222 THE TIMBERS OF THE WORLD 



mcnt as to what should be indudcd in the group of hard pines in the 

 United States, but the following twenty-two are usually placed in that 

 class." He then names twenty -one species other than P. palnstris, 

 among which, as far as the export to the United Kingdom and abroad is 

 concerned, are included P. echinata ; loblolly pine, P. taeda ; P. hetero- 

 phylla ; P. rigida, and perhaps others. Laslett in 1875 gave P. rigida 

 as the only source. 



The practice adopted in America of indiscriminately mixing supplies 

 which are the produce of many different species in one delivery, wliich 

 has been referred to elsewhere, seems unfortunate. One consignment 

 may be quite satisfactory and contain only a small percentage of the 

 timber which is not desirable, another may consist entirely of unsatis- 

 factory timber. This method is to be regretted, as it is only possible 

 to separate the high - class article at the time of conversion. Fortu- 

 nately some of the shippers do succeed in maintaining a high standard 

 of quaUty in all their shipments, and have been repaid by the excellent 

 reputation they have gained in the trade ; nevertheless there have 

 been many occasions when the buyer, who hoped to receive the high- 

 class timber which is yielded by the produce of P. palnstris, has found 

 the majority of his timber to consist of the extremely inferior quality 

 which is generally attributed to the produce of the loblolly pine [P. 

 taeda). Pitch pine is a wood which is so well known that it is unneces- 

 sary to describe its appearance. Of a similar grain, much harder in 

 texture and with strong pitchy growth, in other respects it resembles in 

 appearance that of Scots pine {Pinus sylvestris). 



Laslett in 1875 wrote : " The principal defects in pitch pine are the 

 heart and cup shake." The latter often extends a long way up the tree, 

 and it would be impossible to better this description of its defects if the 

 timber referred to is the product of the true pitch pine (P. palustris). 

 Unfortunately, since the date when this account was written, shipments 

 have greatly deteriorated in quality and, as mentioned above, have 

 often included the product of other species ; consequently to Laslett's list 

 must be added other defects which include open grain, coarse, sour-grown 

 wood, large knots, and a far too great preponderance of sap, which 

 latter is often seriously discoloured. The cutting during the last thirty 

 years has been on such a vast scale that the forests will now no longer 

 produce so much of the large-sized and better quality timber, which every 

 year becomes therefore more difificult to obtain. The demand for this 

 valuable timber has been regular and continuous and still remains so. 

 For decorative work for churches, public buildings, and private houses 

 it was greatly in vogue during the early Victorian era. The good 

 qualities of the wood suffered, in common with other material, from 

 the ugly and ungainly style then general, and although, to a limited 



^M.-.> 



