36 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



willow heads the list, in quality of wood if not in quantity. It meets 

 two requirements — it is light, and is waterproof. Though willow 

 wood contains tens of thousands of pores to the square inch, they 

 are too small for water to pass through, and at the same time they 

 make the wood light. 



Slack coopers know the value of willow for staves. The quantity 

 used in 1808 was about four and a half million in the United States. 

 A large part went into flour barrels. 



Willow's resistance to checking leads to its employment by the 

 manufacturers of such woodenware as bowls, scoops, ladles, large 

 spoons, and trays. 



It was formerly much used for wagonbox boards and is still occa- 

 sionally so used. Such boards are practically indestructible, as might 

 be expected of a wood which does not splinter, warp, check, and wears 

 out very slowly. Yellow poplar and Cottonwood supplanted willow 

 to a large degree years ago, but they are now much higher in price 

 than wOlow, in grades suitable for that use, and willow is likely to 

 come back to the wagon factory. 



Probably the largest use of black willow is for shipping boxes. 

 Meat packers of Chicago, Kansas City, and Omaha are the largest 

 buyers. The box shooks are made in the lower Mississippi valley, 

 and the willow often passes under the trade name "brown cotton- 

 wood. ' ' 



Experiments in staining willow in imitation of mahogany have been 

 successful enough to render it probable that this opens a new field 

 for willow in furniture filing cabinets, interior finish, bank and office 

 fixtures, and for many other commodities. 



What makes the study of uses of willow particularly interesting 

 is* the fact that it grows very rapidly, flourishes in many parts of the 

 country, is a waste land tree, and will plant itself naturally, quickly, 

 and abundantly. It is not one of the species now on the decline with 

 the end in sight. 



In marketing any new commodity it is necessary that it be per- 

 sistently pushed by those interested. One of the largest handlers 

 of this stock at present is the Faust Brothers Lumber Company of 

 Paducah, Ky., and Chicago, 111. 



B 329— Wants Market for Black Locust 



BomrrvilU', N. .1., Oct. 31. — Editor Hardwood 

 Kecoiid : Can you advise what commercial use 

 Is made of black locust lumber other than for 

 insulator pins? . 



The writer has been advised that about 

 the only commercial use for black locust is 

 involved in its consumption for insulator 

 pins and for policemen's clubs. The larger 

 quantity of black locust is converted into 

 fence posts, for which there is a ready sale, 

 as this wood is regarded as the best grow- 

 ing in the United States for that purpose. 

 The writer has been referred to a possible 

 buyer of fence posts. — Editor. 



B 33C — Seeks Sap Poplar Strips and Quar- 

 tered Sycamore 



East Cambridge. Mass., Oct. 31. — Editor Hard- 

 wood Record : We are in the market for some 

 1-inch by 2% -inch to 3-inch poplar strips, sap 

 no defect; also %-inch, 1-inch, 1 i/i-inch, IVj- 

 Inch and 2-inch quartered sycamore. If you can 

 refer us to anyone you think would have this 

 stock, we would appreciate it greatly. 



The writer of the above letter has been 

 referred to four possible sources of supply 

 for the stock named. — Editor. 



B 331 — Cyanamide 



Chicago, 111., Nov. 1. — Editor Hardwood Rec- 

 ord: What is cyanamide? Can you also advise 

 us whether the production of this chemical will 

 have any deleterious effects on adjacent timber? 



The writer of the above letter has been 

 advised that cyanamide is a product formed 

 by the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. It 

 is an important ingredient in the manufac- 

 ture of commercial fertilizers, and its usual 

 form is crystalline, and known as calcium 

 cyanamide. Much chemistry is invloved, 

 but the principal apparatus is an electric 

 furnace through which a current of air is 

 passed in contact with lime and carbon. 

 The chief cost in its manufacture is the 

 power for generating the electricity for 

 heating the furnace. I am told there is a 

 plant at Niagara Falls, and others in 



Europe, particularly in Italy, which are pro- 

 ducing this chemical. 



I know of no reason why such a plant 

 would be injurious to plant or animal life in 

 the vicinity. — Editor. 



