40 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



blai-k gum, water oak and many other kinds. Suc)i woods are left 

 because market conditions at present are not .favorable to their ex- 

 ploitation. Later these lands will be revisited and such material 

 removed. Even now some of the mills, which in the past have cut 

 only pine, are putting in equipment for handling the hardwoods. 



One of the southern trees Avhich occurs quite commonly and is 

 little cut is evergreen magnolia (Magtiolia foetida). It grows in 

 swampy localities along the southern coast and in southern Arkansas. 

 It seldom exceeds eighty feet in height; has a tall straight trunk 

 occasionally four feet in diameter and has small spreading branches. 

 The wood is decidedly varial>le in quality and appearance, often hav- 

 ing dense streaks which make it rather difficult to manufacture. The 

 prevailing color of the wood is white, but it is often streaked with 

 black and occasionally with other colors which undergo change upon 

 exposure. The wood was formerly used in small quantities for fuel, 

 but is now being employed as a substitute for holly for backs of 

 brushes, and for light panels in place of yellow poplar. It is also 

 useful for boxes, woodenware, ox yokes and general lumber. 



Two other southern trees becoming of some importance are buck- 

 thorn bumelia (Bumelia lycioides) and the chittimwood (Bumclia 

 Idvuffinosa). Both are rather small trees, particularly the former 

 which is rarely over six inches in diameter. Both trees produce heavy, 

 hard to moderately hard, light brown or yellow wood valuable for 

 saw handles, small cabinet work, box lumber and small fence posts. 

 Occasionally the wood is large enough for saw timber. It is also 

 used locally for wedges and for fuel. 



One is not likely to consider the small mountain laurel (Kalmia 

 laiifoUa) of any commercial value, but it finds a place in the manu- 

 facture of smoking pii'.es. The roots and burls are well suited for thif 

 purpose and command a price of about twenty-five cents per hundred 

 pounds at the factory. 



Willow is often little thought of for timber, but it has many uses 

 such as baseball bats, excelsior, meat boxes, office fixtures, pantry 

 shelves, drawer bottoms, wagon beds, boxes, and crates. In panel 

 work it is cut into veneer and used as the middle sheets while 

 cabinet woods are placed on the outside, if intended for display. 

 A good quality is employed in making artificial limbs, taking the 

 place to some extent of buckeye which is a favorite wood for that 

 purpose. Willow grows rapidly in moist situations and soon reaches 

 jiost size, but is not durable unless creosoted. 



Mountain ash (Sarins timericana) is frequently met with in 

 northern states. It is a small tree rarely over thirty feet high and 

 one foot in diameter. Tt has light, soft wood good for crates and 

 small boxes. 



Blue beech (Carpinus caroliiiiana) is a small tree very common in 

 northern and central parts of the United States. The wood is hard 

 and heavy and well adapted for single trees, small handles, wagon 

 felloes, levers, and numerous small articles where strength is a re- 

 quisite. Associated with it is the hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), also 

 a small tree with very hard, strong, tough wood. It is used for 

 axles, levers, wagon tongues and felloes, mallets, handles, wedges, 

 fence pests and fuel. 



The black jack oak (Qnernis mcrilandica) is a particularly brushy 

 and rough tree, usually of small dimensions. The large number of 

 knots interfere with the use of this wood, but in spite of this fact 

 it is utilized to some extent where other woods are scarce. Small 

 pieces can be cut from it fit for the coarser grades of furniture. 

 Its other uses are fuel, charcoal, tram ties, and occasionally it is 

 used for rough construction lumber. 



One way in which such woods can be utilized to save better kinds 

 is in connection with logging operations in the woods. If the tram 

 ties, skid poles, levers, wedges, boom poles, timbers for temporary 

 piling, bridges, staging, etc., were, so far as practicable, obtained 

 from the minor hardwoods which are usually right at hand instead of 

 using the young growth of more valuable species merely because they 

 worked a little easier or were a trifle handier, a material saving 

 would result and the cut-over tract would be left in better condition. 

