42 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



wood for cabinet and furniture work. Bird's-eye is also found in 

 bireli, ash and yellow poplar to some extent, and is characteristic 

 of lodgepole pine. 



The cause of bird's-eye is usually ascribed to dormant buds, and 

 in some instances this is correct. There are, however, at least three 

 other causes of this peculiar formation which are usually overlooked. 

 If the wood just beneath the bark is examined it will be found in 

 some cases to be covered with little protuberances not unlike those of 

 burls, in others with conical depressions or pits. The protuberances 

 occur usually as the result of dormant buds as in burls, although 

 they are much fewer in number and distributed over a larger area. 



Generally the surface of the wood under the bark of any tree is not 

 uniform and smooth but is more or less channeled or pitted. Usually 

 any one depression is restricted to one or a few layers of growth, 

 that is, are seen only in one or few growth rings and then lost, the 

 surface of a particular spot being evened up by growth. In the case 

 of maple, however, the tendency to preserve any particular contour is 

 very great and the depressions, though ordinarily small, are very 

 numerous. Pitting into each pit is a sharp spiny projection of hard 

 inner bark which, if it did not produce the original impression, at 

 least tends to prevent it being obliterated when once formed. No 

 satisfactory explanation has been offered as to the primary cause 

 of this peculiarity. 



It has been demonstrated by Dr. Hopkins of the United States 

 Bureau of Entomology that sapsuekers are frequently the cause of 

 bird's-eye. The birds sometimes puncture only to the sap-wood, but 

 more commonly pierce one or more growth rings to procure the sugary 

 sap which is produced at certain seasons. The formative tissue (the 

 cambium layer which separates wood and bark) attempts to lieal the 

 wound and a cone of wood is produced, its size and form depending 



upon the extent of the injury and the vigor of the tree. Succeeding 

 layers of wood are distorted and by this cone. " As a rule if growth 

 following sapsucker wounds is vigorous, succeeding layers of wood 

 will be bent outward over the wound; if weak, the grain will bend 

 inward." When tangential sections of such wood are made, the 

 depressions or elevations are cut across, and owing to the irregular 

 arrangement of the fibers, bird's-eye figure resembling the natural 

 formation is produced. It can usually be recognized from the 

 arrangement of the bird's-eyes in rows corresponding to the well- 

 known type of sapsucker work in the bark. Yellow poplar trees are 

 very commonly worked on by the sapsucker and frequently are cov- 

 ered with girdles and single punctures from top to bottom, i)ro- 

 ducing bird 's-eye, though accompanied by holes and stains resulting 

 from the original wounds which reduce or destroy the value of the 

 wood for veneers. 



Slill another cause of bird's-eye is found in lodgepole pine and 

 occasionally in other conifers. Examination of the wood inside the 

 bark shows it to be covered with small depressions or dimples. These 

 are produced by resin blisters in the inner bark, which press upon 

 the cambium layer and cause the newly formed fibers to be moulded 

 around them. Tangential sections reveals the bird's-eyeS in large 

 numbers, but as the irregularity of structure is not great, they are 

 not conspicuous like those in maple. Their abundance in lodgepole 

 pine serves as a ready means of identifying the w-ood of this species. 



Bird 's-eye in maple is often accompanied by wavy grain, which 

 when sawed produces a figure known as "landscape grain." This 

 name is given it because of its resemblance to a contour map. The 

 contour-like lines are due to the denser and darker late wood of the 

 growth ring cut across in sawing the material. 



S. J. R. 



^ |»;;|;i;;^;j^);;;;tj^^;»(;;j(V^^ " 



The Mail Bag 



B277 — Seeks Plain White Oak Strips 



London, E. C, June 4. —Editor Hakdwood 

 Record : We shall shortly be in a position to 

 place orders lor 7S to 100 cars plain white oak 

 strips (or parquet flooring. The specification 

 is somewhat elastic, but will run about 1 inch 

 in thickness and t'roii} 2 inches to D inches wide. 

 The lengths will bo about 12 inches to a6 inches 

 with a large proportion of short lengths. 



We shall feel nuu-h obliged If you will mention 

 this inquiry in the columns of .vour paper as we 

 are having quite a dlHiculty in locating sup- 

 plies of this inaterial. 



