16 BULLETIN 1007,, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



discoloration does not take place so readily in cold weather, and for 

 this reason basswood is cut by some firms mainly in the winter or 

 late fall. Some manufacturers claim that where the lumberyard is 

 kept in proper condition, well drained and free from undergrowth, 

 there is little trouble from the staining of basswood, whether cut in 

 winter or summer. It is a common practice not to separate the 

 white basswood from the brown until it has been air-dried for 6 sum- 

 mer months. The "stickers," or strips, used in piling lumber to keep 

 the boards apart for drying may leave a discolored strip or band in 

 basswood which is not removed in planing and lessens the value of 

 the white wood for certain purposes. This is overcome by some 

 firms by end-drying the lumber or pole-drying it for a week or two 

 and then placing it in a "stuck" pile. In end-drying, the boards are 

 placed on end under a specially built shed with stickers arranged 

 horizontally at specified distances. Such a pile presents the appear- 

 ance of an ordinary lengthwise lumber pile set on end. In this method 

 the stickers are not brought into such close contact with the boards, 

 since there is no weight or pressure. In pole-drying, the boards are 

 piled almost vertically, crossing each other and supported by a strip 

 of timber on which the lower edge of each board rests (PL V, figs. 1 

 and 2) . Labor costs are greater in pole-drying than in the ordinary 

 methods of piling lumber. 



Basswood logs are very closely utilized in manufacturing into lum- 

 ber, especially the outer clear, white, sound wood. Even the strips 

 edged from the boards and called "bark strips" are often piled 

 together and placed in stock. These bark strips are generally 1 inch 

 thick and 2 to 4 inches wide, although some may be as wide as 6 

 inches. If of good color and free from defects, this stock is valuable 

 to factories making small articles. Small strips of low-grade wood 

 about 3 feet in length are sometimes sawed out and sold for crating. 



Sawmill operators generally find it more profitable to manufacture 

 lumber from their basswood logs than to sell the logs to factories. 



Grades and prices. — Basswood logs are often separated into two 

 grades, No. 1 or veneer logs, and No: 2, which is below the No. 1 

 grade. Veneer logs must be quite clear and of good form for rotary 

 cutting. They must be at least 11 inches in diameter at the small 

 end. No. 2 logs can be as small as 6 inches in diameter at the 

 small end. 



The National Hardwood Lumber Association grading rules for bass- 

 wood lumber apply also to soft elm, soft maple, and buckeye. There 

 are six grades: Firsts, seconds, selects, No. 1 common, No. 2 common, 

 and No. 3 common. 



Firsts must be 6 inches and over wide, 8 feet and over long. Pieces 

 4 to 9 square feet in size, surface measure, must be clear: pieces 10 

 to 15 square feet may have one standard defect or its equivalent; and 