 In support of the statement that no tree is without its uses, pro- 

 vided the.y are sought for, may be cited as an example the yucca of 

 the Southwest. With a stem structure that of an exaggerateil 



cornstalk it bears little resemblance to wood, being mostly fibers 

 and pith. When cut into strips, it has proved to be well suited for 

 surgeon afjlints and for wrapping material for bottles. 



These are but a few of the more extreme examples one might 

 enumerate of woods formerly considered useless or of trifling signifi- 

 cance but are now finding valuable uses, thus avoiding waste. There 

 are numerous woods, sueh^ as red gum and tupelo, which have been 

 slow in gaining the favor they deserve, largely because their ex.ict 

 qualities and merits and the best methods of handling the woods 

 w'ere not understood. More thought on the part of the owners and 

 dealers will suggest many uses to whie-h minor hardwoods of all 

 kinds may be put, thus making the utilization more thorough and the 

 profits larger. S. J. R. 



Imports and Exports for June 



Advance sheets of thu monthly summary of commerce and 

 finance issued by the Department of Commerce and Labor show 

 that during the month of June this country imported wood and 

 manufactures of wood aggregating $5,157,211. This is a favorable 

 comjiarison with the figures of June, 1911, which come to $4,994,534. 

 Of the cabinet woods, mahogany showed the greatest increase in 

 value of import, which advanced from $184,923 in June, 1911, to 

 $280,714 June, 1912. There is a decrease of $100,000 in the 

 import value of logs and round timber during the year. The value 

 of pulp woods imported increased by about $150,000, the total 

 value being $812,940 for June, 1912. 



In the manufactures of lumber such as planks, boards and deals 

 there was a noticeable increase in import value, the total ship- 

 ments of this stock advancing from $1,516,598 in June, 1911, to 

 $1,832,966 in June of this year. The value of wood pulp 

 imported totaled $1,166,075 in June, 1912, a decrease of $110,000 

 during the year. 



The balance of trade as far as wood products are concerned, was 

 decidedly in favor of the United States during the month of June. 

 In this period the export value of wood and manufactures of wood 

 reached $9,340,673, as against $9,856,604 in June, 1911. The total 

 export value of American logs and round timber during the month 

 was $465,363, and $480,659 in June, 1911. The value of hewn and 

 sawed timbers of all kinds decreased from $1,689,131 in June. 1911, 

 to $1,021,410 in June, 1912. The total value of all kinds of export 

 lumber, including planks, boards, deals, joists, etc., aggregated $5,036,- 

 076 during June, 1012, a gratifying increase over 1911 figures, which 

 were $-1,779,491. These figures include various kinds of wood cut 

 in different sizes and dimensions. The export value of shingles 

 was not very large but almost doubled during the year. American 

 furniture manufacturers sent abroad stock valued at $517,177 

 during June, 1912, which represents an increase of about $22,000 

 over June of the preceding year. 



Lake Commerce for June 



June figures of trade movements on the great lakes show that the 

 record for June, 1912, is almost thirty-three per cent greater than 

 June of last year. Lake shipments during the month aggregated 

 13,731,893 short tons and during the first six months of 1912 ship- 

 ments reached 27,072,774 short tons. Material increases were 

 reported on lumber, iron ore, iron manufactures, soft coal and flour. 



Domestic lake shipments of lumber on the great lakes during 

 June, 1912, aggregating 108,882,000 feet, were considered greater in 

 volume than in June, 1911. The shipments during the present 

 season of 425,916,000 feet were likewise greater than during the 

 corresponding period last year. Lumber shipments were mostly 

 from Lake Michigan and Lake Superior ports. 



Shipments of iron ore from Lake Michigan and Lake Superior 

 ports during June, 1912, amounted to 7,274,732 long tons, which is 

 an increase of fifty-eight per cent over shipments of June, 1911. 

 Iron ore shipments since the beginning of the year reached 

 13,394,964 long tons, an increase of fifty-four and a half per cent 

 over the corresponding period of 1911. 



