RACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 203 



become new," but they must be very, very old to satisfy the critical eye of the 

 modern connoiss* ir. 



But beyond the forms or plans which the designer or architect prepares, 

 there is a far more important matter, the abundance of the materials from which 

 articles are to be constructed. 



Walnut and cherry are no longer fashionable, because they are not obtainable 

 in quantities sufficient to supply the world's demands. In the United States, fifty 

 years ago the wild black cherry, which was then quite abundant, became a very 

 desirable wood from which house furniture, office furnishings, stairways, panels, 

 newels and all inside work was made. Engineers and draughtsmen preferred 

 cherry for instruments, as it was quite free from changes, retaining its form 

 indefinitely. Cherry is a beautiful, plain, unfigured wood, taking a high polish, 

 durable when protected from moisture, easily worked, and an ideal material for 

 all cabinet designs. 



But the demand soon exhausted the supply of cherry. And while this is a 

 tree which grows rapidly and could easily be reproduced in forests, there has been 

 no one to urge this matter of extending our forests of economic woods, and so it 

 has been neglected. 



Then came the black walnut, which was for many years the principal wood 

 for furniture. As it became scarce, and the beautiful curled and figured veneers 

 were in demand, thousands of dollars were expended in digging the stumps and 

 old roots of walnut trees cut for lumber years before : these were transported 

 long distances, over rough mountain roads, to railways where they could be moved 

 to the veneer factories. The stump of a single tree, after being cut into veneers, 

 has been sold for fabulous sums. 



Walnut, like the cherry, became so scarce that manufacturers were compelled 

 to seek other wood which should take the place of walnut. To-day almost the 

 entire production is exported to Europe. 



Birch has been largely used but never a favorite. Maple, especially the bird's 



eye and the curly forms, has been a favorite with many. Tupelo, or sour gum, 



and also sweet gum, which in Europe is called satinwood, has received much 



attention.while beech and sycamore are still used in some articles, as desks, for 



nside finish. 



Finally oak was chosen, since to all appearances the supply was inexhaustible, 

 in lumber cut from a large white oak tree the medullary rays, when quarter 

 sawed, give a striking appearance which in moderation is in good taste and very 

 attractive, but the "loud" appearance of some quartered oak furniture is far from 

 being a pattern which will stand the test of time. 



To quarter saw an oak log causes great waste, which makes it very expensive, 

 since there are many very narrow boards and beveled edges which must be 

 dressecl away. 



But the supply of oak in America is fast drawing to an end. Every nook 

 and corner of the near-by states has been scanned by lumbermen, and the oak 

 and other trees which were sound have become converted into lumber. 



Five years ago in an extended tour through the mountains of Kentucky and 

 Tennessee, the writer saw great forests of white, red and chestnut oak. into which 

 mil ways and timber roads were being rapidly pushed. All the great railways of 



