The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Principal Species of Wood: Their Characteristic Properties, by Charles H. (Charles Henry) Snow

 

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Title: The Principal Species of Wood: Their Characteristic Properties

First Edition

Author: Charles H. (Charles Henry) Snow

Release Date: March 12, 2014 [eBook #45032]

Language: English

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***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PRINCIPAL SPECIES OF WOOD: THEIR CHARACTERISTIC PROPERTIES***

 

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PREFACE.

The following is a brief untechnical presentation of general features characterizing economically important species of wood. It is the result of notes originally brought together from many already existing sources and later augmented, and verified so far as possible for the present use, by personal observation. The work of preparation has not been as simple as the result would indicate, and although great care has been taken to check each fact, errors do no doubt exist, although it is not believed that there are important ones.

Engineers while writing upon woods have, save exceptionally, emphasized strength beyond most other properties. Other works for expert foresters or botanists are of necessity too special, voluminous, fragmental, or technical for the casual student. Some popular books on trees, as distinct from woods, are available. The present form is distinct from these and is intended for those who are not foresters or botanists, but who use woods or desire knowledge of their distinguishing properties. Allusions to trees, historical and other references, aside from those directly regarding woods, are made for completeness and in order to mark, distinguish, or separate the species.

Acknowledgments are particularly due to the publications of the U. S. Division of Forestry, to Prof. Sargent's studies as set forth in Vol. IX of the Tenth U. S. Census, to Dr. B. E. Fernow, to Mr. Raphael G. Zon for suggestions and for technical revision, to the Northwestern Lumberman and other trade journals, to many dealers, who have been uniform in their courtesy, and incidentally to Mr. Morris K. Jesup, whose magnificent collection of woods at the New York Museum of Natural History has been available to the writer as to others. These, with other sources of information acknowledged by the writer, and suggested to others, are suitably arranged in the following list. Of the 155 illustrations, 138 are original, the drawings having been prepared under the supervision of the writer from actual specimens by Mr. Irving T. Worthly of Cornell University and several students of New York University, and the photographs by Mr. John Hopfengartner, Jr., of Westchester, New York City. Other illustrations are, so far as possible, acknowledged in place.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

class="right">15 d. Post Oak (Quercus minor) 16 e. Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) 17 f. White Oak (Quercus garryana) 18 g. Red Oak (Quercus rubra) 19 h. Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) 20 i. Spanish Oak (Quercus digitata) 21 j. Black Oak (Quercus velutina) 22 k. Live Oak (Quercus virens) 23 l. California Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) 24 m. Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis) 25 n. English Oak (Quercus robur var. pedunculata) 26 Ash (Fraxinus). Section 5. Distribution. Historical. General Properties. Commercial Divisions. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 27 a. White Ash (Fraxinus americana) 29 b. Red Ash (Fraxinus pubescens) 30 c. Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata) 31 d. Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra) 32 e. Green Ash (Fraxinus viridis) 33 f. Oregon Ash (Fraxinus oregona) 34 Elm (Ulmus). Section 6. Distribution. Structural and Physical Properties of Wood. Uses. Landscape Value of Trees, etc. 35 a. White Elm (Ulmus americana) 36 b. Cork Elm (Ulmus racemosa) 37 c. Slippery Elm, Red Elm (Ulmus pubescens) 38 d. Wing Elm (Ulmus alata) 39 Maple (Acer). Section 7. Distribution. Structural and Physical Properties of Wood. Uses. Maple Sugar. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 40 a. Sugar Maple, Hard Maple (Acer saccharum) 42 b. Silver Maple, Soft Maple (Acer saccharinum) 43 c. Red Maple, Swamp Maple (Acer rubrum) 44 d. Oregon Maple (Acer macrophyllum) 45 e. Boxelder, Ash-leaved Maple

(Acer negundo) 46 Walnut (Juglans). Section 8. Historical. Black Walnut in Gun Stocks. Structural and Physical Properties of Woods. Burl. White Walnut. English Walnut. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 47 a. Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) 49 b. White Walnut, Butternut (Juglans cinerea) 50 Hickory (Hicoria). Section 9. Distribution. Structural and Physical Properties of Wood. Uses. "Second-growth" Hickory. Pecan. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 51 a. Shagbark (Hicoria ovata) 52 b. Pignut (Hicoria glabra) 53 c. Mocker Nut (Hicoria alba) 54 d. Pecan (Hicoria pecan) 55 Chestnut; Chinquapin (Castanea). Section 10. Distribution. Structural and Physical Properties of Wood. Uses. Famous Trees. Nuts. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 56 a. Chestnut (Castanea dentata) 58 b. Chinquapin (Castanea pumila) 59 Beech, Ironwood (Fagus) (Carpinus, Ostrya, etc.). Section 11. Distribution. Early Uses of Beech. Structural and Physical Properties of Woods. Uses. Enumeration of Species Affording "Ironwood." 60 a. Beech (Fagus atropunicea) 62 b. Ironwood, Blue Beech (Carpinus caroliniana) 63 c. Ironwood, Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) 64 Sycamore (Platanus). Section 12. Confusion of Names. Historical, Structural and Physical Properties of Wood. Uses. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 65 a. Sycamore, Buttonball (Platanus occidentalis) 66 b. California Sycamore (Platanus racemosa) 67 Birch (Betula). Section 13. Distribution. History and Uses of Bark. Structural and Physical Properties of Wood. Uses of Wood. Commercial Divisions of Wood. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 68 a. White Birch (Betula populifolia) 70 b. Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) 71 c. Red Birch (Betula nigra) 72 d. Yellow Birch (Betula lutea) 73 e. Sweet, Cherry Birch. (Betula lenta) 74 Locust; Mesquite (Robinia, Gleditsia, Prosopis). Section 14. Confusion of Names. Structural and Physical Properties of Wood. Uses. Structural Value of Black Locust. Durability and Peculiarities of Mesquite. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 75

