FORESTRY AND CONSERVATION 431 



baskets, egg crates, and similar products. Such woods do not yield 

 high grade veneers, but are used extensively for building up panels 

 to be finished with a choice wood. 



Woods which take a good finish and possess a pleasing grain 

 or color, such as oak, maple, birch, or walnut, furnish the bulk of 

 the true veneers; in fact, it may safely be assumed that practically 

 all of the walnut and oak and a large percentage of the maple 

 shown in this report are used in this way. Furniture and, to a 

 limited extent, interior finishing, consume the most of these species. 

 (F. S. B. 74.) 



Charcoal Timber. The charring of wood is a process as old as 

 civilization. In the early days the wood was charred under sod in 

 the old charcoal kiln, which has been a familiar sight over a good 

 part of the world. The modern charcoal kiln is so made that val- 

 uable vapors are condensed from the smoke, which in the old-fash- 

 ioned kiln escaped into the air and was wasted. Kilns are now 

 mainly used to produce charcoal for blast furnaces for pig iron. 

 They are made of brick, with a circular base, and divided approx- 

 imately into two semicircular sections. They hold each about 50 

 cords, and are charged and discharged by hand. The vapors are 

 carried off into condensers, where the condensable ones are liquefied. 

 (F. S. Cir. 114.) 



Pencil Wood. A farmer who now owns a supply of red cedar 

 either in the tree or in the form of posts and old rails is in a fair 

 way to become wealthy. One of the most common articles in every- 

 day use is the lead pencil. Something like 315,000,000 pencils are 

 manufactured in the United States each year, and the industry is 

 steadily growing. In the manufacture of these 315,000,000 pen- 

 cils there are required 109,000 tons or 7,300,000 cubic feet of wood, 

 so that each day in the year 300 tons or 20,000 cubic feet of wood 

 are used for pencils. By far the greater part of this wood is red 

 cedar. Its softness, straight grain, and freedom from defects ren- 

 der it peculiarly adapted to the purpose, and a suitable substitute 

 has never been found. Indeed, it is doubtful if any other wood- 

 using industry is so dependent upon a single species as the pencil 

 industry is dependent upon red cedar. 



To realize the scarcity of pencil material, it is only necessary to 

 visit the cedar mill yards where are now being used old rails and 

 small and knotty logs, which a few years ago would not have been 

 considered. How long the supply will last is hard to say, but it is 

 certain that some of the mills now in operation must shut down in- 

 side of a dozen years, and this regardless of any measures which 

 may be taken in the meantime to protect the young growth. 



The requirements for lead-pencil material are very exacting. 

 A soft wood, even and straight grained, free from defects, and one 

 which will not check or warp, is essential. The heartwood of red 

 cedar fulfills these requirements and is, besides, very durable. The 

 quality of the heartwood, however, varies widely throughout the 

 tree's range. Even local conditions influence its texture. As an 

 example of local variation, the heartwood of cedar which grows on 



