UTILIZATION OF BASSWOOD. 47 



the price for very high-grade lumber. Some firms using large quan- 

 tities of basswood for other purposes find it advantageous to utilize 

 small clear pieces in the manufacture of small laundry articles, such 

 as washboards. Basswood has been so high-priced and difficult to 

 obtain in recent years that many manufacturers of laundry appli- 

 ances have been compelled to substitute yellow poplar, although its 

 color is not generally liked so well, and much of it is more difficult 

 to work. 



The largest quantities of basswood used for these products have 

 been reported from Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania. 



TOBACCO BOXES. 



Because of the difficulty of obtaining Spanish cedar, which is the 

 standard cigar-box wood, a large number of substitutes are em- 

 ployed. A satisfactory wood for cigar boxes should work well into 

 thin lumber or veneer, hold its shape, nail without splitting, and 

 have an attractive appearance. Basswood, stained to resemble 

 Spanish cedar, is probably the best substitute. The imitation is 

 made even more complete by passing the thin lumber between rollers 

 which stamp it to give the appearance of the genuine cedar, and the 

 cedar odor may be imparted by washing it with extract of cedar 

 shavings and sawdust. Only the highest grade of lumber is used 

 for this purpose. It is carefully piled on sticks and kiln-dried just 

 before it is resawed into thin cigar-box lumber, which is usually 

 about three-sixteenths of an inch in thickness. Basswood is also 

 used as core, on which thin veneer of Spanish cedar is glued, and is 

 well adapted for this purpose. 



Some basswood goes into the construction of tobacco boxes of 

 other kinds, because it does not impart stain or Odor to substances 

 in contact with it. It is also used for humidors, which prevent 

 cigars from drying out. Yellow poplar is also used for these pur- 

 poses. Tupelo and red gum are likewise employed for these uses; 

 but they are less desirable, because of the darker color of the woods 

 and their tendency to warp. 



The greater part of the basswood reported for the manufacture 

 of cigar boxes was used in Wisconsin factories. 



BOOT AND SHOE FINDINGS. 



The principal use of basswood in boot and shoe findings is for shoe 

 forms or fillers. These are similar in shape to the last, which is of 

 some hardwood, usually hard maple. Shoe forms are used to main- 

 tain the natural shape of the shoe in samples displayed in show 

 cases and when being handled by traveling salesmen. They are 

 made to fit the shoe perfectly and give an effect similar to that 

 produced when the shoe is on the foot. Fillers should be light in 



