14 
BULLETIN 1436, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
ordinarily occur in blocks over 3 inches thick or in bolts that have 
been shaded and carefully seasoned. 
In a classification of native woods according to their physical and 
mechanical properties recently computed by the Forest Products 
Laboratory of the Forest Service, dogwood and persimmon are 
described as follows: 
Property 
Dogwood 
Persimmon 
Very heavy .... 
Very heavy. 
Very strong. 
Very hard. 
High. 
Stiff. 
Very large. 
Strength as a beam or post - . . . 
Strong . 
Hardness. . _ .... 
Very hard.. .. 
Shock -resisting ability. ... ....... 
Very high . . 
Stiffness 
Shrinkage 
Moderately limber 
Very, very 1 arge 
In Table 2 various properties of dogwood and persimmon are 
compared with those of white oak. The values were determined 
from standard tests "made by the Forest Service. 
Table 2.- 
-Actual and comparative properties of the wood of flowering dogwood 
and persimmon 
Properties 
Dogwood 
Persimmon 
Tennessee 
Missouri 
65 
G3 
54 
53 
52 
51 
0.64 
0.64 
19.9 
18.3 
7.1 
7.5 
11.3 
10.8 
19.4 
18.3 
15, 300 
18, 100 
101 
119 
7,980 
9,550 
107 
129 
10, 300 
12, 295 
99 
118 
1,427 
1,501 
137 
144 
19.90 
13.75 
154 
106 
1,205 
1,668 
80 
110 
Locality where grown 
Weight per cubic foot: 
Green pounds,. 
Air-dry do — 
Kiln-dry do 
Specific gravity, oven-dry, based on volume when green 
Shrinkage from green to oven-dry condition : 
In volume (1) per cent. 
Radial (2) do_... 
Tangential (3) do_... 
Comparative shrinkage (twice volume plus radial plus tangential divided by 
3) percent. 
Strength in bending at 12 per cent moisture: (4) 
Modulus of rupture pounds per sq. in_ 
Relative strength compared with white oak (white oak=100) 
Strength in compression parallel to grain at 12 per cent moisture: (5) 
Maximum crushing strength pounds per sq. in. 
Relative strength compared with white oak (white oak=100) 
Composite values: i 
Strength as a beam or post 
Compared with white oak (white oak =100) 
Hardness 
Compared with white oak (white oak =100) 
Shock -resisting ability 
Compared with white oak (white oak =100) 
Stiffness 
Compared with white oak (white oak = 100) 
i Each of the composite values given in this table is a weighted average of several values derived from 
different kinds of strength tests. For instance, strength as a beam or post is a combination of values 
derived from tests in static bending, impact bending, and compression parallel to grain. 
l = in volume; 2= radial; 3 = tangential ; 4 = 
grain. 
strength in bending; 5 = strength in compression parallel to 
