OF VIRGINIA 



47 



nearly 388 million feet but the wood using industries consumed less 

 than 10 per cent, and the furniture makers less than one per cent. 

 Compared with other States not only do the many kinds of hardwood 

 stands favor the Virginia manufacturers, but also the prices of lumber. 

 White oak cost the Massachusetts furniture makers an average of 

 $34-59 J tn Maryland report gives $31.86; the Illinois report $45.59; 

 the Wisconsin report $34.44. 



The advancement made in gluing woods has brought about a con- 

 siderable change in the methods of furniture making Formerly, 

 nearly all parts of chiffoniers, tables, wardrobes, bureaus, sideboards, 

 etc., were made from solid lumber. Today these parts, by the use of 

 the glue pot, are frequently made from built-up lumber. Furniture 

 tops, for instance, are strips of various woods suitable for coring, 

 glued and jointed together and upon them is stuck an overlay of at- 

 tractively figured veneer. Door and drawer fronts are similarly made. 

 The sides are three-ply panels and the backs frequently two-layer stock. 



In three-ply lumber the inside layer is usually a wood which takes 

 stain well and can be made to imitate the color of the outside wood. 

 Birch, red gum, maple, yellow poplar, are largely used. The outside 

 sheet is mahogany, oak, walnut, sycamore, tupeilo, birch, ash, red gum, 

 sassafras or cherry. The middle sheet, the thickest, transverse to the 

 grains of the other two, is a soft porous wood, such as yellow poplar, 

 white pine, cottonwood, basswood, cucumber, or loblolly pine, selected 

 for its quality to absorb and hold strongly to glue. Furniture backs 

 are usually made of a number of thin narrow boards neatly nailed to 

 the frame, and over them is stuck a thin sheet of yellow poplar, cotton- 

 gum, or cottonwood, which gives the appearance of a solid back. This 

 two-ply work is in high favor with manufacturers making moderate- 

 priced and high grades of furniture and is taking the place of the old 

 method of paneling the backs. 



White oak and red oak, chestnut, loblolly and shortleaf pine and 

 cypress were the woods used for furniture frames. Sugar maple and 

 ash supplied the drawer sides and the extension table slides because 

 these woods have the quality of wearing smooth. Chestnut, yellow 

 poplar, and loblolly pine were the principal core woods. White and 

 red oak, ash, maple, birch, red gum, and cherry were the principal 

 exterior woods. White pine, yellow poplar, basswood, cotton gum, and 

 red gum met the demand for drawer bottoms, partitions, shelving and 

 other inside work. 



Kitchen safes and cabinets were made from yellow poplar, tupelo, 

 and the low grades of oak. Ditty boxes used on board of battleships 

 as a place for sailors to keep their personal effects were made exclu- 



