AMERICAN WOODS. 91 



41. Black ash (Frarinus nigra) (hoop ash, ground ash): Medium-sized tree, Tory common. Maine to Minnesota 

 and southward to Virginia and Arkansas. 



42. Pdue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulatu) : Small to modi am sized. Indiana and Illinois; occurs from Michigan to 

 Minnesota and southward to Alabama. 



43. Green ash (Fraxinus viridi*) : Small sized tree. New York to the Rocky Mountains and southward to Florida 

 and Ari/ona. 



41. Oregon ash (Fraxinus oregana) : Medium-sized tree. Western Washington to California. 

 Anpen. (See Poplar.) 

 Basswood. 



13. liasswood ( Tilia amcrlcana) (lime tree, American linden, lin, "bee tree) : Wood light, soft, stiff "but not strong, 

 of fine texture, and white to light brown color. The wood shrinks considerably in drying, works and stands 

 well; it is used in carpentry, in the manufacture of furniture and wooden ware, both turned and carved, in 

 cooperate, for toys, also for paneling of car and carriage bodies. Medium to large sized tree, common in all 

 Northern broad-leaved forests; found throughout the Eastern United States. 

 4t>. White basswood (Tilia heterophylla) : A small-sized tree most abundant in the Allegheny region. 

 Jkccli . 



47. Beech (Fagus 1 at i folia): Wood heavy, hard, stiff, strong, of rather coarse texture, white to light brown, not 

 durable in the ground, and subject to the inroads of boring insects ; it shrinks and cheeks considerably in dry- 

 ing, works and stands well and takes a good polish. Used for furniture, in turnery, for handles, lasts, etc. 

 Abroad it is very extensively employed by the carpenter, millwright, and wagon maker, in turnery as well as 

 wood carving. The beech is a medium-sized tree, common, sometimes forming forest; most abundant in the 

 Ohio and Mississippi basin, but found from Maine to Wisconsin and southward to Florida. 

 Birch. — Wood heavy, hard, strong, of line texture; sapwood whitish, heartwood in shades of brown with red and 

 yellow; very handsome, with satiny luster, equaling cherry. The wood shrinks considerably in drying, works 

 and stands well and takes a good polish, but is not durable if exposed. Birch is used for finishing lumber in 

 building, in the manufacture of furniture, in wood turnery for spools, boxes, wooden shoes, etc., for shoe lasts 

 and pegs, for wagon hubs, ox yokes, etc., also in wood carving. The birches are medium-sized trees, form 

 extensive forests northward, and occur scattered in all broad-leaved forests of the Eastern United States. 

 4S. Cherry birch (Befula lent a) (black birch, sweet birch, mahogany birch) : Small to medium-sized tree; very 

 common. Maine to Michigan and to Tennessee. 



49. Yellow birch (Beiula lutea) (gray birch) : Medium-sized tree; common. Maine to Minnesota and southward 

 to Tennessee. 



50. Red birch (Betula nigra) (river birch) : Small to medium sized tree; very common; lighter and less valuable 

 than the preceding. New England to Texas and Missouri. 



51. Canoe birch (Betula papyrifera) (white birch, paper birch): Generally a small tree; common, forming 

 forests; wood of good quality but lighter. All along the northern boundary of United States and north- 

 ward, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 



Blade walnut. (See Walnut.) 

 Blue beech. 



52. Blue beech (Carpinus Carolinian a) (hornbeam, water beech, iron wood) : Wood very heavy, hard, strong, very 

 stiff, of rather fine texture and white color; not durable in the ground; shrinks and checks greatly, but 

 works and stands well. Used chieily in turnery for tool handles, etc. Abroad, much used by mill and wheel 

 wrights. xV small tree, largest in the Southwest, but found in nearly all parts of the Eastern United States. 



Bois d'arc. (See Osage orange.) 



Buckeye— horse chestnut. — Wood light, soft, not strong, often quite tough, of fine and uniform texture and creamy 



white color. It shrinks considerably, but works and stands well. Used for wooden ware, artificial limbs, paper 



pulp, and locally also for building lumber. Small-sized trees, scattered. 



53. Ohio buckeye ((Jfisculus glabra) (fetid buckeye) : Alleghenies, Pennsylvania to Indian Territory 



54. Sweet buckeye (JSsculus octandra): Alleghenies, Pennsylvania to Texas. 

 Butternut* 



55. Butternut (Juglans cinerea) (white walnut) : Wood very similar to black walnut, but light, quite soft, not strong 

 and of light brown color. Used chiefly for finishing lumber, cabinetwork, and cooperage. Medium-sized 

 tree, largest and most common in the Ohio basin; Maine to Minnesota and southward to Georgia and Alabama, 



Catalpa. 



56. Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) : Wood light, soft, not strong, brittle, durable, of coarse texture and brown color; 

 used for ties and posts, but well suited for a great variety of uses. Medium-sized tree ; lower basin of the 

 Ohio River, locally common. Extensively planted, and therefore promising to become of some importance. 



Cherry. 



57. Cherry (Prunus serotina) : Wood heavy, hard, strong, of fine texture; sapwood yellowish white, heartwood 

 reddish to brown. The wood shrinks considerably in drying, works and stands well, takes a good polish, 

 and is much esteemed for its beauty. Cherry is chiefly used as a decorative finishing lumber for buildings, 

 cars, and boats, also for furniture and in turnery. It is becoming too costly for many purposes for which it 

 is naturally well suited. The lumber-furnishing cherry of this country, the wild black cherry (Prunns 

 serotina), is a small to medium sized tree, scattered through many of the broad-leaved woods of the western 

 slope of the Alleghenies, but found from Michigan to Florida and west to Texas. Other species of this 

 genus, as well as the hawthorns (Crataegus) and wild apple (Pyrus), are not commonly offered in the market. 

 Their wood is of the same character as cherry, often even finer, but in small dimensions. 



