VALUABLE NATIVE TIMBER TREES. 63 



Osage orange (Toxylon pomiferum Rafinesque). 



Northeastern Texas, where formerly there were large quantities of 

 very line timber, is within the zone of best development of the Osage 

 orange. Here it occurs on alluvial bottom soils, and attains a heighi 

 of 60 feet and a diameter of 2i feet. The wood is hard, very strong, 

 dense, and durable; in color, bright orange. Its weight per cubic 

 foot is 4S pounds. It takes a line polish and is very decorative, and 

 could be well used in interior finish and cabinet work. No data are 

 at hand at present to indicate how extensively it is so used in Texas. 

 At Gainesville, much Osage orange, or "bodark" (bois d'arc), lias 

 been sawn into lumber. Much has also been shipped out for posts. 



Range. — From southern Arkansas (south of A rkansas River) through 

 southeastern Indian Territory and southern Texas to about latitude 

 36° 56". It is widely distributed elsewhere b} r cultivation. 



(Evergreen) magnolia {Magnolia fostida (Linnaeus) Sargent; Magnolia grandiflora 

 Linnaeus). 



Iii Texas the magnolia is very abundant and large in the half swampy 

 lowlands of the coast belt. Here it reaches a height of nearly 100 and 

 a diameter of over 4 feet. The wood is moderately hard, close-grained, 

 not strong, easily worked, not durable in contact with the soil; creamy 

 white in color; the thick sapwood nearl} T white. Although well suited 

 for cabinetwork and interior finish, the wood is little used. Magnolia 

 is one of the most promising of the hitherto unused Texas hardwoods. 



Range. — Coast region of North Carolina to Florida, and westward in 

 the Gulf coast region through western Louisiana to southern Arkan- 

 sas and Texas (Brazos River). 



Sweet gum {Liquidambar slyracifliui Linnseus). 



In Texas the sweet gum is very common, and attains large dimen- 

 sions on the wet lower lands of the Lignitic Belt, occurring also to a 

 considerable extent upon loamy uplands. It attains at least a height 

 of 100 feet and a diameter of 4 to 7 feet on alluvial soils. 



The wood is heavy, hard, not strong, rather tough, close-grained, 

 and liable to warp and shrink. It takes a good polish and is used for 

 cabinetwork, veneering, flooring, clapboards, barrels, and street pav- 

 ing. Sweet gum occurs in such size and quantity as to make it another 

 of the promising trees among the unused Texas hardwoods. 



Range. — From Connecticut to southeastern Missouri and Arkansas; 

 south to Florida and Texas (Trinity River). 

 Sycamore {Platanus occidenlalis Linnaeus). 



in Texas the sycamore is common on all the streams of the Lignitic 

 Belt of the central prairie region, and in the Coast Plain from the 

 Trinity to the Rio Grande and Devils River. It prefers the immediate 

 banks of streams where these have cut through a considerable depth of 