B 332 — Wants Market for Dogwood and 

 Persimmon Offal 



Memphis. Tenn., Oct. 29. — Editor Hardwood 

 Record : We would like to find a market for 

 the offal of dogwood and persimmon from which 

 we make shutUe blocks, and believe that spools 

 from this wood would be satisfactory. Can you 

 give us any information for the disposition of 

 this material? . 



The writer of the above letter has been 

 advised that Habdvtood Record is unable to 

 suggest a market for dogwood and persim- 

 mon offal. — Editor. 



B 333 — Seeks Various Items of Ltunber 



Camden, N. J., Nov. 2. — Editor Hardwood 

 Record : Can you assist us in securing a source 

 of supply for a carload of 6/4 No. 1 and No. 2 

 rod birch? Also waut 4,000 feet each of fi/4 

 iind 6/4 No. 1 and No. 2, and No. 1 common 

 chestnut, 16,000 feet altogether. We also want 

 straight or mixed cars of 10/4, 12/4 and 16/4 

 arsts and seconds quartered white oak, and very 

 likely can use a percentage of No. 1 common. 

 Also one straight carload of 10/4 tough plain 

 nrsts and seconds white oak, and a carload of 

 8/4 tough white ash, not dry, for bending pur- 

 poses. Philadelphia delivery sought on all the 

 above. Co.mpanv. 



The above inquiry is from a leading east- 

 ern wholesale house, and it has been re- 

 ferred to several possible sources of supply. 

 — Editor. 



B 334— Wood Alcohol Plant 



Springfield, Mass., Oct. 28. — Editor Hardwood 

 Record : Would be glad to have you kindly ad- 

 vise us of any parties who you think might be 

 interested in locating a wood alcohol plant. We 

 bave a good proposition to present to anyone 

 experienced in the manufacture of this material. 



B 335 — Disputes Record's Analysis 



Chicago, 111., Oct. 26.— Editor Hardwood Rec- 

 ord : I was not a little surprised in your re- 

 cent issue to note an article entitled "The Metal 

 Bedstead Craze." Not so much the article for 

 that matter, for I realize the insane attempt to 

 manufacture cheap on the part of some of the 



manufacturers, has given cause to extend the 

 above reflection to the industry, but some manu- 

 facturers are endeavoring and do put out mighty 

 line pieces of art. 



I refer particularly to the insane statement 

 that the metal bed sale had dropped off fifty 

 per cent. You are pushing hardwood, of course, 

 slamming metal cars as well, but before letting 

 such a statement slip through, I would suggest 

 that you stop and get facts. You must know 

 that more metal beds are sold today than ever, 

 giving your fifty per cent less statement an odor 

 that doesn't smell very good, and is strongly in 

 contrast with your otherwise valuable and trite 

 articles. . 



The writer of the above letter is advised 

 that the article on metal bedsteads, to which 

 he refers, appeared in Hakdwood Eecord, 

 March 10, 1912, and that he evidently is not 

 a very close student of the paper or he 

 would have discovered it long before this. 

 His letter was probably inspired from some 

 other source than a personal reading. 



The information that reached me on this 

 subject I considered authoritative and so 

 published it. The writer is advised that if 

 he can present any substantiated facts 

 other than the bare statement that there are 

 more metal beds sold today than ever be- 

 fore, I shall be very glad to give him space 

 in H.4RDW00D Record for the publication of 

 his statement. In the face of the evidence 

 I have to the contrary, I can not accept the 

 writer 's Btatement as authoritative. — Editor. 

 B 336 — Hickory and Ash Sucker Rods 



Cairo, 111., Oct. 28. — Editor II-UtDWOOD Rec- 

 ord : We are looking for a market for hickory 

 and ash pump sucker rods. We shall be very 

 glad if you could put us in touch with parties 

 interested In this class of material. We will be 

 able to furnish a large quantity of this kind of 

 stock within the next six months. 



B 337 — Seeks Names of Railroad Purchasing 

 Agents 



Millett, W. Va., Oct. 28. — Editor Hardwood 

 Record : I would like to get a book showing 

 the names of the purchasing agents of all the 

 railroad and electric lines. I soil most of my 

 ties direct to these lines, but sometimes find it 

 mfhcult to secure the names of the purchasing 

 agents. . 



The writer of the above letter has been 

 advised that he can secure the names and r 

 addresses, corrected up-to-date, of the pur- " 

 chasing agents of all the steam and electric 

 railroad lines in the country by buying a 



