used entirely in the manufacture of 

 pungs. Spoke manufacturers within the State generally used 

 red and white oak. Carriage jacks, or lifters, were manufac- 

 tured from white ash, and sugar maple. The sycamore shown 

 in small quantity was high grade stock and was used in car- 



