58 



PERSIMMON. 

 (Diospyros virginiana) . 



The persimmon tree belongs to the ebony family which is confined largely 

 to tropical regions. The wood has all the good qualities of ash, works more 

 smoothly, and retains a friction polish. Besides it has a very fine, rather 

 straight grain, and is hard, strong, tough, porous, very heavy, and 

 splits easily. Persimmon has two important uses for which there is extensive 

 demand, last-blocks for children's shoes, and shuttles used in textile mills. 

 In the country at large, the greatest quantity probably goes to the latter in- 

 dustry, but in Pennsylvania the makers of boot and shoe findings used all 

 but 12 per cent, of the quantity consumed. 



Table 44. Consumption of Persimmon, year ending June. 1912. 



BUTTERNUT. 

 (Juglans cinerea). 



Butternut is relatively common on good soil in Pennsylvania. It is used 

 by a greater number of industries in this State than in any other. Nearly 92 

 per cent, of the total quantity used in Pennsylvania is grown in the State. 

 The most surprising fact in connection with the use of this wood is the con- 

 sumption of butternut for excelsior at the low price of $15 per thousand feet. 

 The excelsior makers used more than one-third of all reported, while the 

 fixture manufacturers, the ship builders, and the manufacturers of pulleys 

 were the next in importance, these four industries together consuming 74 per 

 cent, of the total. The rest went to four other industries in varying small 

 amounts. Butternut is often called white walnut. Its qualities include 

 porousness, brittleness, stiffness, lack of resiliency, capacity to split, easy 

 to work, and it is considerably lighter, weaker, and less durable than black 

 walnut. 



