24 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



and the surface becomes smoother, thereby decreasing friction and 

 increasing the flow of the liquid. A difference as higli as twenty per 

 cent in favor of wood has been measured. 



The flow of water through a wooden pipe preserves it from decay, 

 provided the pipe is kept full and the water under some pressure. 

 Experience has repeatedly shown this. Woods which ordinarily decay 

 quickly in damp localities, give good service as water pipes. The 

 red alder of the Pacific coast rots so speedily when exposed on the 

 ground, in damp woods, that a log will be absolutely worthless in a 

 few months. Yet it will last years in active service as a water pipe. 

 Basswood and sycamore are both quick-decaying species when exposed 

 to dampness, but when made into pipe they last a long time. Other 

 woods show similar results. 



The wood is preserved by being kept constantly saturated with 

 water. The pressure in the pipe forces the fluid into the cells of the 

 wood. Fungus, which is the cause of decay, cannot force an entrance 

 into the wood tissues under such circumstances. 



Instances are known of large pipes which were kept only partly full 

 of water. The lower part was wet, but the part above the level of 

 the flowing water within was only moderately damp. The upper part 

 rotted, while the lower part remained sound. 



The amount of water which will seep through the pores of wood, 

 when the shell of the pipe is two inches or more in thickness, is sur- 

 prising. Engineers who plan irrigation projects in which large pipes 

 carry the water, must make allowance for wastage wliich cannot be 

 seen. "Water constantly evaporates from the surface of pipe where it 

 is exposed to the air. In long lines in which large pipe is used, the 

 waste by seepage may amount to lialf a pint a day for every square 



foot of inner surface of pipe. 



Attempts have been made to stop this leakage by painting the 

 inner surface of the pipe with water-proof preparations. It has Bot 

 been found difficult to stop the seepage, but the consequences are fatal 

 to the pipe. As soon as the inner surface is painted, the pipe begins 

 to dry, and when it reaches a state of moderate dampness, decay sets 

 in. This furnishes additional evidence that the presence of large 

 quantities of water in wood acts as a preservative. 



The maker of wooden pipe has nearly as wide a range of material 

 to choose from as the manufacturer of most other wooden commodi- 

 ties. Except that the wood must be sound, there appear to be no 

 restrictions on the kinds which may be used. Hardwoods and soft- 

 woods serve alike, but the latter have been more extensively employed 

 liecause they are easier to work, and the trunks are of shapes and 

 sizes which lend themselves more readily to the purpose. Among the 

 species listed in the industry are white pine, jack pine, tamarack, red 

 cedar, northern white cedar, southern white cedar, scrub pine, longleaf 

 pine, cypress, western white pine, Douglas fir, redwood, red alder, 

 white alder, basswood, yellow poplar, cucumber tree, sycamore, cotton- 

 wood, ash, chestnut, and river birch. 



The wooden pump is closely related to the wooden pipe of the 

 bored pattern. The stock is selected as free from defects as possible, 

 and is bored thj-ough the center from end to end. The length is sel- 

 dom less than twenty feet, while a joint of pipe is not often that 

 long. The wood for pumps is selected with care, and the range of 

 species from which to make choice is not large. Yellow poplar, bass- 

 wood and cucumber are the most important, and the first is employed 

 (iftriior than tlic others. 



>^ ;;A;^;^^^^vB gT Oi^6TOil^TOTOyit?>^i^^^ 



The Handle Trade 



^fTE^^ 



^K^ 



mL>^ 



STICK TO SPECIFICATIONS 



When a firm contracts to buy or sell a certain amount of any- 

 thing, be it lumber or handles, it is usually specified just what 

 it shall be. It is supposed to be to the firm's interest to see 

 that the specifications are lived up to, and yet it is surprising 

 how often these are neglected, sometimes no attention being paid 

 to them at all. A well-known handle manufacturer buys a great 

 deal of lumber for his handles, and as every handle man knows, 

 it takes a certain size of lumber or squares to turn out a certain 

 sized handle. Not long ago he received a sample bundle of 

 squares from a lumber firm with prices, delivered to his mill. 

 They were all nice maple squares, well made, correct size, and 

 dry. A car of these was ordered to be shipped exactly like sam- 

 ples. In due time the car arrived and on opening it up, it was 

 seen that the stock were nothing like the sample, and the firm 

 was so notified. It insisted that the car be unloaded and the 

 stock inspected as there could be only very few squares that 

 were not up to specifications. The specifications called for 

 squares 1 l/16"xl 1/16". In sorting this car, a gage set to one 

 inch was used, and out of the forty thousand squares in this 

 car, only six thousand were found up to size. 



What would you do with a case of this kindf The handle 

 man can use the six thousand, and can possibly get something 

 out of half of the remainder, but not near what he would get 

 for regular handles. The rest of the car is merely edgings, some 

 not over one-half inch thick. Why will firms do such things? 

 It is almost unbelievable. The handle man referred to wants 

 all of this kind of stock he can get, and is willing to give ;i 

 price for it that will well pay the millman for getting it out 

 but the stock must be made right. Suppose he sold a broom maker a 

 car of extra No. 1 parlor handles and when he loaded it, put in only a 

 few thousand of this grade and made up the rest of the car with low 

 grades. Would he get any more of his trade? I should say not. He 

 would have to take back the car he had sent and might have to pay 

 some damages besides. 



HANDLE TRADE CONDITIONS 



As every one connected with the broom handle trade knows, the 

 fall trade depends a great deal on the incoming broom corn crop. 

 This is a crop on which it is very hard to get a correct line at any 

 time. At the present writing broom, corn is being harvested in 

 the western states and some little of it is coming into market; 

 most of the growers, however, seem to be holding their crop for 

 higher prices. Some corn has been bought with prices ranging 

 from $60 jut ton up to $100, depending on the quality. The con- 

 tinued wet weather all summer caused the brush to have a bad 

 appearance, it is claimed, and this will be used to keep the price 

 at as low a level as possible. 



This condition of affairs is keeping the broom men on edge and 

 they are not buying any more stock of any kind than they have 

 to. Many of them will lay in a largo stock of corn if the price 

 goes to where they think it will pay them to invest. In that 

 case they will buy handles only for present needs; but if they 

 thought the price of corn would remain steady, most of them 

 would stock up on handles. There is no doubt in any one 's mind 

 that the price of broom handles will advance at least ten per cent 

 on all grades the first of the year, and some grades — the extra 

 No. 1 Misses in particular — will advance fifteen per cent. This 

 is in order to keep pace with the increasing cost of production. 

 Lumber is costing more every year, labor keeps advancing all 

 the time, and even the little supplies are on the upward climb, 

 and handles will have to come to it also. 



Owing to the fact that many owners of timberland have been 

 compelled to cut their timber too early, because of taxation, news 

 comes from Harrisburg that bills for the establishment of 

 auxiliary forest reserves under supervision of the State Forestry 

 Department have been discussed at a conference on forestry, 

 conservation and timberland. Laws have been drafted after a 

 careful study of timber taxation laws of the other states, and 

 will be presented to the next session of the legislature by the 

 State Forestry Department. 



