UTILIZATION OF BASSWOOD. 



29 



Table 18. — Annual consumption of basswood in the United States by secondary indus- 

 tries, by States. 



State. 



Wisconsin 



New York 



Michigan 



Illinois 



Minnesota 



Ohio 



Pennsylvania . 



Indiana 



Kentucky 



Tennessee 



Maine 



Massachusetts 



Vermont 



Maryland 



New Jersey . . . 

 West Virginia. 



Quantity 

 used annu- 

 ally. 



Feet b. m. 

 86, 100, 203 

 56, 977, 220 

 56, 432, 782 

 50, 905, 500 

 24, 278, 769 



22, 833, 367 

 18, 698, 836 

 12, 927, 003 

 6, 642, 000 

 6, 028, 833 



4, 773, 100 

 4, 399, 000 

 4, 247, 630 

 4, 202, 050 

 4, 056, 315 

 3, 968, 450 



State. 



Connecticut 



Iowa 



New Hampshire 



Virginia 



Missouri 



Rhode Island 



Delaware 



District of Columbia 



North Carolina 



South Carolina 



Louisiana 



Washington 



Nebraska 



All other States 



Total 



Quantity 

 used annu- 

 ally. 



Feet b. m. 

 3, 559. 598 

 3, 237, 040 

 3, 096, 826 

 1,591,900 

 1, 527, 587 



909, 000 

 707, 839 

 359, 050 

 2G5, 000 

 165, 000 



160, 000 

 107, 000 

 103, 489 

 317, 895 



383, 578, 282 



BOXES AND CRATES. 



Woods suitable for the construction of boxes and crates are divided, 

 on the basis of their physical and mechanical properties, into four 

 groups. Basswood falls into the first group, including the lighter 

 woods, which vary in average weights when thoroughly air-dry from 

 21 to 35 pounds per cubic foot, are soft and easily worked, hold 

 nails moderately well, and do not readily split in nailing. Both 

 softwoods (conifers) and hardwoods (broadleaf trees) are represented 

 in this group. 



Basswood is very desirable for certain kinds of boxes on account 

 of its light weight, white color, and freedom from odor. Its good 

 working qualities, freedom from excessive warping and splitting, as 

 compared with other light-weight woods, and good nailing qualities 

 also help to make it valuable box material. For boxes in which 

 heavy merchandise must be shipped or which must stand much rough 

 handling, such as boxes for export shipment, stronger and therefore 

 heavier woods are demanded. 



For boxes made to hold foodstuffs, such as crackers, chocolate, 

 and candy, basswood is the ideal wood. In such boxes the contents 

 are often in direct contact with the wood, and no odor or taste is 

 imparted by basswood. Basswood is also used for shipping other 

 kinds of provisions, such as dressed poultry and butter, because of 

 its odorless quality. Boxes for this purpose are sometimes made 

 from cheaper resinous woods and paraffined on the inside, but this 

 process is expensive. Yellow poplar is used for such boxes, also 

 cottonwood and tupelo. although the last two woods are much in- 

 clined to warp. 



