Nezvs and Notes. i8i 



of our own eastern oaks. This foreign oak can be supplied at 

 $8 to $io per thousand cheaper than our eastern oak. 



Wagon hubs made from cemented sections are being manu- 

 factured at Batavia, IlHnois, and are said to be greatly superior 

 in strength to solid wood. It is proposed to use inch material 

 which shall be built up on edge 5 inches wide on a standard 3^ 

 axle. In place of using solid hickory at $65 to $70 per M, 

 cheaper inch stock is used which may have greater defects but 

 still be stronger than the solid hickory. It is claimed that the 

 compound axle will be sold for about the same as the price for 

 the green one-piece stock of solid hickory. 



A pronounced development of recent years is the use of fibre 

 material in building operations. This has already caused a 

 higher use for jack pine in the form of sulphite fiber. A single 

 order for ten million feet has recently been made by the Great 

 Northern Railroad company for one of these patented fiber ma- 

 terials to use in lining refrigerator cars. 



It is reported that a new concrete railroad tie has been patented 

 by a resident of Stockton, California. The tie is made in two 

 sections, being disjointed in the middle to give elasticity. A cross 

 section extends out on each side, slightly leveled from center 

 bearing to each end of the section to allow the rail the necessary 

 spring. A steel bar, countersunk, is placed on top of the tie 

 section, which joins the rail, extending under and clamping on the 

 outside of the rail, while a steel clamp on the inside of the rail 

 resting against a boss on the steel bar and inside of the rail, is 

 secured to the tie by a bolt. This arrangement it is claimed, 

 makes it impossible for the rails to spread or turn over. 



The U. S. Government has recently issued new grading rules 

 for all southern yellow pine sold to any department. These rules 

 are published in Southwest for October, 1910. 



A remarkably well written, illustrated article on the "Early 

 Progress Made in the Manufacture of Woodworking Machinery" 

 is published in Wood Craft for January, 191 1. The article com- 



