Sweet Birch, Cherry Birch (many localities).
Black Birch (N. H., Vt., Mass., R. I., Conn., N. Y., N. J., Pa., W. Va., Ga., Ill., Ind., Mich., Ohio).
Mahogany Birch (N. C., S. C.).
River Birch (Minn.).
Mountain Mahogany (S. C.).
Locality.
Newfoundland intermittently to Illinois, southward intermittently along Alleghanies to Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida.
Features of Tree.
Fifty to eighty feet in height, three to four feet in diameter, dark reddish-brown bark, resembling that of cherry; does not separate into layers as paper-birch. Leaves, bark, and twigs sweet, spicy, and aromatic.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood dark brown tinged with red, sapwood light brown or yellow, close-grained, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, very strong, hard, receives stains and high satin-like polish.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Woodenware, furniture, ship-building (Canada), fuel.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
47.
Modulus of Elasticity.
2,010,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
17,000.
Remarks.
A common tree in Northern States. Wood often stained so as to resemble cherry and mahogany. Essences suggest wintergreen, contain much salicylic acid, and are used in medicine. The name "cherry" is because bark resembles that of cherry. "Sweet" is because of essences. [p075]
| Black Locust Tree and Bark (Robinia pseudacacia.) | |
| Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos). | |
| Locust Wood. | |
The name Locust applies to species of three distinct genera, all of which belong to the family Leguminosæ. The black locust (Robinia pseudacacia), the honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), and the Mesquite or honey locust (Prosopis juliflora) are principal representatives of their respective kinds. The first-named genus is North American, the other two have species on both continents.
Black locust wood is tough, durable, unequalled for torsional strength and resilience, and is in every way in the first rank of American woods. It is fitted not only for exposed constructions, but for finer articles; hubs, pins, bolts, and trenails having no superiors. Trees develop rapidly when young, heart wood forming as early as the third year. Later growth and ultimate commercial value in the United States are much affected by insect borers, which practically limit the usefulness of the species. The black locust may be known by its clusters of large pea-blossom-shaped flowers, its bean-shaped pods, three to six inches in length, and by the prickles on the bark. The genus has six species, four of which are natives of the United States.[45] Robinia is from Robin, the name of an early French botanist. [p076] The black locust has been extensively introduced into Europe, both for ornamentation and for wood.[46]
The wood of the honey locust resembles that of the black locust, but is seldom used or appreciated save for fencing and similarly unimportant purposes. Trees grow rapidly and are not subject to the attacks of insects, so that they frequently attain to normal proportions. The flowers are much smaller than those of the black locust, but the pods are several times as long (twelve to eighteen inches). These often curl in drying and are thus rolled to some distance by the wind. Thorns or spines are present on some individuals and are often from three to six inches in length. The foliage resembles but is more delicate than that of the black locust. There is at least one other American species. Gleditsia is from Gleditsch, the name of a botanist.
Mesquite, also called honey locust, affords wood that is hard, heavy, and almost indestructible in exposed positions. The tree grows in the desert where vegetation would often seem to be impossible. The roots are developed to great size by their search for water, and are gathered and burned in the absence of other fuel. The trunks are small, but afford posts and ties. There are pods filled with rich edible pulp. Sixteen or more species belong to this genus, prosopis, of which one other, the screw-pod mesquite (Prosopis odorata), is found in the United States. [p077]
[45] Three of the four United States species are trees; the other species of this genus grow in Mexico. No one is approximately as important or well known as the Black Locust.
[46] Black Locust was introduced into Europe early in the seventeenth century, being first cultivated by the son of Jean Robin, for whom the genus is named. Few American species have received such attention abroad.
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Locust, Black Locust, Yellow Locust (local and common names).
False Acacia (S. C., Ala., Tex., Minn.).
Pea-flower Locust, Post Locust (Md.).
Red Locust, Green Locust (Tenn.).
Honey Locust (Minn.).
White Locust (R. I., N. Y., Tenn.).
Acacia (La.).
Locality.
Southern Alleghany region, widely cultivated in United States east of Rocky Mountains.
Features of Tree.
Fifty to seventy feet in height, two to three feet or over in diameter. Leaves curl or close at night. Long spikes or briers on young branches.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood brownish, thin sapwood, light-greenish yellow. Close-grained and compact. Annual layers clearly marked.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, very hard, strong, and durable under extreme conditions of wet and dry.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Long wooden bolts or pins called treenails. Posts, ties, construction, turnery, ship-ribs, ornamentations, fuel.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
45.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,830,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
18,100.
Remarks.
Often a low shrub. Extensively planted, particularly in West, but subject to attack by borers. One of the most valuable of American timber trees. Heartwood is formed very early in this species. Pseudacacia means false acacia or imitation of acacia. [p078]
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Honey Locust (local and common name).
Thorn or Thorny Locust Tree or Acacia (N. Y., N. J., Ind., Tenn., La.).
