117 



The largest amount and greatest number of woods of this industry go 

 into cable and wire reels and spools for small size insulated wire. It will be 

 noted that the softwood or conifers not plentiful in Pennsylvania are pre- 

 ferred in their manufacture which probably accounts for so great a per- 

 centage of the material being shipped in from other states. Hemloek and 

 black walnut were the only woods listed as wholly home-grown. Penn- 

 sylvania wire manufacturers use a much larger number of wood reels than 

 is indicated in this table but because they are manufactured elsewhere and 

 brought to the State ready for use after being assembled merely, informa- 

 tion concerning this material was not asked for. It had previously been 

 accredited to the state where the reels were actually manufactured. 



Table 72. Wood for Machinery and Electrical Apparatus, year ending June, 



1912. 



WATER PIPES AND PUMPS. 



Over two and one-half million feet of lumber is demanded annually in 

 Pennsylvania for making wooden water pipes and wood linings for iron 

 water pipes. In coal mining operations the chemical action of the water 

 that collects there holds in solution various minerals, chiefly sulphur, that 

 have a deleterious effect upon iron. Pipes employed for conducting this 

 water away, when of iron, are usually lined with wood to prevent corrosion 

 or, as in many cases, are made entirely of wood. White pine is demanded 

 in the largest quantities for both of these purposes. The average price 

 indicates that the lower grades were employed, as were the sugar maple, 

 beech, and sweet birch and other species were used. Most of the white 

 pine reported was State-grown, which is another instance of an industry 

 at present depending on the forest resources of the State. Yellow poplar, 

 the most expensive wood, came from a distance and went entirely into liquor 

 logs, both for well and boat pumps, the latter used principally on boats for 

 transporting ore coal and other heavy freight. In other states, according 