class="in2">a. Black Locust, Yellow Locust (Robinia pseudacacia) 77 b. Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) 78 c. Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) 79 Whitewood or Tulip-tree Wood; Poplar or Cottonwood; Cucumber-tree Wood; Basswood (Liriodendron), (Populus), (Magnolia), (Tilia). Section 15. Structural Relations. Peculiarities and Uses of Wood. Confusion of Names. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 80 a. Whitewood, Tulip-tree or Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) 82 b. Poplar, Large Tooth Aspen (Populus grandidentata) 83 c. Cottonwood (Populus deltoides) 84 d. Black Cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) 85 e. Cucumber-tree (Magnolia acuminata) 86 f. Basswood, Linden (Tilia americana) 87 Willow (Salix). Section 16. Distribution. Historical. Properties and Uses of Wood. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 88 a. Black Willow (Salix nigra) 89 Catalpa (Catalpa). Section 17. Structural Values. Properties of Woods. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 90 a. Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) 91 b. Catalpa (Catalpa catalpa) 92 Sassafras; Mulberry (Sassafras), (Morus). Section 18. Historical. Properties of Sassafras Wood. Properties of Mulberry Wood. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 93 a. Sassafras (Sassafras officinale) 94 b. Mulberry, Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) 95 Buckeye; Horse Chestnut (Aesculus). Section 19. Structural and Botanical Relationship. Localities. Properties and Uses of Wood. 96 a. Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) 97 b. Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra) 97 c. Sweet Buckeye (Aesculus octandra) 98 Gum (Liquidambar, Nyssa). Section 20. Botanical and Structural Relationships. General Properties and Uses of Woods. Botanical Characteristics of Trees. 99 a. Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) 100 b. Sour Gum (Nyssa sylvatica) 101 c. Cotton Gum, Tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) 102 Holly; Boxwood;

class="e00S02">Lignumvitæ (Ilex), (Buxus Cornus), (Guajacum, etc.). Section 21. Structural and Physical Properties; also Uses of Holly, of Boxwood, and of Lignumvitæ Woods. Sources. Substitutes for Boxwood, i.e., Flowering Dogwood, Mexican Persimmon and Rose Bay. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 103 a. Holly (Ilex opaca) 105 b. Dogwood (Cornus florida) 106 c. Lignumvitæ (Guajacum sanctum) 107 Laurel (Magnolia, Rhododendron, Arbutus, etc.). Section 22. Application of Name Laurel. Structural Peculiarities and Uses of Several Products. 108 a. Mountain Laurel (Umbellularia californica) 109 b. Madroña (Arbutus menziesii) 110 Persimmon; Osage Orange; Cherry (Diospyros), (Maclura), (Prunus). Section 23. Range. Structural Peculiarities and Uses of Persimmon Wood, of Osage Orange Wood, of Cherry Wood. 111 a. Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) 112 b. Osage Orange (Maclura aurantiaca) 113 c. Cherry (Prunus serotina) 114 Teak; Greenheart (Tectona), (Nectandra). Section 24. Asiatic Teak. African Teak. Structural Peculiarities and Uses of Teak Wood. Structural Peculiarities and Uses of Greenheart 115 a. Teak (Tectona grandis) 116 b. Greenheart (Nectandra rodiali) 117 Mahogany (Swietenia, Khaya, Soymida, Cedrela, etc.). Section 25. Applications of Name Mahogany. Sources of Supply. Structural and Physical Peculiarities. Also Uses of Wood, Veneers, Spanish Cedar, White Mahogany 118 a. Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) 120 b. White Mahogany (Tabeuia Donnell-Smithii) 121 c. Spanish Cedar, Mexican Cedar (Cedrela odorata) 122 Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus). Section 26. Localities. Common Names. Great Size. Rapid Growth and Sanitary Properties of Trees. Structural Properties of Jarrah, Karri and Tuart Woods. Botanical Characteristics of Trees, etc. 123 a. Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) 125 b. Karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) 126 c. Tuart (Eucalyptus gomphocephala) 127 d. Blue Gum, Fever Tree (Eucalyptus globulus) 128 NEEDLELEAF OR SOFT WOODS. Section 27. Localities. Historical. Structural and Physical Properties. Uses. Botanical Characteristics. General Information 129 Pine (Pinus). Section 28. Structural