Three-thorned Acacia (Mass., R. I., La., Tex., Neb., Mich.).
Black Locust (Miss., Tex., Ark., Kans., Neb.).
Honey or Honeyshucks (R. I., N. J., Va., Fla., Iowa).
Honeyshucks Locust (Ky.).
Sweet Locust (S. C., La., Kans., Nebr.).
Piquant Amourette (La.).
Confederate Pintree (Fla.).
Locust (Nebr.).
Locality.
Pennsylvania to Florida, westward intermittently to Nebraska and Texas. Best in lower Ohio River basin.
Features of Tree.
Seventy to ninety feet or more in height, two to four feet in diameter. Frequent long thorns.[47] Light thin foliage. Brown pods contain sweet pulp.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood bright brown or red, sapwood yellowish, annual layers strongly marked, coarse-grained, medullary rays conspicuous.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Heavy, hard, strong, very durable in contact with soil.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Fence-posts, rails, wagon-hubs, rough construction, etc.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
42.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,540,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
13,100.
Remarks.
[47] Thorns plentiful on some individuals, but absent on others.
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Mesquite (Tex., N. M., Ariz., Cal.).
Algaroba (Tex., N. M., Ariz., Cal.).
Honey Pod or Honey Locust (Tex., N. M.).
Ironwood (Tex.).
Locality.
Texas, west to San Bernardino Mountains, California. Also Colorado, Utah, and Nevada and northern Mexico.
Features of Tree.
Forty to fifty feet in height, one to two feet in diameter. Sometimes low shrub. Roots often very large. Pods with sweet pulp.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood rich dark brown, often red. Sapwood clear yellow. Close-grained, compact structure, distinct medullary rays.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Weak, difficult to work, heavy, hard, very durable.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Posts, fencing, ties, house-beams, fuel, charcoal.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
47.
Modulus of Elasticity.
820,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
6800.
Remarks.
A locally important tree. Trees sometimes stunted by fires have numerous roots. Large roots used for fuel. [p080]
Holsinger, "Forestry and Irrigation." Vol. VIII, No. 11, p. 447.
These trees are not related, but are all noted for woods with soft, fine qualities, such as fit them for carvings, woodenware, and paper-pulp. No one of the woods is durable when exposed, and all are used for boxes because they nail without splitting. The names are commercially interchangeable.
The whitewood or tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) is a native of America and an acclimated tree in Europe. It is the sole surviving species of its genus. The wood is soft, stiff, clean, fine, straight-grained, and obtainable in large-sized pieces. Much whitewood is made into lumber, the wood standing among those of the broadleaf series as white pine does among the conifers. Whitewood is particularly suitable for carvings. In spite of its name it is largely greenish yellow. It is often divided commercially, according to color, into "white poplar" and "yellow poplar." Trunks often attain to a very large size. Matthews mentions a specimen[48] thirty-three feet in circumference. The species may be known by its large tulip-shaped flower. Liriodendron is from two Greek words meaning lily and tree.
The poplars, sometimes called cottonwoods because of their seeds covered with a cotton-like down, are represented on both continents. The wood was made into shields by the [p081] ancients, because it was light and tough and would indent without breaking. The wood is often substituted for whitewood, but is less desirable, although valuable as a basis for paper-pulp. The trees may be known by the long drooping catkins that appear early in the spring before the leaves, and that are followed by white downy seeds that soon escape to whiten the surrounding ground. The poplars are noted for foliage more or less constantly in agitation. This peculiarity, so pronounced in the aspen (Populus tremuloides), is due to the very long petioles or leaf-stems. The cottonwoods abound in many otherwise arid regions of American Western deserts.
The cucumber trees are of the magnolia family and grow in many of the Eastern States. The wood resembles and is probably often mistaken for whitewood, for which it is a fair substitute. The trees may be known by their fruit, which resembles vegetable cucumbers. Magnolia is from Magnol, a botanist of the seventeenth century.
Basswood is a name applied to trees known in Europe and America as limes, lime trees, lind, linden, tiel, tiel trees, bass, and basswood trees. The trees and their wood were early esteemed, the first for their shade and appearance, and the last for their working qualities, which resemble, but are inferior to, whitewood.[49] The trees are characterized by their dense foliage and clusters of small cream-colored fragrant flowers, so attractive to bees as to have originated the further name bee-tree. Tilia arises from the ancient name for these trees. [p082]
[48] F. Schuyler Matthews, "Familiar Trees" (Appleton, 1901), p. 39.
[49] The carvings of Gibbons, a famous English artist, are said to have been made entirely of linden, no other available wood being so even-grained and free from knots. (Keeler.)
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Tulip Tree, Whitewood, Yellow Poplar (local and common names).
Poplar (R. I., Del., N. C., S. C., Fla., Ohio).
Tulip Poplar (Del., Pa., S. C., Ill.).
Hickory Poplar (Va., W. Va., N. C.).
Blue Poplar (Del., W. Va.).
