WHEELWRIGHTS' WOOD. 598 



For sledges, generally oak, birch, elm, ash and beech are 

 used ; their horns are made of the best beech, maple, or birch- 

 wood. Wheelbarrows also require curved wood. 



Ladders consist of two uprights and the rungs, the former 

 made of coniferous wood, generally of a pole sawn in two, and 

 the latter of cloven wood of oak, ash or robinia. Mangers 

 have a similar construction to ladders, and are made of beech, 

 elm, birch or oak. 



The manufacture of the handles of tools requires large quan- 

 tities of wood, as handles of axes and hatchets, also handles 

 of hammers, spades, scythes, hoes, thrashing flails, etc. 



For axe-handles, split pieces of young beech saplings chiefly 

 are used, as well as of hickory, ash, hornbeam, oak, juniper, 

 and the service-tree. Oak, beech, or birch handles for scythes; 

 for spades and hoes, hickory, ash, elm, robinia, oak and birch 

 are used. Wooden hay-forks are of forked birch, ash, aspen or 

 nettle-tree (Celt is) ; wooden brakes for wheels, of beech or birch. 



In making all these articles the wheelwright uses logs and 

 butts of different dimensions, above all, poles of 3 to 8 inches 

 in diameter of oak, ash, elm and birch ; but all kinds of wood 

 are used, chiefly cloven wood, from which the core and 

 sapwood have been removed, as such material is less liable 

 to warp or crack. Curved and bent wood is often of special 

 value to the wheelwright, although frequently such pieces are 

 made artificially. 



Elm wood affords excellent material for the wheelwright, 

 sometimes that of the common elm and sometimes that of the 

 wych-elm being preferred, but it is very difficult to work, 

 and costs the artificer more labour and trouble than he often 

 cares to bestow. Near the sea-coast much exotic wood, ready 

 cut to size, is used by wheelwrights, especially American 

 hickory (Hicoria) and oak (chiefly Quercus rirens). 



Butchers' blocks use up much ash, as well as beech and 

 oak, though elmwood is best for the purpose, if it can be 

 obtained of suitable dimensions. Pieces of large diameter, 

 and thoroughly sound, are required. Many hundred beech 

 butchers' blocks from the Spessart go down to the Khine 

 annually ; they are made often of 6 to 8 pieces of wood bound 

 together by iron hoops. 



F.U. Q Q 



