A HANDBOOK FOR EUCALYPTUS PLANTERS. 47 



will not crack nor break out under strain at joints or bolt holes. The 

 wood is stiffer and less elastic than Eastern hickory. 



The wood of different species ranges in color from white to dark 

 brown. The heart and sapwood of many species is indistinguishable. 

 The heart of blue gum is a little darker than the sapwood, while that 

 of red gum is red or dark brown in color. The grain of blue gum closely 

 resembles that of hickory and ash. 



SEASONING. 



The difficulties experienced in seasoning Eucalyptus timber have been 

 a great obstacle to its more extensive utilization. It has received an 

 undeserved reputation for warping and checking from many who have 

 used it green or improperly seasoned. It is no more difficult to season 

 than oak, hard maple and many other hardwoods, which are annually 

 cut and seasoned by the million feet in the Eastern States. The success 

 attained by several experienced manufacturers proves that it yields 

 readily to thorough methods. 



To insure successful seasoning the, trees should be felled between 

 November and March. Sawlogs should be manufactured as soon as 

 possible after cutting, for they check quickly with exposure to sun and 

 winds. When not to be sawn immediately, they should be piled in the 

 shade without peeling. The ends of the logs should be painted to pre- 

 vent checking. 



Ordinarily, sawn lumber should be loose-piled under cover with 

 abundant space for air circulation. The ends of the timbers should be 

 weighted. By this treatment 6 by 8 inch or larger timbers are 

 thoroughly and evenly seasoned without warping or checking, though 

 the wood may shrink considerably during the seasoning process. Inch 

 boards are apt to warp in seasoning, so the lumber is usually sawn into 

 planks. The heartwood is more apt to check than the sapwood. 



Air seasoning produces better results than kiln seasoning. Air-dried 

 lumber may be used in a year, but two years' seasoning gives better 

 results and is generally practiced. 



USES OF LUMBER. 



Vehicle Parts. Blue gum has been extensively used' as a substitute for 

 other hardwoods in the manufacture of vehicles. Its strength and 

 elasticity recommend it very highly as a substitute for hickory and ash, 

 which are rapidly becoming scarce. Gum timber is just as durable and 

 nearly as strong as hickory. If kept from contact with the soil, it will 

 not decay under exposure to the weather, and will retain its shape if 

 properly seasoned. 



Its usefulness for vehicle parts has been recognized locally for a 

 long time, '"lie ranchers of the Los Angeles and Santa Clara valleys 



