16 YELLOW POPLAR IN TENNESSEE. 



The wood also enters largely into the construction of piano cases and 

 other musical instruments. On account of lack of odor it is a desirable 

 wood for cases for dairy goods, such as cheese boxes and butter tubs, and 

 for cracker boxes and candy pails. It is extensively used in the manu- 

 facture of cigar boxes, either as a core for Spanish cedar veneer, or simply 

 stained and printed in imitation of it. It is employed for bobbins and 

 yarn spools, and in the manufacture of refrigerators, boats, and car finish. 

 While the heartwood of old trees is preferred for most of these uses, the 

 sapwood is being less discriminated against when well kiln-dried, and 

 eventually must be largely used instead of the heartwood. To a great ex- 

 tent cheaper woods, like gum and tupelo, are replacing it for headings, for 

 slack cooperage stock, for pumps, for cheap packing cases and for tobacco 

 hogsheads. But it is still a standard wood for small packing boxes of the 

 lock-end type, such as are largely used for drugs, as it shows for this use 

 a greater strength for its weight than any other competing wood.* The 

 white sapwood which admits of direct printing is preferable for this use. 

 It is being substituted for white pine in making staves for fish kits and 

 pails, patterns for castings, drawing boards and engineer's tables, and for 

 pontoon bridge timbers, uses which demand clear boards. On the other 

 hand it has been in part replaced by cheaper materials, such as gum and 

 cottonwood in agricultural implements ; by cottonwood and sap pine for 

 wagon bodies, and by pine for exterior construction work. 



On account of its great shearing strength, its capacity for withstanding 

 end compression and the straightness of its stem, yellow poplar poles are 

 well suited for mine props. In temporary workings (robbings) second 

 growth sap timber can be used untreated, but where durability is essential 

 the timber should be impregnated with a preservative. Treated wood is 

 also adaptable for use as poles and fence posts. This adds greatly to the 

 usefulness of the second-growth timber. It is well adapted for match 

 sticks on account of the straightness of its grain, the ease with which the 

 wood ignites, its free burning resulting in a steady flame, and the com- 

 pleteness of combustion. It has been used for this purpose, however, only 

 to a limited extent. 



The wood burns well and quietly, the embers glowing for a long while 

 in still air. The fuel value of the wood compared with that of hickory, is 

 low. The amount of ash is small^23 per cent.f It makes a light char- 

 coal which is held in low esteem. 



*Tests of the woods used in the box trade made by Branch of Products, U. S. 

 Forest Service, show that for its weight yellow poplar has the highest shearing 

 and cross breaking strength. Cottonwood ranks next f.o i( 



fSargent, Tenth Census. 



