156 WOODS OF COMMERCE. 



Aspen (Pdpulus trtmula L. : Order Salidnece). German " Aspe," 

 " Espe," " Zitterpappel," French " peuplier tremble," Span. 

 " alamo tremblon," Russ. " osyka." 



Dingy white, looking reddish brown in transverse section, with 

 no heartwood. Kings circular, broad, distinct ; medullary rays 

 not visible to the naked eye ; vessels small, uniformly distributed, 

 dendritic, 2 7 together ; generally with white pith-flecks near 

 the centre. Soft, light, elastic, easily split, warping and cracking 

 but little. Used as blindwood, for cooper's ware, milk-pails, 

 herring casks, butchers' trays, clogs, pack-saddles and paper- 

 pulp ; and, in France, for sabots and for flooring. Imported in 

 small quantities from the southern Baltic ports, mainly for 

 turnery. 



Aspen, American or Quaking Asp (Pdpulus tremuloldes 

 Michaux : Order Salidnece}. Throughout North America, coming 

 up after fires and replacing destroyed fir-forests. Germ. 

 " Amerikanishe Zitter-Espe," French " tremble d'Amerique," 

 Span. "Alamo tremblon." S.G. 403. W 2513. Coefficient of 

 elasticity 81441. R 677 kilos. Resistance to longitudinal pressure 

 330 kilos. Resistance to indentation 80 kilos. Height seldom 

 60 ft. or 2 ft. in diam. Light brown with very thick, very white 

 sapwood. Resembling Aspen in texture, close-grained, cottony in 

 fibre, light, soft, not strong, soon decaying in contact with damp. 

 Used in turnery, and occasionally for flooring, chiefly in the 

 Western United States ; but chiefly for paper-pulp, for which 

 purpose, though very white, in strength it is inferior to 

 Spruce. 



Aspen, Large-tooth (Pdpulus grandidentdta Michaux). [See 

 Poplar, Large-toothed.] 



Assegai- wood (Curtisia faginea Ait. : Order Corndcece). Zulu 

 " Umguna," " Umnoiso." Cape Colony and Natal. Height 

 40 80 ft. ; diam. 3 4 ft. Bright red, becoming dull on 

 exposure, close-grained, very strong, tough, elastic and durable 

 even in damp situations. Used for furniture, shafts of assegais, 

 tool-handles, spokes and felloes, and is one of the best woods for 

 waggon-building. 



