THE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES OF WOODS 189 



For the ordinary uses of woods it is seldom that fine dis- 

 tinctions are made. There are many woods that can be used 

 for construction purposes, such as pine, spruce, hemlock, fir 

 and cottonwood ; nearly any hardwood will make strong and 

 serviceable furniture ; fence posts are used of any of our more 

 durable woods. Many wood-using industries, on the other 

 hand, demand woods that have special properties that fit them 

 for their particular purpose, such as for pencils, musical in- 

 struments, aeroplanes, shuttles, etc. In this case, where defi- 

 nite qualities are demanded, a special inspection of each stick 

 must be made. 



It is not on any one quality that the value of a wood for 

 use depends, but often on a combination of many qualities. 

 For the use of the carpenter and builder a wood that is soft 

 to work and to nail and fairly stiff and that is abundant and 

 cheap is desired, a combination found in the coniferous woods. 

 The furniture maker demands a wood that is strong, hard and 

 tough, that will not dent easily, that will take a high polish, 

 often of good color and grain, and that will not warp and 

 twist when once in place. For the carriage builder a wood 

 must be strong, hard and elastic. It must have a long fiber 

 to give toughness and strength, and for spokes must be evenly 

 and easily split. Ability to resist shocks and to hold spikes 

 are demanded for woods for railroad ties, and a durable, 

 light, soft w r ood for poles. Often the color of wood or its 

 odor will give it a special value, provided it has the other 

 qualities requisite as for some kinds of furniture, interior 

 trim and novelties. The quality of responding to and enforc- 

 ing a musical note gives some kinds of wood a value for 

 musical instruments. 



It is only within recent years that a systematic study has 

 been made of the properties of different woods and their fit- 

 ness for special purposes. The U. S. Forest Service has es- 

 tablished a Woods Products Laboratory at Madison, Wiscon- 

 sin, where woods are tested for their properties and the 



