HARDWOOD RECORD 



29 



WORMY CHESTNUT AND PANEL-MAKING 



It is one of the old superstitions, to use a rather harsh word, of 

 the panel trade that wormy chestnut is best for corestoek in panel 

 work because of the fact that it contains worm-holes. A leading 

 panel manufacturer, who has studied the scientifie side of the busi- 

 ness as thoroughly as anybody in the trade, laughingly remarked 

 that while a lot of the boys in the glue-room believe that wormy 

 chestnut would be used regardless of price, he would willingly turn 



to some other grade if wormy chestnut went up too far. 



"As a matter of fact," he said, "the worm-holes have nothing 

 whatever to do with the efSciency of the wood for corestoek. If 

 the glue had to depend on the holes to get the proper cohesion, I'm 

 afraid the panel-makers would have their troubles. The fact that 

 we get equally good results when other material is used for varioui 

 purposes demonstrates the fact that the incidental defects make no 

 difference one way or the other." 



''C'5 ^^'^«g?'-/j^;;:-x;5o a ^iwa;y.'c^vy.s^'»^>:>:;it:>^iA^^^ 



^Vood Imports and Exports 



The July imports and exports of forest products for the United 

 States, according to figures published by the Department of Com- 

 merce, are as follows : 



Imports: Briar root or briar wood, and ivy or laurel root, 

 $21,961; cedar .526,000 feet, value $30,086; mahogany .3,279,000, 

 value $266,476; all other cabinet woods $147,134; logs and round 

 timber 17,26.5,000 feet, value $183,994; pulpwood 124,757 cords, value 

 $882,1.59; rattans and reeds $54,022; all other unmanufactured wood 

 $1,338; lumber 88,585,000 feet, value $166,478; laths 61,728,000, 

 value $189,706; shingle-^ 41,364,000, value $106,440; all other lumber 

 $121,828; chair cane or reed, $49,093; furniture $58,231; wood pulp 

 80,591,447 pounds, value $1,264,860. Total wood and manufactures 

 of wood $5,417,460. 



Exports: Hickory logs 464,000 feet, value $15,401; oak logs 39,- 

 000 feet, value $1,520; walnut logs 869,000 feet, value $40,741; 

 all other logs 13,659,000 feet, value $265,648; firewood and all other 

 unmanufactured wood $18,382. Hewed timber 4,067,000 feet, value 

 $126,959; sawed timber 45,414,000, value $930,347; lumber, cypress 

 1,167,000 feet, fir 61,268,000, gum 13,265,000, oak 25,172,000, white 

 pine 4,675,000, longleaf pine 81,852,000, shortleaf 1,767,000, all 

 other pine lumber 26,190,000, yellow poplar 2,653,000, redwood 

 5,033,000, spruce 2,591,000, all other lumber 29,420,000; total lumber 

 2.55,153,000 feet, value $6,796,825. Joist and scantling 1,029,000 

 feet, value $19,584. Eailroad ties 693,653, value $321,824; shingles 

 12,499,000, value $26,576; box shooks 935,365, value $97,807; all 

 other shooks 79,435, value $169,192; staves 9,849,945, value $854,- 

 297; heading $27,442; all other cooperage stock $294,384; door, 

 sash and blinds, $91,169; furniture, $481,849; empty hogsheads and 

 barrels $43,833; trimmings, moldings, and other house finishings 

 $80,488; incubators and brooders $8,683; woodenware $38,332; wood 

 pulp 2,152,608 pounds, value $43,699; all other manufactures of 

 wood $593,443. Total wood and manufactures of wood exported 

 in July $11,447,360, being $1,231,895 more than for July, 1912. 



It is interesting to note the destination of the leading forest 

 products exported from the United States. The figures which fol- 

 low are for the month of July, 1913. 



Hewed axd Sawed Timbek. 



Destination Quantity, feet Value 



France 3.813.000 86,110 



Germany 3,339,000 67,830 



Italy 5,.59O,00O 102,861 



Netherlands 4,228,000 97,388 



United Kingdom 26,.^37,000 561,291 



Other Europe 3,609.000 60,636 



Canada 3,463,000 118,560 



Mexico in.S,000 3,096 



Argentina 10.5,000 1,600 



Other Countries 793,000 16,84!) 



Lumber. 



Belgium 4,324,000 150,437 



France 3,601,000 93,751 



Germany 8,497,000 244,065 



Italy 4.885,000 111,815 



Netherlands 11,215,000 310,334 



United Kingdom 47,618,000 2,188,192 



Other Europe 5,884,000 152,781 



Canad.T 52,154,000 1.241,931 



Central America 6,789,000 145.912 



Mexico 10,163,000 214,910 



Cuba 13,594,000 256,382 



Other West Indies 6.352.000 146,831 



Argentina 15.969.000 389,572 



Brnzil 8,966,000 233,276 



Other South America 15,816,000 268,788 



China 7,033,000 85,506 



British Oceania 19,297,000 342,348 



rhilippine Islands l,.39o,000 17.921 



Africa 3,281.000 78.987 



Other Countries 0,349,000 142,670 



FUB.NITURE. 



United Kingdom 38,271 



Other Europe 48,162 



Canada 121,892 



Central America ^ 26,391 



Mexico 27,017 



Cuba 63,846 



Argentina 63,695 



Brazil 4,923 



Other South America 29.002 



Asia and Oceania 34,825 



Other Countries 30,025 



Effect of Electricity on Trees 



Last spring the electric railway company of an eastern city saw 

 fit to change the polarity of its current. Instead of sending the 

 current through the trolley wire and back through the rails as is 

 usually the case, the direction was reversed. About two weeks after- 

 ward complaints began to pour into the oflSce of the superintendent 

 of trees that many of the finest shade trees were dying. In each 

 case it was found upon examination that a feed wire with defective 

 insulation was in direct contact with some part of the living tree. 

 As this condition had existed for an indefinite time without apparent 

 damage to the trees the natural coneluson was that the direction in 

 which the current was passed was responsible. 



As soon as this conclusion was reached systematic effort was 

 made to protect all trees endangered. In some cases the wires were 

 shifted, in others small limbs were cut off; in still others, however, 

 the insertion of a tarred board between the living wood and the 

 wire was tried. The latter proved defective as an insulator for 

 so strong a current and a double board with porcelain insulators 

 between was necessary. 



In the meantime over one hundred fifty valuable trees were either 

 killed outright or damaged beyond recovery. The railway company 

 admitted responsibility for the damage and has paid out over $1,500 

 in settlement of claims. It has recently decided to change back 

 to the old system, not, however, because of the danger to the trees, 

 but because of an increase in hazard to its own employes under the 

 new method. There is at least one other instance known where a 

 change in direction of current caused much damage before it was 

 discovered and corrected. It seems safe to predict that wherever 

 such a change is made the death of all exposed trees will follow. 



The explanation of this phenomenon is not definitely known. One 

 theory is that the current causes salts of copper to be deposited into 

 the living tissue with poisonous effect . Another is that there is a 

 general disturbance of the root system due to the current which 

 escapes into the ground and causes electrolysis. Still another is that 

 the damage results from the actual burning of the living tissues by 

 the current. Whatever the correct explanation may be it is known 

 that the effect of the current is deadly unless prompt action is taken. 