Tendering you our thanks in anticipation. 



Any Hardwood Record readers who liave 

 this stuff to offer, and would like to get in 

 touch with the above foreign correspondent, 

 can have the address of the latter by writing 

 to this office and referring to B 277. — Editor. 



B 278 — Wants Book for Record of Yard 

 Stock 



Saultc Ste. Marie, Mich., June 12. — Editor 

 Uardwood Record : Please advise us if you put 

 out any books in blank form suitable for keeping 

 lumber yard stock reports, pi-operly ruled (or 

 recording the lumber as it goes into pile in the 

 different grades, and further recording the same 

 as it is shipped out so that the person in 

 charge can see at a glance, at stated intervals, 

 the condition u( stock on hand. We realize that 

 this is a hard proposition to get up, and meet 

 the requirements of all practical purposes. We 

 believe, howevei-, that you have information on 

 those lines that undoubtedly would be valuable 

 m assisting us to arrive at our wants after 

 comparison. 



If you win kindly furnish us with any infor- 

 mation you have on the lines suggested, quoting 



us price for the same put in book form, we will 

 greatly appreciate it. 



.. Lumber Company. 



Hardwood Record does not print any book 

 or sheets for the purpose you name, but in my 

 yard exiierienee I handled this information 

 on a set of large sized manila tags, properly 

 ruled. On one end of my office I had a dia- 

 gram of the yard made on a blackboard, each 

 I)iliug space numbered, and a small brass 

 hook for each pile. These tags were hooked 

 on this board, and the record of "ins" and 

 ' ' outs ' ' made on the tags. 



So far as I know there is nothing 

 printed in book form for this purpose. Of 

 course it is perfectly easy to put the scheme 

 in book form, but for ready reference think 

 the wall system with the tags is the best thing 

 I know of. 



If any Hardwood Record reader knows of 

 some system which he thinks is more practical 

 or satisfactory than the one outlined, will be 

 pleased to have it explained. — Editor. 

 B 279— Seeks Chestnut Railway Ties 



Watertown, N. Y.. June IS. — Kdilor Hardwood 

 RiCcoRD : We are in the market for .''..OOO to 

 .'i.OOO pieces OxS.\7 feet standard chestnut rail- 

 way ties, fan you refer us to any parties who 

 make a specialty of getting out the above 

 stock? If so, we shall be pleased to hear from 

 you. 



The above correspondent has been referred 

 to several concerns producing the material 

 desired, and such readers of Hardwood 

 Record wlio would like to figure with the 



jirospective purcliaser, can have the address 

 by writing this office and referring to B 279. 

 — Editor. 



B 280 — Welcomes Hardwood Record 



The appended excerpt from a letter received 

 by Hardwood Record is not run boastfully. 

 It comes from one of the biggest manufac- 

 turers of southern hardwoods in the country. 

 It represents the opinion of a man eminently 

 successful in the lumber business, and further 

 shows that he reads the paper. 



It would indicate that the man who neglects 

 reading his trade paper is neglecting part 

 of his business. — Editor. 



Marietta. ()., June 19. — Editor Hardwood 

 Record ; We always welcome Hardwood Record 

 at our office, and wish to comi)limeut you on the 

 opinions you give along our line of business. 



. <_'OMrAXV. 



B 281 Wants Oak Butter Tub Staves 

 New York, N. Y., June 22. — Editor Hardwood 

 Record : One of our correspondents is inquir- 

 ing for oak staves for butter tubs. Will you 

 he kind enough to advise it you know of any 

 concerns who manufacture this stock V Thank- 

 ing you for your trouble. . 



The above inquirer has been supplied with 

 tlie names and addresses of several manu- 

 facturers of oak staves. Any other manu- 

 facturers of this material who would like to 

 be placed in communication with this pros- 

 pective purchaser, can have the address by 

 referring to B 281, in care of this office. — 

 Editor. 



Insincerity has taken a few orders, but It 

 never held a job long. 



After a man has turned down two or three 

 opportunities they begin to dodge him. 



An ounce of jolly goes farther than a tnn of 

 advice. 



Blessed Is the man who, in the hour of ad- 

 versity, discovers that he has even more friends 

 than he thought he had. 



