16 BULLETIN 1007, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
discoloration does not take place so readily in cold weather, and for 
this reason basswood is cut by some firms mainly in the winter or 
late fall. Some manufacturers claim that where the lumberyard is 
kept in proper condition, well drained and free from undergrowth, 
there is little trouble from the staining of basswood, whether cut in 
winter or summer. It is a common practice not to separate the 
white basswood from the brown until it has been air-dried for 6 sum- 
mer months. The "stickers," or strips, used in piling lumber to keep 
the boards apart for drying may leave a discolored strip or band in 
basswood which is not removed in planing and lessens the value of 
the white wood for certain purposes. This is overcome by some 
firms by end-drying the lumber or pole-drying it for a week or two 
and then placing it in a "stuck" pile. In end-drying, the boards are 
placed on end under a specially built shed with stickers arranged 
horizontally at specified distances. Such a pile presents the appear- 
ance of an ordinary lengthwise lumber pile set on end. In this method 
the stickers are not brought into such close contact with the boards, 
since there is no weight or pressure. In pole-drying, the boards are 
piled almost vertically, crossing each other and supported by a strip 
of timber on which the lower edge of each board rests (PL V, figs. 1 
and 2) . Labor costs are greater in pole-drying than in the ordinary 
methods of piling lumber. 
Basswood logs are very closely utilized in manufacturing into lum- 
ber, especially the outer clear, white, sound wood. Even the strips 
edged from the boards and called "bark strips" are often piled 
together and placed in stock. These bark strips are generally 1 inch 
thick and 2 to 4 inches wide, although some may be as wide as 6 
inches. If of good color and free from defects, this stock is valuable 
to factories making small articles. Small strips of low-grade wood 
about 3 feet in length are sometimes sawed out and sold for crating. 
Sawmill operators generally find it more profitable to manufacture 
lumber from their basswood logs than to sell the logs to factories. 
Grades and prices. — Basswood logs are often separated into two 
grades, No. 1 or veneer logs, and No. 2, which is below the No. 1 
grade. Veneer logs must be quite clear and of good form for rotary 
cutting. They must be at least 11 inches in diameter at the small 
end. No. 2 logs can be as small as 6 inches in diameter at the 
small end. 
The National Hardwood Lumber Association grading rules for bass- 
wood lumber apply also to soft elm, soft maple, and buckeye. There 
are six grades: Firsts, seconds, selects, No. 1 common, No. 2 common, 
and No. 3 common. 
Firsts must be 6 inches and over wide, 8 feet and over long. Pieces 
4 to 9 square feet in size, surface measure, must be clear; pieces 10 
to 15 square feet may have one standard defect or its equivalent; and 
