Origin and History of Hardwoods of the World

As used on the Pacific Coast

By C. H. White, White Brothers, San Francisco

The following very complete and interesting- data, is. taken from a volume-of the same name as the heading of this article. This twenty page booklet has just been issued by White Brothers, large hardwood distributors of San Francisco, and is available to anyone interested in these materials, by applying to their office.

Mr. White states that their company has had calls for copies of this book from as far Eait as Denver, ald from Montana, Idaho and many other states. The schools in Northern California have made a big demand for them, and they have also received requests from several of the Forestry Schools.

ASH

(Fraxinus Americana.) This light colored-wood grows all'over the United States. Most of the Ash Lumber used on the Pacific Coast comes from the Southern States-Arkansas, Tennessee, Kenttrcky, Mississippi, Louisiana, etc.

I,ndiana, and Ohio still produce some Ash of a high quality. The wood is valuable on account of its strength combined with lightness. It is therefore used in wagon making, in the manufacture of auto tops, oars, baseball bats, tennis rackets and kindred industries. Much furniture, refrigerators, etc., are also constructed of Ash as well as the interior finish of steam,ers, especially the galleys. Second growth Ash is very tough, stiong and springy and is highly prized f'or wagon tongues, springboards, etc. It is however extremely scarce. Oregon Ash is used con'siderably in -the furniture trades. It is more brashy and open grained than what is called Eastern Ash in this market' S'ome Japanese Ash has of recent years been imported.

BASSWOOD

"Tilia A,m,ericana." This is a very soft white wood coming principally from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana. It is iitremely easy to work with tools. It is used considerably in the manufacture of organs and pianos. For Manual Triining work in the Public Sch'ools, especially in th9 lower grades, its easy working qualities make it an ideal wood. These qualities, com'bined with its lightness and freedom from stiins or odors, also adapt it to the m,aking of honey combs and other food containers.

Birch

"Betula Alba." A tree with light colored extensive sap wood, and limited light red heart wood. It comes prin'cipally from Wisconsin and Michigan. It is used ve_ry extensively for furniture and the interior finish of buildings such as doors, casings, panels, etc. When so used it is generally stained a Mahogany color. It is a fine durable wood, easily worked and very popular. The Palace and St. Francis Hotels in San Francisco are both finished in mahoganized Birch.

Beech

"Fagus Ferruginea." This tree is distributed widely over the eastern portion of the United States. It is light reddish brown in color, moderately hard and heavy, and close grained. Its medullary rays are quite distinct, being finer and more numerous than in Oak. Beech is used extensively for flooring, wagon work, brush backs, tool handles, etc.

Boxwood

"Buxus." 'Ihis wood grows in various parts of the world. It is light yellow in color, very hard and of a dense uniform texture and fine grain. It is imported in small logs, principally from the West Indies. Jt was formerly use'd extensively in weaving shuttles and fo,r wood engravers' blocks. It is sold by the pound.

Aromatic Red Cedar

"Juniperus Virginiana." This is'a fragrant variegated red and yellow wood which formerly grew all over the Eastern part of the United States. It is the principal wood from which pencils are made, and is in fact called pencil cedar. This use has consumed enormous quantities of the wood. Its extremely lasting qualities causid it to be used in the pioneer days for fence posts but it is now too valuable to be used for that purpose. It is available in the Pacific Coast markets only in the grade of sound knotty, in short narrow pieces. In this form its principal use is in the manufacture of "Cedar Chests" and lining for closets. Its lasting fragrant scent makes it especially desirable for this purpose.

Oak

"Quercus." 'l'here are many different varieties of Oaks growing in all parts of the Northern Hemisphere. The foliage differs widely but all oaks have acorns. There are 'b,oth deci'duous Oaks, that is, trees which shed their foliage annually and also evergreen varieties, known as live Oaks. Spain and Portugal have an Oak, the bark of which produces cork. The Oak lumber used on the Pacifi'c Coast comes from a number of varieties of red and white Oaks which grow all over the Eastern part of the United States. Japan has also supplied us with large quantities. Oak is the rnost plentiful of our hardwoods and has the greatest consumption in all the industries. It is strong, tough and durable, it has thousands of uses and rnay be said to be the standard or staple hardwood. Oak has a decided medullary ray which runs from the heart to the bark aird when the log is qua'ter sawn this ray shows up on the face of the board in silvery flakes, greatly enhancing the beauty. Oak lumber sawn with the face parallel to the medullary rays is mar-

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(Continued from Page 43) keted as quartered Oak or quarter sawn Oak, while boards and planks sawn from the side of the log without reference to the rays is called slash grain o,r plain Oak. Practically every industry of mankind uses Oak. A few instances are furniture, wagons, flooring, and for ship work, cabinet work and interior finish, for the manufacture of agricultural machinery, etc.

An illustration ,of the enduring qualities of Oak can be found in many places in the old world. West,minster Hall in Engl,and still has a ceiling of Oak beams ere'cted in 1399. In repairing the foundations of Holy Trinity Church at Hull, England, built aboat 1270 the Oak Timbers were found to be in wonderfully sound condition. Many other instances of this kind. prove Oak to be one of the most enduring of woods.

"Liriodendro' rurtpr.lf;'"?t* is one of the most majestic of trees. The lumber is sometimes called Whitewood. In color it is yellow and it is mild, ea,sy to work and capable of taking a very s'mooth surface.' Being available in long lengths, wide widths and beautiful quality it is a very desirable wood for cabinet work, wagon panels, plywoods and hundreds of other purposes. T,he supplies used on the Pacific Coast come m,ostly from the Mississippi Valley although Poplar grows over all the Eastern portion of this countrv.

Primavera

"T'abebuia Donnellsmithii." This is a light colored wood bondering on the yellowish. It has a beautiful grain very similar to Mahogany on which acc,ount it is sometim,es called White Mahogany. Primavera is, an excellent cabinet wood, standing well under all conditions and taking a smooth finish and high polish. The supplies on this coast oome blmost entirely from the West Coast of Mexico although there is an African tree of a different species but similar appearance which is marketed in the Eastern States as Primavtra. A number of store windows and store fixtures irt San Francisco are of Primavera. For a light colored, high ,class finish it has few equals.

Rosewood

"Dalbergia." This wood is produced from various botanical species growing in m,any parts of the tropical world. The grain is very firm, hard and of a close texture. Its color varies in different kinds from a dark red to vermillion. I! is generally highly, figured and one variety, the Brazilian, has a very'agreeable aromatic scent. On ttris coast two varieties are to be had. The commoner is Cocobola or Mexican Rosewood, from Mexico and Central America. Brazilian Rosewood is the other. variety available in this market. Rosewood is sold by the pound and, is us,ed for inlay work, brush backs, knife,and tool handles and other like purposes.

Teak

"Tectona Grandis." The supplies oi this wood are shipped from Moul,mein and Rangoon in Burmah; Malabar in India; Bangkok in Siam and from the island of Java. It. is a brown ryood, fairly h,ard, quite strong and hai a ,great am,ount of oil and a p,e,culiar odor. The oil acts as a preventive of rust when iron is in contact with it and; for this reason Teak is preferred to all other woods for the backing of annor plates on war vessels. The ,trees in the forest are-girdled, that is, they are ringed com,pletely around to the heart wood three years before they aie intended to be cut down. The trees soon die, and. when they become light enoug.tr they are floated down the rivers to'the ports at which they.are sawn up. The logs are handled'by ele-

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