WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES 



53 



for organs. Pine and basswood are also used for this purpose, but not to so 

 large an extent. No other wood can compete with spruce for this purpose 

 with the possible exception of balsam fir, if boards of proper size could be obtained. 

 Balsam fir is not, however, reported. Spruce is valued for its resonance. Tulip 

 is used for key- and air-pieces which require strength, elasticity, and permanency 

 of shape. Some manufacturers have experimented with basswood as a substitute 

 for tulip for key-pieces, but it did not prove very satisfactory on account of 

 its tendency to warp. 



Photo 7363. J. A. DOUCET. 



Wagon parts made of birch, ash, and oak, ready for shipment at the factory of Desjardins& Co., St. Andre 

 de Kamouraska, Que. 



In the manufacture of pianos, birch, maple, and elm are used indiscriminately 

 for frame work. Maple is also specially used on account of its rigidity for the 

 key-board, in the form of built-up material. Basswood, tulip, chestnut, 

 and birch are all used in core-work under veneers of ma-hogany, maple, walnut, 

 oak, and red gum. A considerable quantity of the maple veneer used is made 

 of native wood and is of Canadian manufacture. Sounding-boards in pianos 

 are made of quarter-cut spruce exclusively. This requires a material of first 

 quality. The manufacturers consider that eastern spruce is superior to western 

 spruce for this purpose because of the former being more resonant. In many 

 instances sounding-boards are purchased from the United States already manu- 

 factured. 



Violin manufacturers employ a very small quantity of balsam fir which 

 does not appear in the above table. 



Most of the material used for musical instruments is received at the factories 

 in the form of rough lumber from 1 to 3 in. in thickness. The material used 

 is of a superior grade and of an average value of $35 . 93 per thousand feet board 



