M: 



ay, 191, 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



XVll 



POPULAR IGNORANCE ABOUT OUR 

 COMMON WOODS 



MODERN culture in no small measure 

 despises natural history. Wood ex- 

 perts observe constantly from their in- 

 tercourse with their fellows, that even 

 among the well-educated people there 

 prevails a general lack of acquaintance 

 with the commercial woods. Among the 

 wood users of the present day what 

 knowledge they have upon the woods is 

 generally that of a few superficial and 

 unrelated facts, mixed, perhaps, with a 

 number of incorrect ideas concerning 

 their physical properties and their suit- 

 ability for certain uses. It is also a rather 

 remarkable fact how prone people are to 

 confound the names of well-known 

 species of woods, which, though closely 

 related, possess, notwithstanding, clearly 

 marked distinctive characters. Thus, ex- 

 perienced lumbermen or timber mer- 

 chants call spruces "firs," pines "spruces," 

 maples "'sycamores," and even trained 

 foresters sometimes class the cigar box 

 cedar (Cedrela odorata) with our com- 

 mon red cedar or juniper. This confusion 

 of knowledge exists also with relation to 

 species which have been made familiar 

 to a number of laymen in the local lumber 

 yards where, for instance, western yel- 

 low pine is sold as white pine, and red oak 

 as white oak. 



There is no material in such common 

 use as wood, and it may be from this very 

 circumstance of its being so plentiful that 

 it is looked upon by people as beneath 

 their notice. The average man in the 

 street is unable to tell the distinctive fea- 

 tures of the wood of ash and that of chest- 

 nut, and he does not regard such facts 

 entitled to any consideration. The same 

 person would feel offended if he were 

 told that he did not know the difference 

 between a mushroom and a toadstool ; as 

 a matter of fact there is no botanical or 

 other distinction whatever. A knowledge 

 of the chief external appearance of wood 

 and their more prominent structural char- 

 acteristics will be found upon investiga- 

 tion to be highly interesting and often 

 prove to be of considerable value. It is 

 a knowledge and understanding of the 

 characteristics of our common woods, 

 by which the relation of structure and ex- 

 ternal features is clearly indicated and 

 defined, that the people generally are 

 most lacking. Not many possess the 

 ability to group woods having like struc- 

 tural characters. 



The study of woods has indeed latterly 

 received more attention than formerly as 

 a branch of education, and made a part 

 of the courses given in forestrv and other 

 technical institutions. It should be made 

 a part of the common school exercises. 

 But the teachers have themselves no 

 very clear understanding of the char- 

 acters of the chief commercial woods, and 

 a short course of instruction must first 

 be introduced into our training schools 

 for teachers. Instructions of this char- 

 acted can fitly be introduced in connec- 

 tion with sloyd work. 



There is hope that the coming genera- 

 tion will be better posted upon the prin- 

 cipal characteristics of woods. In this 

 respect of the people of Germany have pro- 

 gressed considerably more than the Eng- 

 lish or the Americans. The Latin names 

 employed for a good many structures in 

 wood have been perhaps the chief diffi- 

 culty, and discouraged many persons 

 from acquiring a better knowledge of 

 woods. 



How Will The Beams Be Held 

 Where They Abut Their Supports? 



Will they be cut away by 

 Framing ? 



Will you depend merely on 

 Spiking? 



Have your architect specify 

 Lane's Steel Joist Hangers in your 

 house and the walls will never settle. 



Lane's Joist Hangers are everlasting. 



LANE BROTHERS COMPANY 



Lane Double Hangers 



Wilson Avenue 



Poughkeepsie. N. Y„ 



