Studies of Trees Part 22

The wood is used largely for cross-ties, fence posts, telegraph and telephone poles, and to a limited extent for lumber in general construction.

B. Woods without resin ducts.

1. Hemlock. The wood has a disagreeable, rancid odor, is splintery, not resinous, with decided contrast between early and late wood. Color light brown with a slight tinge of red, the heart little if any darker than the sapwood. Hemlock makes a rather poor lumber which is used for general construction, also for cross-ties, and pulp.

2. Balsam fir. Usually odorless, not splintery, not resinous, with little contrast between early and late wood. Color white or very light brown with a pinkish hue to the late wood. Heartwood little if any darker than the sapwood. Closely resembles spruce, from which it can be distinguished by its absence of resin ducts.

The wood is used for paper pulp in mixture with spruce. Also for general construction to some extent.

3. Cypress. Odorless except in dark-colored specimens which are somewhat rancid. Smooth surface of sound wood looks and feels greasy or waxy.

Moderate contrast between early and late wood. Color varies from straw color to dark brown, often with reddish and greenish tinge.

Heartwood more deeply colored than the sapwood but without distinct boundary line.

Wood used in general construction, especially in places where durability is required; also for shingles, cooperage, posts, and poles.

4. Red Cedar. Has a distinct aromatic odor. Wood uniform-textured; late wood usually very thin, inconspicuous. Color deep reddish brown or purple, becoming dull upon exposure; numerous minute red dots often visible under lens. Sapwood white. Red cedar can be distinguished from all the other conifers mentioned by the deep color of the wood and the very distinct aromatic odor.

Wood largely used for pencils; also for chests and cabinets, posts, and poles. It is very durable in contact with the ground.

_Western red cedar_ is lighter, softer, less deeply colored and less fragrant than the common Eastern cedar. It grows along the Pacific Coast and is extensively used for shingles throughout the country.

5. Redwood. Wood odorless and tasteless, uniform-textured, light and weak, rather coa.r.s.e and harsh. Color light cherry. Close inspection under lens of a small split surface will reveal many little resin ma.s.ses that appear as rows of black or amber beads which are characteristic of this wood.

Redwood is confined to portions of the Pacific Coast. It is used for house construction, interior finish, tanks and flumes, shingles, posts, and boxes. It is very durable.

II. WOODS WITH PORES--BROADLEAF, OR SO-CALLED "HARDWOODS"

A. Ring-porous.

1. Woods with a portion of the rays very large and conspicuous.

Oak. The wood of all of the oaks is heavy, hard, and strong. They may be separated into two groups. The white oaks and the red or black oaks.

(a) White oaks. Pores in early wood plugged with tyloses, collected in a few rows. Fig. 146. The transition from the large pores to the small ones in the late wood is abrupt. The latter are very small, numerous, and appear as irregular grayish bands widening toward the outer edge of the annual ring. Impossible usually to see into the small pores with magnifier.

(b) Red or black oaks. Pores are usually open though tyloses may occur, Fig. 147; the early wood pores are in several rows and the transition to the small ones in late wood is gradual. The latter are fewer, larger and more distinct than in white oak and it is possible to see into them with a hand lens.

The wood of the oaks is used for all kinds of furniture, interior finish, cooperage, vehicles, cross-ties, posts, fuel, and construction timber.

2. Woods with none of the rays large and conspicuous.

(a) Pores in late wood small and in radial lines, wood parenchyma in inconspicuous tangential lines.

Chestnut. Pores in early wood in a broad band, oval in shape, mostly free from tyloses. Pores in late wood in flame-like radial white patches that are plainly visible without lens. Color medium brown.

Nearly odorless and tasteless. Chestnut is readily separated from oak by its weight and absence of large rays; from black ash by the arrangement of the pores in the late wood; from sa.s.safras by the arrangement of the pores in the late wood, the less conspicuous rays, and the lack of distinct color.

The wood is used for cross-ties, telegraph and telephone poles, posts, furniture, cooperage, and tannin extract. Durable in contact with the ground.

(b) Pores in late wood small, not radially arranged, being distributed singly or in groups. Wood parenchyma around pores or extending wing-like from pores in late wood, often forming irregular tangential lines.

1. Ash. Pores in early wood in a rather broad band (occasionally narrow), oval in shape, see Fig. 148, tyloses present. Color brown to white, sometimes with reddish tinge to late wood. Odorless and tasteless. There are several species of ash that are cla.s.sed as white ash and one that is called black or brown ash.

(a) White ash. Wood heavy, hard, strong, mostly light colored except in old heartwood, which is reddish. Pores in late wood, especially in the outer part of the annual ring, are joined by lines of wood parenchyma.

(b) Black ash. Wood more porous, lighter, softer, weaker, and darker colored than white ash. Pores in late wood fewer and larger and rarely joined by tangential lines of wood parenchyma.

The wood of the ashes is used for wagon and carriage stock, agricultural implements, oars, furniture, interior finish, and cooperage. It is the best wood for bent work.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 149.--Hickory Wood. (Magnified 45 times.)]

2. Locust. Pores in early wood in a rather narrow band, round, variable in size, densely filled with tyloses. Color varying from golden yellow to brown, often with greenish hue. Very thin sapwood, white.

Odorless and almost tasteless. Wood extremely heavy and hard, cutting like horn. Locust bears little resemblance to ash, being harder, heavier, of a different color, with more distinct rays, and with the pores in late wood in larger groups.

The wood is used for posts, cross-ties, wagon hubs, and insulator pins. It is very durable in contact with the ground.

(c) Pores in late wood comparatively large, not in groups or lines.

Wood parenchyma in numerous fine but distinct tangential lines.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 150.--Elm. (Magnified 25 times.)]

Hickory, Fig. 149. Pores in early wood moderately large, not abundant, nearly round, filled with tyloses. Color brown to reddish brown; thick sapwood, white. Odorless and tasteless. Wood very heavy, hard, and strong. Hickory is readily separated from ash by the fine tangential lines of wood parenchyma and from oak by the absence of large rays.

The wood is largely used for vehicles, tool handles, agricultural implements, athletic goods, and fuel.

(d) Pores in late wood small and in conspicuous wavy tangential bands.

Wood parenchyma not in tangential lines.

Elm. Pores in early wood not large and mostly in a single row, Fig. 150 (several rows in slippery elm), round, tyloses present. Color brown, often with reddish tinge. Odorless and tasteless. Wood rather heavy and hard, tough, often difficult to split. The peculiar arrangement of the pores in the late wood readily distinguishes elm from all other woods except _hackberry_, from which it may be told by the fact that in elm the medullary rays are indistinct, while they are quite distinct in hackberry; moreover, the color of hackberry is yellow or grayish yellow instead of brown or reddish brown as in elm.

The wood is used princ.i.p.ally for slack cooperage; also for hubs, baskets, agricultural implements, and fuel.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 151.--(Magnified about 8 times.)]

B. Diffuse-porous.

1. Pores varying in size from rather large to minute, the largest being in the early wood. Intermediate between ring-porous and diffuse-porous.

Black Walnut. Color rich dark or chocolate brown. Odor mild but characteristic. Tasteless or nearly so. Wood parenchyma in numerous, fine tangential lines. Wood heavy and hard, moderately stiff and strong. The wood is used princ.i.p.ally for furniture, cabinets, interior finish, moulding, and gun stocks.

2. Pores all minute or indistinct, evenly distributed throughout annual ring.

(a) With conspicuously broad rays.