THE USES OF WOOD 



341 



tavor of the hardwoods in those 

 factories where wood is re- 

 worked. 



The softwoods are far more 

 abundant than the hardwoods 

 in the forests, taking the whole 

 country over, but in the variety 

 of uses the hardwoods are in the 

 lead. The country's forests con- 

 tain at least six feet of soft- 

 woods to one foot of hardwoods ; 

 but in number of species, .the 

 hardwoods are four times as 

 numerous as the others. The 

 softwoods are usually defined as 

 the needleleaf trees, the hard- 

 woods as the broadleaf. That is 

 the only line of division on which 

 there is general agreement, and 

 the division is based on botani- 

 cal characters rather than on 

 the actual hardness or softness 

 of the wood. The genera of 

 trees belonging in the softwood 

 class in this country are not so 

 numerous but that they may be 

 listed in a dozen words. They 

 are : Pine, larch, spruce, hem- 

 lock, fir, cypress, redwood, cedar 

 and yew. All others are hard- 

 woods, though some persons 

 would place the palms and 

 yuccas in a third class, but they 

 are of relatively little impor- 

 tance as wood. 



Pine constitutes a little more 



A MINNESOTA LUMBER FLUME IN WINTER 

 In the North's cold winter climate water will freeze solid in one day in a flume like this, and of course 

 it would then be useless as a lumber carrier. Flumes may transport logs as well as lumber down hill 

 and over rough country. The method is successful in well-built flumes. 



than half of all the wood going 

 to shops and factories in this 

 country, and fir furnishes the 

 second largest quantity, the 

 principal species being Douglas 

 fir of the Pacific Coast. The 

 hardwood which furnishes most 

 is oak, with maple second, red 

 gum third, and yellow poplar 

 fourth. Every species, whether 

 hardwood or softwood, that at- 

 tains suitable size and exists in 

 commercial quantities, goes to 

 shops and factories somewhere 

 in the United States, though 

 some species supply only small 

 amounts. Among those making 

 the most insignificant showing 

 are: California laurel with 

 68,000 feet a year; holly with 

 72,000 feet; yucca 86,000, and 

 applewood 321,000. 



GRADING AT THE SORTING CHAINS 

 A the freshly-cut boards ride down the moving chains from the saw toward the lumber yard, experts 

 who have been trained by long experience grade the stuff, placing the various grades in their proper 

 piles. These men hold responsible places, because profit and loss depend on the accuracy of their work. 



