50 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



June 25, 1917 



Brown and Green Oak 



An interesting article on brown and green oak was recently contributed 

 by A. D. W"ebster to the London (England) Timber Trades Journal, and 

 a summary of the article is here given : 



What is known in the trade as brown or red oak timber Is only found 

 in this country, and in a Tery limited number of stations here. It should 

 be understood that brown oak timber is a strictly English product that is 

 more or less confined to the Midland and Eastern Counties, and does not 

 exist on the continent. 



Strange as it may appear, all the best trees of the brown oak have been 

 sent to America, where the timber is greijtly valued and extensively used 

 as veneers. The dining-room in the White House at Washington is en- 

 tirely paneled with English brown oak ; while thin veneers of the same 

 timber are extensively used in the making of the best class of furniture 

 and in the decoration of Pullman oars. 



So valuable is brown oak timber that it is used in thin veneers of from 

 thirty to forty to the inch. In this country there are but a few furniture 

 specimens of the solid brown oak timber, though in one old country man- 

 sion in Bedfordshire a bedroom suite is entirely made from the wood. 



The cause of the natural white timber turning to a rich brown or 

 chestnut color is a vexed question, though it is generally ascribed to cer- 

 tain properties in the soil, and in some cases is brown from infancy. 

 Mr. Michie, woods manager to the Duke of Portland, whose experience 

 with brown oak timber on various estates is perhaps greater than that of 

 any other person, tells me that in his opinion the particular oak which 

 produces the brown timber is a distinct variety or species. In the case of 

 trees that have been pollarded the timber may be brown from decav, and 

 certainly many of those at Ampthill, where some of the most beautiful 

 wood is produced, are in such a condition. On the other hand, the highest 

 priced and most beautiful brown oak timber that I have seen was from a 

 tree that was perfectly free from rot or blemish, and had not been pol- 

 larded. There is, however, considerable difference in the cokiring and 

 texture of wood produced b.v pollarded and unpoUarded trees. The timber 

 of the pollard brown or -red oak is usually of fantastic shapes in graining, 

 with a great vai-iety of beautiful figuring owing largely to the growth 

 being stopped vertically and spread over the butt end. It has been said 

 that brown oak owes its color to the activity of a fungus living in the 

 wood, but specimens of the timber from Welbeck and Woburn fail to sub- 

 stantiate the statement. It is far more likely that the absorption of iron 

 from the soil is the cause of the beautiful coloring in brown oak timber, 

 and experiments now in hand tend to uphold this theory. 



The beautiful vivid green color assumed by oak timber under certain 

 conditions is said to be due to the action of the parasitic fungus Peziza, 

 or Hclotium acruginosum. 



In this country green oak timber is comparatively scarce, the finest 

 samples that I have seen being from an estate in Kentl and another in the 

 North of Ireland. I learn that in Lower N'ornmndy a large number of the 

 pear trees have their wood colored green, ami in other parts of the con- 

 tinent the timber of the birch and beech are similarly tinted. The appear- 

 ance of the green coloring in the timber of the oak is not an indication of 

 disease in the tree, but rather of having attained to maturitv. .Mthough 

 in I'~rance it is known as '•green rot," yet this is a mistaken application, 

 as the timber is remarkably hard and the texture unaffected, while the 

 durability of the wood has been found to be quite equal to thai of tlie 

 ordinary oak. Owing to the scarcity and high prices of green oak timber, 

 experiments have been undertaken to produce the desirable green color by 

 artificial means but without success. Green timber of oak and pear Is 

 much appreciated both on the continent and at home for artistic cabinet 

 work. 



=■< MISCELLANEOUS >= 



The Bee Tree Lumber Company, manufacturer of hardwood lumber, is 

 now located at Massie Mill, Va., having moved there from Bee Tree. 

 N. C. 



An involuntary petition in bankruptcy has been filed by the Independent 

 Table Company, New York. N. Y. 



The business of the .Vdvanee Furniture Company, Sheboygan, Wis., has 

 been transferred to the Art Eurniture Company. 



The Clinton Furniture Company. Lock Haven, I'a., has sold out to the 

 Indian River Table Company of Philadelphia, X. Y. 



Thi- W. L. Russell Box Company, Wilson, .N. C., has sustained a loss 

 by fire. 



The caidtal stock of the Texarkana Casket Company, Te.xarkana, Ark., 

 has been increased to $150,000. 



The Hoffman Crate and Lumber Company at Cambridge, Boston, Mass., 

 has been Incorporated at $10,000. 



The Milwaukee Refrigerator Transit and Car Company, Milwaukee, Wis., 

 has sold out to the Marsh Refrigerator Service Company. 



The lirm of Nichols & Clement, Grand Rapids, Mich., has been succeeded 

 by .\rtlHir .1. Clement. 



An increase in capitalization has been effected by the Park Falls Lumber 

 Company, Park Falls, Wis. 



The Macey Company. Grand Rapids, Mich., has reorganized. 



The Rocky Mount Woodworking Company has been incorporated at 

 Rocky Mount, N. C. 



^-< CHICAGO >■ 



.\t East St. Louis, 111., the Illiu(ds Walnut Company has been incorpo- 

 rated. 



The capital stock of the Chicago Veneer Company has been increased to 

 $220,000. 



