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Walnut Is Coming Back 



It is interesting 

 to observe, in watch- 

 ing the g r a il 11 a 1 

 changes whiili con- 

 stanti)' are taking 

 place in the manu- 

 facture of various 

 styles and types of 

 furniture, the direct 

 reversals of demand 

 which liecome ap- 

 parent from time to 

 time, both as to 

 style and as to raw 

 material going into 

 such lines of manu- 

 facture. The fickle 

 consumer, who is 

 probably egged on 

 by the ambitious 

 manufacturer, that 

 gentleman being 

 anxious to stimulate 

 trade by creating a 

 reason for buying 

 new furniture, con- 

 stantly demands 

 something different. 



VI.'^rAL EVIDENXE TH.AT THERE ARE STII.I. SOME OF' THE SO-C.A.LLED OLD- 

 FASHIONED WALNUT TREES TO DE HAT). A FINE SAMPLE FOUR FEET IN 

 DIAMETER. THERE -ARE PLENTY MORE LIKE IT. 



in turning out this 

 particular character 

 of furniture, and he 

 has taken a chance 

 on making up this 

 style in mahogany. 

 It really seems a 

 pity that he has 

 been forced to labor 

 under this impres- 

 sion, as it is unques- 

 tionably a fact that 

 sufficient walnut is 

 available to take 

 care of all his re- 

 quirements, and then 

 leave plenty over for 

 next year. Thus, if 

 he had been closely 

 conver.sant with con- 

 ditions as they actu- 

 ally are, he would 

 liave turned out an 

 article in getting 

 out this particular 

 style of product 

 which would have 

 conformed absolutely 



On the floors of the furniture exhibits each year are shown new 

 -lyles just as at the conventions of tailors, modi.stes, etc., are shoXvn 

 luMv styles of apparel. 



The moilern business man, whether he is manufacturing clothes, 

 hats, automobiles, or furniture, is always striving for something 

 different with which to catch the eye of the prospective customer, 

 and this is probably as true in connection with the manufacture 

 of furniture as in any other line of business. 



The changes in styles are unquestionably more rai)iil ami more 

 apparent than are the changes in actual woods use<l. This is true 

 because the former changes are more readily made than are the 

 latter and are more practicable to make. For instance: It is not 

 possible to change the kind of raw material used beyond a certain 

 number of woods, as there are but few woods qualified to be used 

 in high-grade furniture which can be secured in sufficient quantities 

 to make their use commercially possible. Thus the pendulum merely 

 swings in favor of one or the other of these woods from season to 

 season. In the piano trade, the piano manufacturer will one year 

 turn out goods running seventy-five per cent to walnut ami twenty- 

 five per cent to mahogany or other lines. The next year it will be 

 seventy-five per cent mahogany and twenty-five per cent walnut and 

 other woods. The followiiij> season, pcrhajjs, it will be evened up 

 between mahogany and walnut, with a smaller percentage of other 

 lines. The same condition is true, probably to a less varying extent, 

 with the furniture manufacturers, who are more closely confined to 

 the use of the same woods season after season than are piano 

 manufacturers. However, they do vary their requirements with 

 changes in styles, as the market for certain articles manufactured 

 from .specific raw materials seems to be specified. 



It is a fact that in the manufacture of certain styles of furniture 

 a certain wooil is essentially proper and should be used. However, 

 it is not always possible for the furniture manufacturer to turn 

 out his goods made from that particular kind of wood, or at least 

 he does not think it is possible. As an instance of this, the sixteenth 

 century style of furniture calls essentially for black walnut, as that 

 particular kind of wooil was originally used for this ])articular 

 purpose. However, the furniture man has come to beliove that the 

 supply of this beautiful wooil was not adequate to meet his demands 



to the requirements as specified by the connoisseur who not only keeps 

 in view what the requirements of the present are, but also what shows 

 to best advantage in old styles. 



In this connection is shown a photograph that shouM go far to 

 refute the mistaken idea that the stand of the so-calle<l ' ' old- 

 fashioned ' ' black walnut trees is exhausted. This splendid specimen 

 towered high up to the first limb, and was fully four feet in diameter. 

 It has been manufactured by a prominent walnut concern. It 

 should be borne in mind that there are plenty of other such trees 

 still in existence, and that the price commanded by the product 

 of these trees is in no way exorbitant or prohibitive. 



Olive Wood of Commerce 



The wood of the olive (Olva europaea), especially the root part, 

 is beautifully clouded and veined, has an agreeable odor, and is 

 susceptible of a high polish which it retains. It is highly esteemed 

 for these reasons by cabinet-makers, by whom it is fashioned into 

 the finest work. It was of this wood, so haid and lasting and of 

 such fine grain, that the Greeks sculptured their divinities before 

 marble and ivory came into use. It is hard, heavy (about sixty 

 l)ounds per cubic foot), strong, rather brittle, very close and fine- 

 grained, and works and turns very easily, but splits badly or rather 

 crumbles under the knife. It is light yellowish-brown with irregu- 

 larly wavy dark lines and mottlings, especially near tlic root, imd 

 often resembles boxwood, but it is not so hard. 



The pores, which are evenly distributed throughout, are very 

 small and not visible to the unaided eye. The pith rays are very 

 narrow, and cannot be seen on a radial or transverse surface ex- 

 cejit under the hand lens. The wood is used chiefly in turnery and 

 carving for small articles, souvenirs, fancy boxes, paper knives, 

 pen holders, etc. The olive wood is imported into Birmingham, 

 England, where it is used so commonly for making mementoes of 

 the Holy Lan.I. 



The principal source of suiqdy of olive wood is in southern 

 Europe, but in recent years a good deal of the wood used in this 

 country was obtained in southern California, where the olive is 

 now extensively cultivated. 



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