﻿4 BULLETIN 24, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the difference in the tree — pointing out that the " white cottonwood " 

 has a closer, thinner bark of darker color than the thick, rough, gray- 

 ish bark of the " yellow cottonwood." There seems to be no doubt, 

 however, that both the white and the yellow varieties come from the 

 same species. 



The yellow cottonwood is not only darker in color, but is said to 

 work more easily and be less subject to warping. It is probably the 

 wood of the older trees. The white cottonwood appears to come 

 usually from comparatively young trees of rapid growth, which, how- 

 ever, may be as large as older, slower-growing individuals. Yet white 

 cottonwood lumber is by no means typical of the younger stands, 

 which usually saw out wood of excellent quality. 



USES. 



Cottonwood has a wide range of uses, and for certain purposes is 

 being used in place of much more costly woods, such as white pine 

 and yellow poplar. It was for a time marketed as " sap poplar," 

 but was soon accepted by the wood-using industries under its true 

 name. 



In the manufacture of shipping cases for food products cottonwood 

 is used in large quantities. When properly seasoned it imparts little 

 if any taste or odor to the contained product. For this reason also 

 it is in demand for candy pails and the like. Its toughness and 

 lightness give cottonwood additional fitness for boxes and crates. 

 Experiments by the Forest Service * to determine the comparative 

 strength of packing boxes of various woods demonstrated beyond 

 question that, when taken weight for weight, the cottonwood box 

 outclasses in strength similar containers of practically all other 

 species extensively used — such as white pine, yellow pine, spruce, 

 hemlock, and red gum. Bulk for bulk, cottonwood is surpassed only 

 by red gum. 



A large amount of cottonwood is manufactured into rotary veneer, 

 which is emploj^ed for a wide variety of purposes, cores or filling of 

 built-up lumber, panels, bottoms, sides and backs of drawers, light- 

 weight veneer boxes, cases, egg crates, baskets, and trunks. Such 

 veneer opens up a large field of uses for cottonwood from which it 

 would otherwise be excluded because of its liability to warp. Three- 

 ply veneer three-eighths of an inch thick is much stronger than solid 

 wood five-eighths of an inch thick. Considerable cottonwood veneer, 

 3 to 5 ply, is exported to Europe for backing upon which to lay more 

 costly woods in the manufacture of musical instruments, cases, and 

 furniture. 



Since cottonwood in close stands early clears itself of branches, 

 select logs cut out a fairly high percentage of clear and upper grades 



1 Forest Service Circular 47, " Tests of Packing Boxes of Various Woods." 



