Alaska Woods. 191 



makes very good turning squares, since it does not check readily, 

 is easily worked and holds paint well. 



Spruce free from knots and shake when sawn in tangential 

 section has a very pretty grain and serves well for interior finish. 

 It finishes rather smoothly, takes stain or paint readily and 

 when well kilndried makes a very good material for ordinary 

 inside finish and cheap cabinet work. Unless thoroughly kiln- 

 dried, however, and used where moisture conditions are uniform, 

 its decided tendency to shrink and swell renders it very unsatis- 

 factory. 



On account of the soft, light and tough qualities of its wood, 

 Sitka Spruce is well adapted to the manufacture of salmon cases. 

 The cases used in southeastern Alaska alone require several 

 million board feet of sawtimber each year, and since this species 

 is practically the only local wood suitable for that purpose, it is 

 very essential that the local timber supply be closely utilized. 

 The dimensions of finished salmon cases are as follows : Ends, 

 I inch by 9^ inches by 12^ inches ; sides, 7-16 inch by 9^ inches 

 by 19I inches; top and bottom, 1-16 inch by 13 inches by 19^ 

 inches. It is usually specified that the lumber be free from sap, 

 and loose knots, the top to be a full piece and that the bottom 

 is to consist of not over two pieces. Each box requires about 7 

 board feet of rough lumber. The principal bad qualities of 

 spruce for box material are ring shake, heart rot and loose knots, 

 none of which are serious imperfections unless the mill is com- 

 pelled to use a poor grade of logs. 



Spruce is used altogether for herring and halibut boxes in 

 southeastern Alaska, and as that business is growing rapidly, a 

 large quantity of lumber will be used for that purpose in the 

 future. Approximately 25,000 such boxes were cut by local 

 mills during the calendar year 1912. Common rough lumber is 

 used, the sizes being as follows : 



Herring Boxes. 

 Ends, i|- inch by 22 inches by 12 inches- 



Sides, I inch by 12 inches by 42 inches. 



Top and bottom, i inch by 24 inches by 42 inches. 



Halibut Boxes. 

 Ends, I inch by 16 inches by 30 inches. 



Sides, I inch by 16 inches by 54 inches. 



Top and bottom, i inch by 32 inches by 54 inches. 



