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HAND BOOK 



ON 



ARKANSAS SOFT PINE 



WHEREIN lies the difference be- 

 tween Arkansas Soft Pine and 

 Georgia Pine?" is one of the most 

 frequent questions regarding this 

 wood. The difference itself is pronounced 

 in every respect. Arkansas Soft Pine is a 

 superior quality of short leaf Yellow Pine 

 known botanically as "Pinus Enchinata." 

 Because of certain individual characteris- 

 tics, namely, its freedom from excessive 

 pitch, its light, soft, lustrous texture and 

 fine grain, this wood has long been in de- 

 mand among builders for certain uses in 

 preference to the more resinous heavy 

 species of other Pines of the South. 



So-called "Georgia Pine" on the other 

 hand is of the "Pinus Palustris" branch 

 of the Pine family, more commonly termed 

 long leaf. It grows in all Gulf States from 

 Florida to Texas ; it is a heavy, dense, res- 

 inous wood adapted to uses calling for ex- 

 treme tensile strength, but has not proven 

 uniformly satisfactory for use as interior 

 trim, particularly under white enamel. In 

 the latter case, this has been due to its 

 marked tendency to stain the enamel from 

 underneath owing to the action of the 

 resinous oil which works out of the wood 

 and through the flat white to the enameled 

 surface, thus causing discoloration. 



INDIVIDUAL ADVANTAGES 



The advantages of Arkansas Soft Pine, 

 therefore, lie in the merits enumerated 

 above in the first paragraph. These in- 

 dividual physical qualities render it partic- 

 ularly adapted to use as interior trim. It 

 also serves especially well as ceiling, lap. 

 siding, barn boards, shiplap, roofing, 

 sheathing and in all other items of the 

 lower grades. It should be stated also that 

 average stock from the Arkansas Soft Pine 

 log possesses adequate strength for all 

 tresses and loads to be expected in the con- 

 struction of residences as well as that of 



rvice Bulletin No. 213 



store and apartment buildings of moder- 

 ate size. Stock joists and rafters 2x6, 2x8, 

 2x10 and 2x12 inches for example will 

 serve with a wide margin of safety when 

 used over spans not to exceed 18 or 20 

 feet. 



In this connection, Government tests 

 conducted by the Forest Service Depart- 

 ment* give the modulous of rupture on 

 short leaf at 7,710 pounds as against 8,630 

 for long leaf, the crushing strength at 

 3,560 pounds as against 4,280 pounds and 

 the shearing strength 702 radial and 704 

 tangential as against 1,060 and 953 pounds 

 respectively for long leaf. 



Thus it is evident from the foregoing 

 figures that Arkansas Soft Pine dimension 

 may be safely employed for rafters even 

 in factories or warehouses where the spans 

 are not of extreme length. 



For framing material in residential and 

 construction of similar character requir- 

 ing dimension, boards, shiplap, etc., Ar- 

 kansas Soft Pine will be found ultra-satis- 

 factory for the following reasons : 



All piece stuff has more than ample 

 strength to carry loads of the class already 

 mentioned. Furthermore, it is a material 

 of great toughness of fiber which cuts 

 readily and yet does not split easily when 

 nailed. Consequently, close fitting, knife 

 joints are possible at all toe nails and 

 miters. 



The same inherent, tough, resilient fiber 

 characterizes all common grades of inch 

 lumber. Boards, sheathing, etc., may, 

 therefore, be easily, yet securely nailed 

 with the minimum of effort. Carpenters 

 who have worked in all White Pine en- 

 dorse Arkansas Soft Pine as the nearest 

 approach to that famous wood in softness 

 and "workability." Due to those same 

 characteristics which include in addition, 

 the absence of excessive pitch, the wood 

 takes paint in a thorough-going manner 



Page Five 



