CURRENT LITERATURE. 



Identification of the Economic Woods of the United States. 

 By Samuel J. Record, Assistant Professor of Forest Products, 

 Yale University. New York. John Wiley & Sons, 1912, 8vo. 

 vii, + 117 pages, text figures 15, half-tone plates 7. Price $1.25. 



This is a timely book got up in first class style, which aims to 

 give the much needed help to teachers of wood structure and to 

 students of forestry. Also, the book may well serve as a guide 

 for the lumberman or wood user who wishes to get acquainted 

 with the characters helpful in distinguishing the chief commercial 

 woods. A book of this character has long been needed, and the 

 wonder is that the need has not been met before this time. 



The book is divided into two parts. Part I contains, among 

 other matter, excellent and helpful chapters upon vessels, 

 tracheids, wood fibers, wood-parenchyma fibers, pith rays, and 

 resin ducts. The physical properties of wood are treated under 

 the headings of density and weight ; shrinkage, warping and 

 checking; hygroscopicity ; penetrabiUty ; conductivity; resonance; 

 color ; gloss or lustre ; scent or odor ; and taste. The author does 

 not dwell upon a discussion of general detail, nor has he pet 

 theories to exploit. On the contrary he condenses the material 

 as much as possible, consistent with clearness, the idea being to 

 furnish the student with helpful information concerning the 

 structure of wood and to emphasize points of differences. A 

 thorough knowledge of the subject set forth in Part I is essential 

 to the full understanding of the key which constitutes Part II. 



In the key, on the other hand, there has been no attempt at 

 brevity. Instead, all or most of the important characters are 

 given, since in practice it is the use of several features taken 

 together rather than one alone that makes identification sure. 

 The key, being descriptive, points out the structural properties of 

 the woods and compares them. This allows any wood to be con- 

 trasted or compared with another wood in any part of the key. 

 It also permits the rearrangement of the key, in the event anyone 

 wishes to make use of only a portion of it, as well as allowing 



