26 WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES 



the difficulty of identifying the separate trees. The Virginia sawmills 

 cut 5,500,000 and 3,000,000 went to the manufacturers. The largest 

 quantity consumed was by the handle makers. Ash is probably the 

 most widely distributed of the North American trees. It ranges from 

 the Rocky Mountain States east through every State except Maine. 



BLACK OR YELLOW LOCUST 



In the rich valleys of Virginia, and on up to the mountainous 

 slopes black locust reaches its best development. Its first and native 

 home is thought to have been limited to the sides and foothills of the 

 Southern Appalachians, but owing to its hardiness and to the ease 

 with which it adapts itself to other soils and climes, it has been planted 

 extensively both in this country and Europe. Locust develops rapidly 

 when young and is growing in favor for planting in farm wood-lots. 

 Locust plantations are growing satisfactorily on the Coastal Plains as 

 well as in the other regions of Virginia. The wood is tough, strong, 

 very durable and unequalled it is claimed for torsional strength and 

 resiliency. It is durable when exposed and very lasting in contact with 

 the ground. In Virginia it is highly valued for shipbuilding, fence 

 posts, insulator pins, and to a less degree than in other States for 

 vehicle stock, principally wagon hubs. 



MAPLE 



Sugar, red and black maple can be readily identified in the tree, but 

 in the form of lumber all 1 three generally go under the name of sugar 

 maple. In Virginia only a few manufacturers distinguish it in their 

 reports, and only those who require it separately for making com- 

 modities for which both species are not used indiscriminately. It is 

 claimed that sugar maple is the most valuable hardwood tree in this 

 country, taking into consideration its production of maple sugar and the 

 fact that next to oak its wood meets the greatest number of uses. 

 Choice figured lumlber from this tree brings exceedingly high prices in 

 the market. Sugar maple's and silver maple's range of growth parallel 

 each other, in general extending over much of the same territory east 

 of the looth meridian. Sugar maple is more abundant in the Northern 

 States, while the silver maple takes precedence usually in the Southern 

 States south of the Ohio River. Virginia wood users use a much 

 larger per cent of the sugar maple. Its stands in the mountains 

 and foothills is scattered, but frequent, while in the lowlands 

 the black and red maples probably outnumber considerably the 

 stand of silver maple. The largest general use of silver maple 