M. J. Fox of the Von Platen Lumber Company. Iron Mountain, Mich., 

 has made a practice of late years of having a two-fold reason for cele- 

 brating when he got to Chicago for the National hardwood meeting. One 

 reason has been the meeting Itself (and the natural desire to make the 



most of a trip to the big city), and the other that on two previous occa- 

 sions his arrival for the hardwood doings has coincided to the hour almost 

 with the arrival at Iron Mountain of a son. The trouble with establishing 

 such a record is that it must be kept up. But big "M. J." is not easily 

 discouraged, and, true to precedent, news of the arrival of the fifth son 

 greeted him when he landed in Chicago the day before the big meeting. 

 Mr. Fox said that the word from home was altogether encouraging and 

 that he confi<lently expects to have a similar announcement to make next 

 year. Owing to the fact that some thousand men were expected here for 

 the meeting. Hardwood Recokd's representative did not violate the con- 

 fidence of the man from the North, as to have taken care of the demand for 

 pledges to the boy and the mother, that would certainly have come with 

 the spreading of the news, would have taxed ".M. J.'s" capacity, if not his 

 expense account. However, he is now safely back home. 



Walter B. Burke, vice-president and general manager of the Lamb-Fish 

 Luml)er Company, Charleston, Miss., was in Chicago with Mrs. Burke last 

 w-eek on the way back from a several days' st.iy at Washington. Mr. 

 Burke is serving on the lumber and forest products committee of the Coun- 

 cil of National Defence, and with the other lumbermen of that commit- 

 tee, has been putting In quite a little time at Washington in the last couple 

 of months. 



Texas was represented at the National meeting by several prominent 

 manufacturers, among whom were H. G. Bohlssen of New Caney, Tex., 

 and A. O. Davis, manager of the hardwood department of the Sabine Tram 

 Company, Beaumont. Both Mr. Bohlssen and Mr. Davis brought their 

 wives with them and remained in the North for a week or ten days after 

 the meeting was over. While in Chicago they attended a meeting of the 

 Texas manufacturers to decide upon certain questions pertinent to the 

 hardwootl trade of Texas. 



Chicago trade was interested in learning last week of the purchase by 

 other stockholders of the Claney interests in the Thornton-Claney Lumber 

 Company, which operates extensive yards at 231.3 Elston avenue. The 

 three Clancys, John, A. B., and H. P., retired from the organization, and 

 the new officers are : Edward L. Thornton, president ; W. S. Frisby, vice- 

 president, and S. C. .\nderson, secretary and treasurer. 



=•< BUFFALO > 



A. \V. Kreinhorler, O. E. Yenger, C. N. Perrin. W. K. Jackson, Hugh 

 MoLenn and other mombors of the lumber trade hero have boon actively 

 enfe'a;,'o<l hitoly in making a canvass for funds for the American Red Cross, 

 which had a campaign in this city to raise a fund of $1,500,000. A large 

 number of wealthy men contributed heavily to this cause, one subscription 

 being $100,000 and a number of others of $10,000 or more. 



What is possible to accomplish in the artistic tinishing of American 

 woods was well demonstrated here from June 14 to ir» in a public exhibition 

 at the llullders' Exchange. The display was made by the National Lumber 

 Manufiicturers' Association and thr Bridgeport Wood Kinisbiug t.'ompany. 

 Several liundred panels were exhibited in {lifFc-rrnt modern linishes, to- 

 gether with Morgan doors and models of buildings. A moving-picture ex- 

 hibition was given by the Southern Pine Association, the speaker being R. 

 H. Ghi'cn of the extension department. 



A Huffalo architect reports that his business is falling off fast and he 

 does not expett it to revive matorially until the cost of building is more 

 in accordance with the ideas of owners. It is generally agreed that mate- 

 rial, and esi)ecially manufactured stuff like plumbing, is far beyond the 

 reach of ordinary builders. As to carpentry work, that is a small item 

 and does not affect the trade so much as the cost <it' material does. 



The visit of the Federal Lumber Trade Commission to Buffalo was an 

 occasion of much interest. The commissioners were entertained at a 

 luncheon at the Hotel Statler and afterward visited some of the leading 

 hardwood yards of the city. Among the lumbermen who looked after the 

 entertainment of the commission were Horace F. Taylor, Fred M. Sullivan, 

 G. Elias, H. L Abbott. Henry L George and John McLeod. 



While the campaign for the Liberty loan was on in this city meetings 

 were lield at a number of the hardwood yards. C. N. IVrrin, F. ^L Sullivan 

 an<l C. W. Hurd were on a committee to call on all the lumber yards and 

 solicit subscriptions and they helped to raise a large sum. Employes took 

 a large numbi'r of the bonils. in some cases sixty per cent of the men sub- 

 scribing. 



=-< PITTSBURGH >-= 



'rile Monongahela Lumber Company announces that it is in a state of 

 general turmoil. Nothing Is certain except kicks. To get hardwooil ready 

 for the nuirket and then to get it shipped is a mighty hard proposition at 

 present. 



The Acorn Lumber Company has been doing a good business in hardwood 

 for manufacturing concerns all the .year. It was fortunate In making some 

 early purchases of lumber which hits lately come Into exceptional good 

 demand. 



The Frampton-Foster Lumber Company reports better business In May 

 than in any other month In its history. Shipments this month will show 

 a gain over those of last year. 



The Johnston-Davies Lumber Company reports splendid business in all 

 lines of mining stocks. The only difficulty is to get enough lumber to 

 satisfy the demaml. prices are in general at the seller's option. 



The American Lumber and Manufacturing Company has gotten Its big 

 hardwood operation at Lenox, Ky., under operation and it promises to be 



