CLASSIFICATION AND CHARACTER OF WOOD 85 



Strength. The power to resist breaking or crushing is 

 another very desirable feature in wood. For many purposes 

 this determines its value. White Oak and Hickory are well 

 known for their strength and endurance when subjected to 

 great strain and heavy burdens. Weight for weight they 

 are nearly as strong as cast iron in resisting transverse 

 strains. This eminently fits them for some purposes, for 

 which other species would be worthless. It must be remem- 

 bered that all the wood of a tree of any given species is not 

 of equal strength. Some Oaks may have no greater strength, 

 for equal dimensions, than White Pine or Yellow* Poplar ; 

 but this arises from conditions surrounding the tree in its 

 growth. The wood of some parts of a tree may be stronger 

 than that of other portions. Soil, location, age, suppression 

 by other trees, and subsequent relief from that, may greatly 

 modify the character of the wood produced. Therefore, the 

 best that can be done in describing the qualities of any 

 wood is to speak of it in its average condition, as, for in- 

 stance, to say of an Oak or a Hickory that it is tough, 

 strong, hard, etc., or of some other species that they are 

 weak, soft, and brittle. 



Color Texture. The color, texture, and general appear- 

 ance of wood when used for furniture, interior finish, or in 

 other protected places where it is to be seen, are important 

 features and have much to do with its value. Though some- 

 what harder and more durable than Yellow Poplar, Black 

 Walnut would be of little more value than the Poplar were 

 the beauty of its color and texture covered with a coat 

 of paint. Some woods have a rich, satiny, and transparent 

 surface when finished without stain or paint, and modern 

 taste has come to appreciate these qualities. Some will take 

 stain well, by which they may be made to resemble closely 

 woods of superior character, and some will take paint or 

 glue better than others, all of which are important features. 



Medullary Rays. The wood of all trees has medullary 

 rays as elsewhere described. In many species they are small 

 and inconspicuous, but the possession of them by a few 



