i6 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



March 10, 1917 



because it happens to have a certain weight. However, the early 

 builders of Philadelphia were criticized by a foreign traveler 170 years 

 ago because they neglected to think of that matter. He said that they 

 built their house walls barely strong enough to sustain the white cedar 

 roofs which were universally used there at that time. That wood is 

 very light, and the tra-\eler predicted that if it ever became necessary to 

 re-roof their houses with heavier material the walls would collapse. 



A few very heavy and a few very light woods meet peculiar demands. 

 Some of the planters of South Carolina before the revolutionary war 

 made wooden hats of tupelo root for their slaves, because it was the 

 lightest wood obtainable; and swamp shoes, on the pattern of snow 

 shoes, were made of the same wood, to facilitate the slave's movements 

 on boggy land. 



Practically all calls for cork are due to its lightness, though that 

 is not its only valuable quality. Cork is the bai'k of an oak of Southern 



WEIGHT IS NOT WANTED. 

 The cork hat protects the head from heat in hot lands and cork pen holder 

 protects the fingers against cramp. 



Europe and Northern Africa, but it has been planted in California. 

 It weighs iifteen pounds per cubic foot, which is five pounds more 

 than rootwood of leitneria, a tree found in the swamps of southeastern 

 Missouri. The roots of this Missouri tree, likewise those of cotton gum 

 or tupelo, are made into floats for fish seines and trotlines. The same 

 material is substituted for cork in life preservers, but it is not generally 

 rated the equal of cork. 



The makers of artificial limbs want a very light wood, and vhit^ 

 or English willow is first choice. This tree has been introduced in the 

 United States from Europe and has run wild here and now supplies 

 most of the wooden limbs needed in this country, and the surplus has 

 recently been exported in large quantities to Europe. Though such 

 limbs are known as ' ' cork, ' ' there is no cork about them. There 

 are lighter woods than willow, but it is preferred because it combines 

 toughness, strength and lightness more perfectly than any other known 

 wood. 



The canoe manufacturer carefully studies and tests woods for 

 paddles. Strength must be sufiicient, and there must be life and spring 



WHERE WEIGHT IS W.VNTED. 

 A bowling ball nine inches in diamotcr, made of liguvim-vita^, and a print- 

 er's mallet of the same kind of wood. 



in the thin blade that cuts the water, but along with the other qual- 

 ities there must be also a lightness, and every superfluous pennyweight 

 must be eliminated. Spruce fiUs the place, whether it is the red spruce 

 of West Virginia, white spruce of Canada, or the tideland spruce of 

 Washington and British Columbia. 



Long ladders, the kinds used by carpenters, house painters, and tree 

 pruners, must be carried on men's shoulders from job to job and 

 from place to place. Not ah extra pound is wanted, but the wood must 



be proof against breakage, for the snapping of a ladder rail might 

 bring serious consequences. The same spruce that serve so well as 

 paddles, is the ladder maker's choice. 



The manufacturers of trade wagons, such as bakers, butchers, milk- 

 men and grocers use, study the matter of weight in fitting the vehicles 

 with super-structures containing the necessary compartments, shelves, 

 boxes, and drawers. Woods with strength, yet light as can be had, are 

 used there, because superfluous pounds are not hauled with good grace. 



The most extensive demand for light woods comes from makers of 

 shipping boxes and crates. The annual call takes 4,500,000,000 feet, 

 the most of which is wood of moderate weight. The box lumber for 

 one year's supply weighs about 6,000,000 tons, and it is safe to estimate 

 that two-thirds of this takes at least one railroad journey as rough lum- 

 ber or shooks, and nearly all of it takes one or more journeys as finished 

 and filled boxes. Freight must be paid on every movement, and every 

 pound costs money. The total annual carrying charge on all box 



S F MAXWELL 



LIGHT AND STRONG WOOD NEEDED. 

 Boat paddles and the sides for long lailders arc made of .spruce to avoid 

 unnecessary weight in articles to be handled often. 



lumber and boxes in the United States, cannot be much 

 $10,000,000. The advantage of using Ught wood is apparent. 



below 



Where Weight Is Wanted 



For a limited number of commodities, heavy woods are wanted. 

 Chairs of a medium grade may be made of heavy, cheap wood like beech, 

 stained in imitation of some costly wood, and tlie unusual weight is 

 used as an argument in palming them off on the customer as some rich 

 foreign wood. 



Bowling balls serve as an illustration of the demand for woods of 



