HARDWOOD RECORD 



41 



trees, because the fires are slow and seldom burn through the bark of 

 old trunks. When the longleaf piues are boxed for turpentining they 

 become liable to great injury by fire. Much of the burning of wood 

 lauds is done intentionally to improve the range for pasture. The 

 waste is great in hardwood lumbering operations where long hauls 

 render it unprofitable to take out any but the best logs. In the manu- 

 facture of crossties and staves the West runs very high. 



Cut of Northern Manufacturers 



Reports based on statements of fifty-four members of the Northern 

 Hemlock and Hardwood Manufacturers' Association show that there 

 was a decrease in the total cut, October, 1912, as compared with 

 October, 1911, of 21 per cent, with an increase in total schipments 



during the same period of 2;i jier cent. The year showed a falling 

 off in the hardwood cut of 7 per cent and an increase in hardwood 

 shipments of 32 per cent. The cut of hemlock during the year de- 

 creased by 29 per cent and hemlock shipments increased 19 per cent. 

 Total cut of hemlock lumber during October, 1912, was 25,199,000 

 feet, as against 35,489,000 feet October, 1911. The cut of ash Octo- 

 ber, 1912, was 226,000 feet, and for October, 1911, was 427,000 feet. 

 The basswood cut this year was 1,725,000, as against 1,766,000 last 

 year. The birch cuts were, respectively, 2,983,000 feet and 3,698,000. 

 The elm cuts were 962,000 feet October, 1912, and 553,000 feet Octo- 

 ber, last year. Maple showed a decided falling off during the year, 

 the cut decreasing from 4,237,000 to 2,868,000. Thus the total cut 

 of hardwoods in October, 1912, was 806,000, and in October, 1911, 

 it was 10,144,000. 



The Mail Bag 



Any reader of HARDWOOD RECORD 

 desiring to communicate witii any of t:ie 

 inquirers listed in tiiis section can have 

 the addresses on written request to the 

 IVIail Bag Department. HARDWOOD 

 RECORD. 537 South Dearborn Street. 

 Chicago, and referring to the number at 

 the head of each letter and enclosing a 

 self-addressed stamped envelope. 



B 346 — Measurement of Hardwood Flooring 

 and Parquetry Strips 



Baltimore, ild.. Nov. li. — Kditor iI.\i{Dwo0D 

 RECtiRD : There are several points in connection 

 with the manufacture of hardwood flooring on 

 whicli we find .some dlversit.v of opinion. If 

 possible, would like to have .vou straighten this 

 matter out by giving us expert opinion. 



First : Kindly advise if there are any books 

 that treat on the subject of hardwood flooring. 



Secoxd ; In the grading of flooring, in what 

 is termed clear plain sawed, does this piTmit of 

 any pin worm holes, or must it be absolnti-ly 

 clear ? 



Third : In me.nsuring parquetry strips, is the 

 measurement the actual face, or is allowance 

 made for saw kerf and jointing? 



Co.MPAXY. 



The writer has been advised that the only 

 book that has been written treating exhaus- 

 tively on oak flooring is the work entitled 

 "Oak Flooring" written by H. H. Gibson, 

 and published by Hardwood Record in 191ii. 

 He is advised that of all this edition, which 

 involved ten thousand copies, very lew are in 

 the market, but possibly a copy can be ob- 

 tained from the Oak Flooring Bureau, Ham- 

 mond building, Detroit, Mich., which jnir- 

 chascd a large portion of the edition. 



Second : Clear |)!ain sawed oak flooring does 

 not jiermit of any pin worm holes, and should 

 have an absolutely clear face, but one-fourth 

 of an iuch bright sap is permissible. 



Third: All thin square edge parquetry 

 strips are measured and sold on face or net 

 surface measure, with nothing added for 

 waste. This, it is believed, is the universal 

 method of measuring among manufacturers of 

 parquetry flooring. In tongued and grooved 

 hardwood flooring the usual practice is to 

 make an allowance of three-quarters of an 

 inch for saw kerf, .jointing, tongue and groove, 

 but a few manufacturers still make a practice 

 of selling this product on face measure basis, 

 naming an additional price to cover the waste. 

 — Editor. 



B 347 — Seeks Locust or Osage Orange 

 Wyoming. N. J., Nov. 7. — Editor Hardwood 

 Record : I am anxious to find a locality where 

 a monthly supply of 125 cords of either yellow or 

 black locust or osage orange (Dois d'Arc) timber 

 can be obtained for some .years. Will you kindly 



advise me of a source of suppl.v? 



The writer has been advised of a probable 

 source of supply for both black locust and 

 osage orange. — Editor. 



