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WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES 



HANDLES 



Handles manufactured in Ohio can properly be divided into four 

 classes: First, garden tool and fork handles, like hoe, rake, spade 

 and D shovel, long- handle shovels, pitch and hay fork handles, etc. 

 In the quantity of wood consumed the making- of this class in Ohio 

 is far more important than the others. Ash is .the principal wood, 

 white ash being- preferred, but black or gray ash is quite suitable 

 and largely demanded. Stiffness and strength without weight are 

 qualities of ash which fit it preeminently for this line of manufacture. 

 Other woods serve with ash, but according to quantity they are 

 relatively unimportant. They included sugar maple, beech and 

 elm, for garden tools, and the two first named with basswood for 

 fork and shovel handles. 



Fig. 18. Mop handle and chair dowels and mill waste from which 

 they are manufactured. 



Second are track tool, sledge and axe handles. Besides excep- 

 tional strength these tools require handles with the important 

 quality of stiffness and shock resisting ability, which is found in 

 hickory in a greater degree than any other wood. A small quan- 

 tity of young second growth white oak is reported for pick handles 

 but aside from that hickory alone in Ohio is used for making com- 

 modities of this class. 



The third class are broom, mop and miscellaneous handles. 

 Large quantities of sugar or hard maple squares are required each 

 year in Ohio for brooms and according to amounts this wood is the 



