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I AMERICAN FORESTRY I 



VOL. 27 



OCTOBER, 1921 



NO. 334 



FIGURE IN WOOD 



BY SAMUEL J. RECORD 



-I. PROFESSOR OF FOREST PRODUCTS, YALE UNIVERSITY 



\fT OOD is one of the most variable materials in the By normal is meant the natural condition of the wood of 



world. In density it ranges from a pith-like a sound tree. In the abnormal or pathologic are to be 



substance used for pith-helmets and life preservers to found the peculiar distortions and colorations resulting 



lignum-vitae and ironwood which, even when perfectly from disease, the attacks of insects and the activities 



drv, are a third again heavier than water. . of various agencies not a part of the regular life pro- 



In color there is the 

 chalky white of holly at one 

 extreme and the jet black of 

 ebony at the other. There 

 are to be found almost every 

 possible shade and combina- 

 tion of red, orange, yellow, 

 green, blue and violet. With 

 the woods of the world at 

 one's disposal it would be a 

 simple enough task to ar- 

 range the hues into a perfect 

 rainbow. 



In figure there is an 

 equally wide range from the 

 plain and drab to the highly 

 ornate and fantastic. The 

 cabinet maker, the furniture 

 manufacturer and the archi- 

 tect have a choice of mate- 

 rial with which to satisfy 

 every task and whim of the 

 trade. With judicious use 

 of stains and bleaches, fill- 



A BLOCK OF PINE MAGNIFIED TO SHOW LAYER 

 GROWTH 



cesses of the trees. First 

 among the normal comes the 

 figure resulting from the 

 layers of growth which re- 

 flect the seasonal variations. 

 While all trees of the Tem- 

 perate Region and many 

 of those from the Tropics 

 have growth rings, in not 

 all cases, by any means, are 

 the contrasts in density and 

 color great enough to show 

 prominently in the finished 

 material. Common exam- 

 ples are basswood, aspen, 

 paper birch, tulip wood, 

 holly, tupelo, buckeye, yel- 

 low cedars, and certain of 

 the pines, firs and spruces. 

 On the other hand, there 

 are certain conifers and 

 hardwoods with a distinct 

 layered or banded structure. 

 In such cases the wood en- 



ers and varnish the decora- showing alternating light and dark bands which produce the velope laid on in early spring 



tive effects with wood are .'JS"'''^/" ^"'^hed l^umber The face to the left is radially cut or j ^ ^ j texture 



quarter-sawn ; that to the right, tangentially cut or flat-sawn . ' 



unlimited. Figure in wood and normally lighter colored 



has various sources. These may be grouped in those than that produced later in the growing season, 

 due to structure, those caused by color variation or pig- If a log were a perfect cylinder and the lay- 

 mentation, and to combination of the two. These again ers regular throughout, the ends would show a 

 may be classified as normal and abnormal or pathologic, series of concentric circles, alternating light and 



