^* JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



Timbers and Their Uses. A Handbook for ll'oodzvorkers, Mer- 

 chants, and All Interested in the Conversion and Use of Timbers. By 

 Wren Winn. Ivondon : George Routledge & Sons, Ltd. 1919. Pp 

 333. 



The subject matter of this book is treated in ten chapters under the 

 following headings: (1) The uses of wood, (2) geographical distribu- 

 tion. (3) insect pests of timber, (4) fungoid pests of timber, (5) acci- 

 dents during growth, (6) the world's timber resources, (7) manu- 

 factures, etc., (8) the structure and formation of wood, (9) seasoning 

 of wood, and (lOj timber testing. There are also 96 half-tones (4 

 to a page) showing, none too well, the appearance of selected woods. 



A book of this kind covering so wide a field must, almost of necessity, 

 be largely a compilation. The amount of available material is so great 

 that the compiler, to be eminently successful, must "exercise rare powers 

 of discrimination in what to use and what to leave out. The reviewer 

 has a decided feeling that the compiler of this book has not always 

 chosen wisely and that his treatment of his subject matter is not always 

 the best. The book contains little that is new, is not authoritative 

 enough for a reference book, and much of the. subject matter is not 

 well enough classified and digested to serve the general reader's need. 



Take for instance the opening chapter which devotes nearly 100 

 pages to the uses of woods. The arrangement is alphabetical through- 

 out. This is not particularly objectionable so far as concerns the 

 industries, but to enumerate a lot of woods with little or no consider- 

 ation of their importance and relative merit is decidedly unsatisfactory. 

 In most instances, too, it would have been well to treat the industries 

 according to countries. Under the subject of handles the treatment 

 leads the reader to infer that our important handlewood is Oregon crab 

 apple ; white ash is not mentioned. In the consideration of pulpwoods. 

 paper birch, buckeye, and boxelder are accorded equal rank with spruce : 

 balsam fir and the pines are omitted. Apparently our most important 

 cross-tie woods are Nootka cypress, northern white cedar, cypress, 

 hemlock, and tamarack ; our oaks, pines, and chestnut are not men- 

 tioned. It would seem that we have no timber suitable for telegraph 

 poles. The chapter on furniture omits white oak, cherry birch, black 

 walnut, and cherry, and includes mesquite which is referred to as a 

 softwood; mahogany is also omitted! The only American woods 

 mentioned as suitable for flooring are blue ash and Oregon cedar. 

 White oak, our premier tight-cooperage wood, is not considered under 