and Physical Properties. Uses. Botanical Characteristics 130 Soft Pine.—Structural and Physical Properties. Importance. Sources of Supply, etc. 131 Hard Pine.—Structural and Physical Properties. Importance. Source of Supply, etc. 132 a. White Pine (Pinus strobus) 134 b. White Pine (Pinus flexilis) 135 c. Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana) 136 d. White Pine (Pinus monticola) 137 e. Georgia, Hard, Yellow or Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) 138 f. Cuban Pine (Pinus heterophylla) 139 g. Shortleaf Pine, Yellow Pine (Pinus echinata) 140 h. Loblolly Pine (Pinus tæda) 141 i. Bull Pine, Yellow Pine, Western Pine (Pinus ponderosa) 142 j. Norway Pine, Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) 143 k. Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) 144 l. Northern Pine, Scotch Pine, Dantzic Pine (Pinus sylvestris) 145 Kauri Pine (Dammara). Section 29. Descriptive. Structural and Physical Characteristics. "Kauri Gum," etc. 146 a. Kauri Pine (Dammara australis) 147 Spruce (Picea). Section 30. Localities. Structural and Physical Peculiarities. Commercial Divisions. Botanical Characteristics 148 a. Black Spruce (Picea nigra) 150 b. Red Spruce (Picea rubens) 150 c. White Spruce (Picea alba) 151 d. White Spruce (Picea engelmanni) 152 e. Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) 153 Douglas Spruce (Pseudotsuga). Section 31. Great Size of Trees. Localities. Structural and Physical Peculiarities of Wood. Botanical Characteristics 154 a. Douglas or Red Spruce or Fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia) 155 Fir (Abies). Section 32. Sources of Supply. Structural and Physical Characteristics. Confusion of Names. Botanical Characteristics 156 a. Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) 157 b. Great Silver Fir (Abies grandis) 158 c.

White Fir (Abies concolor) 159 d. Red Fir (Abies magnifica) 160 e. Red Fir. Noble Fir (Abies nobilis) 161 Hemlock (Tsuga). Section 33. Distribution. Structural and Physical Peculiarities of Wood. Botanical Characteristics 162 a. Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) 163 b. Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) 163 Larch; Tamarack (Larix). Section 34. Historical. Sources. Structural and Physical Peculiarities. Botanical Characteristics 164 a. Larch, Tamarack (Larix americana) 165 b. Larch, Tamarack (Larix occidentalis) 166 Cedar (Cedrus, Thuya, Chamæcyparis, Libocedrus, Juniperus). Section 35. Confusion of Names. Historical. Structural and Physical Peculiarities of Wood. Uses. Commercial Divisions, etc. 167 a. Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) 169 b. Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) 170 c. White Cedar, Arborvitæ (Thuya occidentalis) 171 d. Canoe Cedar, Arborvitæ, Giant Arborvitæ (Thuya plicata) 172 e. White Cedar (Chamæcyparis thyoides) 173 f. Port Orford Cedar, Lawson Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) 174 g. Yellow Cedar, Yellow Cypress, Sitka Cypress (Chamæcyparis nootkatensis) 175 h. Incense Cedar (Libocedrus decurrens) 176 Cypress (Cupressus, Taxodium). Section 36. Confusion of Names. Sources. Historical. Structural and Physical Peculiarities. Commercial Divisions. Fungus Disease 177 a. Cypress, Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) 179 Redwood (Sequoia). Section 37. Locality. Peculiarities of Trees. Structural and Physical Qualities of Wood. Uses. Mammoth Trees 180 a. Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) 182 b. Giant Redwood (Sequoia washingtoniana) 182 PART III.
ENDOGENOUS SERIES. Section 38. Definitions. Cellular Structure. Structural and Physical Peculiarities of Endogenous Wood. Uses. General Information 183 Palm (Palmaceæ). Section 39. Localities. Structural and Physical Peculiarities of Wood. Uses. Botanical. Characteristics 185 a. Cabbage Palmetto (Sabal palmetto) 186 b. Washington Palm (Washingtonia filifera)

class="right">187 Yucca (Yucca). Section 40. Localities. Structural and Physical Peculiarities of Wood. Uses, etc. 188 a. Joshua Tree, Yucca (Yucca arborescens) 189 Bamboo (Bambusæ). Section 41. Botanical Characteristics. Structural and Physical Peculiarities of Wood. Growth. Uses in the Orient. Possibilities in America, etc. 190 a. Bamboo (Bambusæ vulgaris) 192

LIST OF PLATES.