50 LOBLOLLY OR NORTH CAROLINA PINE. 



. x\s would be expected from tlie rapid growth of tlie tree tlie wood is 

 mostly coarse grained. Thrifty young trees frequently have as few as 

 two rings to the inch near the center (Plate IX, A), while the sap wood 

 of trees more than 100 years of age may exhibit less than ten rings to 

 the inch. Lumber from second growth trees generally has from 5 to S 

 rings of annual growth to the inch; that from large old trees from 7 to 

 10. Ten rings to the inch may be considered fine grained for this spe- 

 cies. The green wood weighs about 45 pounds per cubic foot. The kiln- 

 dried wood, average of the tree, weighs about 31 pounds to the cubic 

 foot, the specific gravity being about .50. It is about five pounds per 

 cubic foot lighter than that of the longieaf pine, five pounds heavier than 

 that of white pine, and slightly heavier than that of the shortleaf 

 pine of the Piedmont. But the wood varies considerably in weight. 

 That from the lower part of the stem of trees which have hard, 

 compact wood w^J|i^-\j^j.(|^eg^i^^iner wood in the annual ring (Plate 



IX, A) weighs r n"Tp tl^ay) — 3j g pounds per cubic foot; while that 

 from the upper j)art of the stem of trees with narrow summer wood 

 in the ring of annual growth weighs \m ^ than ^flm. j ^^y^f ; ^ (Plate 



X, A), commercial wood being largely from the lower part of the 

 stem averages about 33 pounds to the cubic foot for kiln-dried material. 

 The green wood has a shipping weight of 4,200 pounds for 1,000 feet of 

 inch boards, while the kiln-dried wood weighs about 3,100 pounds per 

 l.CCO feet of inch boards. Moisture forms 50 per cent of the Aveight of 

 fresh sapwood and about 25 per cent of the weight of the heartwood. 

 While tbe wood is weaker (in proportion to its weight) in tensile, shear- 

 ing, and bending strength than that of either longieaf pine or white 

 pine, it is relatively stronger than that of the shortleaf pine. On ac- 

 count of its relative weakness it is not so desirable a wood as white pine 

 for certain uses, such as doors and small packing boxes. 



HeartAvood begins to form between the twentieth and thirtieth year?, 

 earlier on good soils and in rapidly groAving trees than on poor soik 

 and in slowly growing intermediate or suppressed trees. The number 

 of rings of sapwood does not yemain the same throughout the life of the 

 trees, but inci'eases with age. A tree thirty years old is practically all 

 sapwood. seldom having more than a small core of heartAA'Ood in the 

 butt log. Trees one hundred years old have from 60 to 65 rings of 

 sapwood, while trees 200 years old commonly haA'e from 90 to 95 rings. 

 Less than one-third of the volume of trees betAveen seventy and one hun- 

 dred years old is heartAvood; and less than one-half of the volume of 

 trees between 100 and 150 years old. Since the sapwood of this pine, on 

 account of its clearness of knots, uniformly bright color, and freedom 

 from pitch is esteemed for interior Avoodwork fully as highly as the 

 heartAA^ood, the large proportion of sapwood is considered advantageous 

 rather than otherwise. (Plate XII, B.) 



The Avood is considerably less resinous than that of the longieaf pine, 

 but more so than that of the shortleaf or white pine. Dr. Chas. H. 

 Herty, the Avell-knoAvn authority on turpentine, says that the oleoresin 



