202 TIMBERS AND THEIR USES 



Kentucky, and, to a less extent, in West Virginia, 

 Michigan and "Wisconsin. Although the annual 

 output of this timber is considerably less than 

 it was twenty years ago, it is still large, being 

 estimated at 350,000,000 feet. Poplar and 

 Cottonwood are chiefly cut in the Central States 

 last mentioned, east of the Mississippi. The 

 latter tree has a very wide range of distribution, 

 and has not long been in the market as a com- 

 mercial timber ; it is largely sold as ordinary 

 Poplar, the wood having a tendency to warp 

 in drying unless carefully seasoned. It is, how- 

 ever, regarded as a timber of very fair quality. 

 The annual output of these two timbers is 

 estimated at over 700,000,000 feet. The 

 American hard woods which are used in cabinet 

 and joinery work are numerous and of very fine 

 quality. In addition to Oak and Ash, there are 

 Birch, Elm, Black Walnut, Maple, Cherry and 

 Sycamore. Birch is plentiful in the AUeghanies 

 and the lake region. West Virginia, Maine and 

 New York. It makes very handsome furniture, 

 the black variety being very largely used for 

 this purpose. Black Wild Cherry, obtained chiefly 

 from West Virginia and Tennessee, is greatly 

 prized for cabinet work. Black Walnut, one of 

 the finest of furniture woods, has almost dis- 

 appeared from the market. It grew in large 

 quantities along the slopes of valleys of the 



