48 BULLETIN 1007, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
weight to save cost in transportation in salesmen's trunks. These 
forms are tooled to final shape from the rough-turned blocks; and 
to reduce weight to the minimum they are often hollowed. Bass- 
wood is considered the most practical wood for this use, because it 
is light in weight, easily worked, does not split readily, and holds 
its shape well. The wood is also used for lasts for rubber boots in 
some instances. The increasing high cost and scarcity of basswood 
have made a demand for a lower-priced substitute, but none seems 
available which is as suitable. 
The wooden soles of clog shoes are often of basswood. Such shoes 
have leather tops and are for use in wet and cold places, such as 
tanneries, creameries, mines, dye works, fish canneries, slaughter 
houses, paper mills, and in foundries and metal works. They are 
also used where a durable, low-priced shoe is desired. Yellow poplar 
is often used in place of basswood for wooden soles. A high quality 
of wood is required for these products, and the percentage of waste 
is high, especially in the use of thick stock or billets for the manu- 
facture of the shoe forms. 
New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Michigan reported the 
largest quantities of basswood used for these purposes. 
CASKETS AND COFFINS. 
Basswood is used in several ways in the construction of caskets 
and coffins. It is made into cheap caskets and coffins, which are 
often stained to imitate more expensive woods; and it is well adapted 
for use in this way, because it is easily worked and finishes well. 
It is also frequently used for the cloth-covered casket. Its main 
use in the industry, however, is as a core wood for panels of expensive 
caskets covered with veneer and for moldings and carved work on 
such caskets. The outer case, usually called " rough box," which 
also often serves as a shipping case for the casket, is sometimes 
made of basswood because of the good appearance of the wood. 
A large number of States reported comparatively small quantities 
of basswood used for this purpose. 
PROFESSIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS. 
Basswood is well liked for many professional and scientific instru- 
ments because of its good color, ease of working, and light weight. 
It is a favorite wood for yardsticks and rulers because it shows 
printing to advantage and does not warp. Manufacturers of adver- 
tising novelties use large quantities of basswood, particularly for 
yardsticks on which advertising matter is printed. Drawing boards 
and the tops of draughtsmen's tables have certain requirements 
which must be met if they are to be satisfactory. The wood must 
be soft so that the thumb tack used to fasten the sheet in place 
