CHAPTER XXXII 

 LUMBER 



442. Two Types of Lumber Trees. The term lumber is 

 applied to timber or trees which have been cut and sawed 

 into a form suitable for commercial use. Ordinary planks 

 are a familiar example. 



Not all trees furnish good lumber. The woods used in 

 the various trades are obtained from two kinds of trees 

 forest trees, those that bear cones and have evergreen foliage ; 

 and shade trees, those with broad leaves. Some lumbermen 

 speak of all lumber from the evergreen trees as softwood, 

 and that from the broad-leaved trees as hardwood. Although 

 correct in a general way, there are exceptions to this classifi- 

 cation, as poplar and sycamore woods, while very soft in 

 texture, are classified as hardwoods. Hardwood is close- 

 grained and resists decay for a long time, while softwood is 

 coarse-grained and easy to work. Hardwoods are extensively 

 used for building construction, furniture, floors, etc. Soft- 

 woods are used in the manufacture of cheap wooden forms, 

 such as ironing-boards, etc. 



All the evergreen trees have a wood that is soft, light, and 

 easily worked; they also contain considerable resin. The 

 principal woods taken from this type of tree are white pine, 

 Georgia pine, spruce, hemlock, larch, and cypress. 



The wood from the broad-leaved trees may be divided into 

 three grades: soft, close-grained hardwood; open-grained 

 hardwood; and dark-colored woods. The poplar or white 



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