HARDWOOD RECORD 



39 



somewhat. The junction of the fibers re almost alwa.vs between the 

 rays. In the case of bassvvood the rays are uneven and irregularly 

 arranged, and the cross markings are due to the arrangement of the 

 wood cells only. It is on this account that the lines are less distinct 

 than in the other species mentioned. 



This peculiar arrangement of wood elements is also in evidence on 

 cross sections of the wood. Where the rays are in perfect horizontal 

 seriation a section between two tiers shows an entire absence of rays. 

 In most instances, however, it results in gaps of irregular width, 

 depending upon the degree of regularity of the stories. Where the 

 rays are much wider near the middle than at the margins, their 

 api>arent widtli wlien viewed transversely will show considerable 

 variation, according to the relative location of the plane of section. 

 Where the fibers are arranged in tiers, their apparent size is affected 

 in a similar manner. 



In Dr. von Hohuel 's investigations of tropical woods with lier- 

 like structure he found in a few cases that the fibers were so 

 arranged that when the plane of cutting was near the junction of 

 two tiers, the sections showed large and small cells in alternate 

 radial rows. The small cells Mere the sections of the tips of the 

 fibers forced by growth between their upper and lower neighbors. 

 When the cells were being formed in the cambium they were soft and 

 plastic, and the pressure of the bark is supposed to have caused 

 theni to assume a tangential rather than a radial arrangement so 

 that when cut across they were in alternate radial rows instead of 

 alternately in the same row. 



While any wood showing cross markings on the tangential surface 

 will also show them on the radial, yet in woods where the rays are of 

 uniform height and uniformly spaced in vertical series but not in 



horizontal series the radial surface will show cross markings, while 

 the tangential will not. Consequently in looking for this feature it 

 IS always important to choose a tangential section. It is very com- 

 mon to find the tracheids of conifers with uniform endings, but the 

 feature is visible only under the compound microscope and does not 

 result in distinct cross markings on the wood. 



The importance of this feature in distinguishing species may be 

 seen in the ease of buckeye. The yellow buckeye has very distinct 

 cross markings, while none of the other species possesses it. Since 

 buckeye and basswood are very commonly mixed and. sold together 

 without discrimination it is possible, by means of the comparative 

 distinctness of the lines, to separate the woods. If yellow buckeye 

 is present it can be picked out at once by the very distinct mark- 

 ings. .Such of the remaining wood as shows a faint cross marking 

 only at a certain angle of vision or under a reading glass is bass- 

 wood. Other species of buckeye wOl show no regular markings what- 

 ever on tangential section, but may to some extent on the radial. 

 Basswood is sometimes confused with the sap-wood of tulip-tree or 

 white-wood or with magnolia, but neither of these woods has its 

 elements in tier-like arrangement, making separation from basswood 

 easy. 



Persimmon exhibits considerable variation in color and to less 

 extent in the density of the wood. Sap-wood is of a light greenish 

 yellou or nearly white, while the old heai-t-wood becomes almost 

 black. Persimmon is a very valuable wood in the shuttle trade, and 

 in view of the possible substitution of other woods when it is ordered, 

 it is important that the purchaser be familiar with the distinguish- 

 ing feature of the cross lines, upon which he may rely with certainty. 



Samuel J. Record. 



\i)?rejiH5cam!HaTOatm:>iWiHWBm!!ii^^ 



Quirks In Lumber Selling 



A group of hardwood men were seated about one of the leather- 

 covered tables which adorn the cool recesses of most metropolitan 

 hotels, and as the white-aproned waiter removed the empty steins, and 

 cigars were lighted, someone started the inevitable question, "How's 

 business .' ' ' 



' ' Not so very good with us, ' ' said one of the lumbermen, ' ' but we 

 believe when the railroads get to buying, things are going to be a lot 

 better." 



"And 1 suppose that if we have good crops and the presidential 

 election goes the right way, the price of quartered oak will rise," 

 said the insurgent of the group, with a laugh. ' ' The truth of the 

 matter is that most of us do too much talking about general condi- 

 tions and not enough hustling for specific orders. In other words, 

 we are pretty good political economists and pretty poor salesmen." 



"Do you mean to say," interjected a grizzled veteran whose strug- 

 gles with many a sawmill crew had left their imprint on his well- 

 lined face, "that we can sell lumber, no matter how business is, and 

 that we can keep our yards clear of low grades when there is more 

 of that stock being offered than buyers are ready to order? If you 

 can do that you're a wonder, and I'll pay for the next round while 

 you elucidate your system." 



The other speaker laughed. 



"I haven't any system, any more than you fellows who go out to 

 the track and play the favorite in every race, have a system, ' ' he 

 said. ' ' But I do believe that if we knew a little more about how 

 to sell our lumber and a little less about crop conditions in Saskatche- 

 wan, we'd be a lot better off. To illustrate, the best salesman I 

 have fills his letters with facts about the specific needs of the con- 

 sumers he calls on, no matter whether he sells them, or not, so that 

 we have an exact and constantly growing register of information 

 about the kind of lumber used by the factories in the territory we 

 are covering. On the other hand, the poorest man at selling lumber 

 who is connected with our pay-roll ought to be able to write a fine 

 lead for a Sunday story in the financial section, judging from all the 



talk about 'underlying conditions,' 'poor crop prospects,' and other 

 similar pifle that he sends into the office to account for sales being 

 light." 



"What sort of plans have you," inquired a lumberman who had 

 been content to listen until then, ' ' for keeping your salesmen keyed 

 up to the right notch? In other words, do they rely on their own 

 resources entirely, or have they occasional assistance from the office 

 to help them in handling a difiicult customer?" 



"The best aid to sales enthusiasm," said the speaker, who had 

 evidently been given the job of presiding over the informal confer- 

 ence on selling methods, "is a trip to the ofllce. As a matter of 

 fact it is too much to expect of the average hundred-dollar salesman 

 that he go out on the road and, without special information about 

 what you have to sell and the character of stock you are ready to 

 deliver, impress buyers who are being constantly solicited with the 

 fact that they should buy from you rather than someone else. I 

 frequently have a man who is falling behind in his work run into the 

 oflice for a few days. We talk over the situation; he sees the lumber 

 we have on hand; we discuss the possibility of moving certain special 

 items which we are particularly anxious to get rid of. The discus- 

 sion suggests to him, almost inevitably, the names of customers who 

 can use the stock that we have been talking about, and the result is 

 that he returns to his work not only with a better general idea of our 

 lumber, but with pretty live prospects, which he immediately proceeds 

 to turn into sales. 



' ' You wouldn 't expect a salesman for a shoe manufacturer to go 

 out and sell shoes without knowing anything about the factory and 

 about the style ideas of his house. Yet in effect that is what hap- 

 pens when a lumber salesman armed only with a mileage book and a 

 stock list is sent out from the oflice and told to get business. In a 

 ease of that kind low price is about the only argiunent that he can 

 offer that will really have an effect on the customer, and that is why, 

 when business is dull, you find your salesmen turning in orders at 

 prices which are certainly not large enough to insure a fair profit 



