408 APPLIED SCIENCE 



the Lake states. Englemann's spruce is the source of spruce lumber 

 in the Rocky Mountain region. 



460. Chestnut. Chestnut is lumbered throughout most of 

 the central and eastern states. During late years, a chestnut bark 

 disease has killed much of the timber. 



461. Yellow Poplar. Yellow poplar is known in the eastern 

 states as whitewood poplar, or tulip poplar. 



462. Birch. Two species furnish the bulk of birch lumber 

 but no distinction between them is recognized in the trade. Yellow 

 birch is the principal source of lumber in New England, New York, 

 and the Lake states. White sweet (or cherry) birch is the principal 

 species cut in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In northern New 

 England paper birch, often called canoe or white birch, is the chief 

 source of material for spools, toothpicks, and novelties; little of 

 it is cut into lumber. River (or red) birch is poorer in color and 

 figure than the other birches, but is sometimes cut for lumber 

 in the southern states. In the lumber trade, "red birch" means 

 lumber cut from the heart-wood of yellow or sweet birch. Western 

 birch is sawed into lumber to a slight extent on the Pacific Coast. 

 White (or gray) birch is a small New England timber tree which 

 possesses only a minor commercial value. 



463. Larch. The term larch is used to cover two closely related 

 and similar species : tamarack, cut in the northern states from Min- 

 nesota to Maine; and western larch, cut in Montana, Idaho, Wash- 

 ington, and Oregon. Although sold for less at the mill, the lumber 

 of the latter is more valuable than tamarack, because, the tree 

 being much larger, the wood has more strength and figure and better 

 finishing properties. 



464. Beech. Beech wood lumber is cut chiefly in the states 

 east of the Mississippi River. 



465. Bass wood. While three species of bass wood trees are 

 cut for lumber, no distinction between them is made on the lumber 

 market. Bass wood is grown chiefly in the New England and 

 northeastern states. 



