TIMBER OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 97 



refuse sawn chestnut sleepers entirely because their rough 

 surfaces are said to absorb more moisture and to decay 

 quicker than hewn ties, hence there is a great waste in con- 

 verting the timber. 



Chestnut in Canada (Castanea dentata) is confined to the 

 south-western part of Ontario, and even there it is only 

 .met with in small quantities. It is one of the many woods 

 used by the turner, and also for marquetry and inlaid work, 

 white holly, box, and pear being some of the others. 



Buckeyes or Horse Chestnuts (^Escnlus glabra and d. flava) 

 produce a soft wood of but little value. It is used a good 

 deal for wooden ware, and for the making of artificial limbs 

 it is preferred to any other. 



Spruce grows intermixed with fir in the north-eastern 

 States and the Eocky Mountain region, is found in abun- 

 dance in Ontario, Canada, and grows from there to the 

 Pacific. 



White Spruce (Picca alba) is used largely wherever pine 

 is scarce for floors, joists, doors, sashes, mouldings, and 

 panel work, in fact it is rapidly taking the place of the 

 white pine (P. strobus) for building purposes in Canada, 

 not only because of its being cheaper, but because it has 

 been found satisfactory for many purposes, and the demand 

 on this timber is also active in the northern United States. 

 In Southern California some species grow to a height of 

 200 ft. with a trunk 4 ft. in diameter, but the average 

 height of the tree is about 70 to 80 ft. It is very similar 

 to Norway spruce, excels it in toughness, is rather less 

 durable and dense, and more liable to warp in seasoning. 



Over 9,000 spruce piles 25 to 40 ft. long were driven in 

 their natural condition as foundation piles for Long Island 

 City power station a few years ago. 



T. H 



