102 



ELEMENTARY WOODWORKING 



The leaves of the sweet gum, or liquid amber so 

 called from the amber-colored gum the tree gives out 

 remind one of the starfish, being five-fingered and decid- 

 edly different from any leaf in the forest. The tree 

 grows to a height of one hundred and fifty feet, and its 

 wood is a handsome brown color with fine and intricate 



markings. It warps badly, 

 but is valued for wood turn- 

 ing on account of its soft- 

 ness and even grain. 



54. Tulip. The lumber 

 furnished by the tulip tree, 

 commonly called white- 

 ivood, is less liable to warp 

 than gum wood, and is some- 

 what harder. Just why it 

 should be called white wood 

 is not clear, as it is much 

 darker than white pine and 

 of a greenish-yellow color. 

 The leaf of the tulip tree is very peculiar, having only 

 four points, without any small teeth, and with an outline 

 so odd that one often wonders if nature did not use a 

 pair of scissors in cutting it out. 



Each leaf stands out aggressively on a long stem. 

 The glory of the tree which gives it its name is 



FIG. 112. Sweet Gum, or Liquid 

 Amber 