B 348 — Seeks Oak for Bending Purposes 



San Francisco, Cal.. Nov. 4. — Editor H.vrdwooo 

 Record : Will you kindly give us a source of 

 supply for white oak suitable for bending pur- 

 poses, Indiana stock preferred ? . 



To the writer of the above letter several 

 suggestions have been made as to a source of 

 supply for the type of oak that can be han- 

 dled satisfactorily under steaming for bend- 

 ing purposes, and a specific list of manufac- 

 turers given, who should be able to deliver oak 

 of the desired quality. — Editor. 

 B 349 — Comparative Qualities of Red Spruce 

 and White Ash 



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

 ord: Will you kindly supply us with an anal- 

 ysis of the comparative strength and stiffness of 



spruce and ash? 



Aeroplane Company. 



The above correspondent has been suppliei^ 

 with the following information pertaining to 

 the comparative strength and stiffness of the 

 two woods named, as follows: 



Wood. Bre.^king Strength. 



Red Spruce 7,470 pounds per sq. inch 



White Ash 8,610 pounds per sq. inch 



Stiffness. 

 Red Spruce. , . . .1,099,870 pounds per sq. inch 



W'hite Ash 1,010,680 pounds per sq. inch 



Weight of Spruce per cubic foot, air dry — 



28.57 pounds. 

 Weight of Ash per euliic foot, air dry — 



40.78 pounds. 

 Strength of Spruce per pound weight of 



wood — 261.5. 

 Strength of Ash per pound weight of wood 



—211.13. 

 Elasticity of Spruce per pound weight of 



wood— 38,500. 

 Elasticity of Ash per pound weight of wood 



—24,920. 



Pound per pound, spruce is twenty-four 

 per cent stronger aud fifty-four per cent 

 ■ititt'er than ash. 



These calculations are based on Hough 's 

 factors. He does not state in what region his 

 specimens grew. — Editor. 



B 530 — Specifications for Cedar Fence Posts 



Toledo, O., Nov. 5. — Editor Hardwood Record : 

 -\ie there any published rules covering specifica- 

 ti.jns for cedar fence posts? ■ . 



Hardwood Record knows of no set of asso- 

 ciation rules that covers specifications on 

 cedar fence posts, but Cobbs & Mitchell, Inc., 

 Cadillac, Mich., one of the most careful con 

 cerns in the United States on grading of both 

 lumber and other forest products, sells its 

 posts on specifications which from their fair- 

 ness would likely be acceptable and satisfac- 

 tory to the trade at large.— Editor. 



These specifications follow: 



All posts to be round and 8 feet long. 

 Posts may be 2 inches scant in length if 

 otherwise satisfactory. All posts cut from 

 live timber and properly peeled. 



Tops to run from 3i/4 to 7 inches in diam- 

 eter after peeling with not to exceed 15 

 per cent under 4 inch. 



Posts to be reasonably straight and to 

 contain no short crooks nor reverse curves. 

 Both ends to be square trimmed. 



Pipe rot is admissible and rot or hollow 

 heart in the butt may be allowed under 

 the following restrictions: 



Posts with 4 inch tops admit butt rot 

 up to 1 inch diameter, 5 inch tojis admit 

 butt rot IVj inch diameter, 6 and 7 inch 

 tops admit butt rot 2 inch diameter. Posts 

 having tops less than 4 inches in diameter 

 must have sound butts. Xo ring rot shall 

 be allowed. 



B 354 — Information on Precious Woods 



Sail Francisco, Cat. Nov. 10. — Editor Hard- 

 noni) Record: Can you tell me where I can 

 secure data upon the following matters : Amounts 

 of lignum-vitae. mahogany, black walnut, prima 

 vera, genezero and rosewood used annually in the 

 eastern markets : the average prices that whole- 

 salers pay for them in the logs, and the names 

 of the principal dealers and consumers : also the 

 same information for Spanish cedar. Can .vou 

 give me information as to the relative demand 

 for these woeds and whether there is a scarcity 

 of supply or well supplied market? How is most 

 of the timber shipped to the Chicago market? 



LC-MEER C0.MPANT. 



This inquirer has been informed that the 

 costly foreign woods brought into this country 

 are seldom listed separately but are grouped 

 as cabinet woods. For this reason it is next 

 to impossible to secure figures for separate 

 woods. The world 's market for costly woods 

 is London. Large dealers in this country go 

 or send there to make their purchases. Much 

 mahogany and Spanish cedar, however, is 

 shipped directly to the United States without 

 passing through London. 



The use of lignum-vitae is limited and its 

 total import is so comparatively small that it 