Popple (R. I.).
Cucumber Tree (N. Y.).
Canoewood (Tenn.).
Locality.
New England to Florida, westward intermittently to Michigan and Mississippi.
Features of Tree.
Ninety to one hundred and fifty feet in height, six to twelve feet in diameter. Tulip-shaped flowers in spring. Greenish cones dry and remain after leaves have fallen.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light yellow or greenish brown, thin sapwood, nearly white. Close, straight-grained, compact structure, free from knots.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, moderately strong, brittle, easily worked, durable. Hard to split, shrinks little, resembles white pine, stands well.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Lumber, interior finish, shingles, boat-building, pumps, woodenware, shelves, the bottoms of drawers.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
26.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,300,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
9300.
Remarks.
Very large trees formerly common. Indians hollowed logs into boats. "Some large enough to carry twenty or thirty persons" (Hough), whence name canoewood. Tulipifera, signifying turbans and to bear, refers to flowers. One of the largest as well as most useful of American deciduous trees. [p083]
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Poplar, Largetooth Aspen (local and common names).
Largetooth Poplar (N. C.).
Large Poplar (Tenn.).
White Poplar (Mass.).
Popple (Me.).
Large American Aspen (Ala.).
Locality.
Nova Scotia and Delaware, westward intermittently to Minnesota, Alleghany Mountains to Kentucky and Tennessee.
Features of Tree.
Sixty to eighty feet high, two feet or more in diameter. Irregular points or teeth on margins of leaves. Smooth gray bark.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood brownish, sapwood nearly white, close-grained, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Soft, light, weak.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Paper-pulp and occasionally woodenware.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
28.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,360,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
10,200.
Remarks.
The several "poplars" are much prized for paper-pulp. The quaking aspen (P. tremuloides) has long leaf-stalks flattened vertically to the leaf-surface, so that leaves tremble in slight winds. [p084]
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Cottonwood (local and common name).
Carolina Poplar (Pa., Miss., La., N. M., Ind., Ohio).
Yellow Cottonwood (Ark., Ia., Neb.).
Big Cottonwood (Miss., Neb.).
Whitewood (Ia.).
Cotton Tree (N. Y.).
Necklace Poplar (Tex., Col.).
Broadleaved Cottonwood (Colo.).
Locality.
Canada to Florida, westward intermittently to Rocky Mountains.
Features of Tree.
Seventy-five to one hundred feet in height, four to five feet in diameter, occasionally much larger. Long catkins distribute cotton-like fibres.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Thin heartwood, dark brown, sapwood nearly white, close-grained, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, weak, liable to warp, difficult to season.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Greatly valued in manufacture of paper-pulp, also packing-boxes, fence-boards, fuel.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
24.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,400,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
10,900.
Remarks.
Monilifera is from the Latin monolinum, a necklace, and fero, to bear, and refers to the long necklace or catkin. [p085]
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Black Cottonwood (Oreg., Cal.).
Balsam Cottonwood, Balm (Oreg.).
Cottonwood (Oreg., Cal.).
Balm Cottonwood (Cal.).
Locality.
Pacific coast region, Alaska to California.
Features of Tree.
A large tree sometimes one hundred and fifty feet in height and four to six feet in diameter.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light dull brown, sapwood nearly white, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, weak.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Staves, woodenware (local).
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
23.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,580,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
8400.
Remarks.
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Cucumber Tree (R. I., Mass., N. Y., Pa., N. C., S. C., Ala., Miss., La., Ark., Ky., W. Va., Ohio, Ind., Ill.).
Mountain Magnolia (Miss., Ky.).
Black Lin, Cucumber (W. Va.).
Magnolia (Ark.).
Locality.
New York to Illinois, southward through Kentucky and Tennessee to Gulf (intermittently).
Features of Tree.
Fifty to occasionally one hundred feet in height, two to four feet in diameter. A large, handsome, symmetrical tree, with cones resembling cucumbers.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood brownish yellow, sapwood nearly white, close-grained, compact structure. Satiny, thin medullary rays.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, not strong, durable. Qualities similar to whitewood.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Cabinet-making, cheap furniture, flooring, pump-logs, troughs, crates, packing-boxes. Used similarly to L. tulipifera.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
29.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,310,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
9500.
Remarks.
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Basswood, Linn, Linden, American Linden (local and common names).
Limetree (R. I., N. C., S. C., Ala., Minn., La., Ill.).
Black or Smooth-leaved Limetree (Tenn.).
Whitewood (Vt., W. Va., Ark., Minn.).
Yellow Basswood, Lein (Ind.).
Beetree (Vt., W. Va., Wis.).
White Lind (W. Va.).
Wickup (Mass.).
Locality.
New Brunswick to Georgia, westward intermittently to Nebraska and Texas. Wide range.
Features of Tree.
Sixty to ninety feet in height, two to four feet in diameter, occasionally larger. Large smooth leaves.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood light or reddish brown, thick sapwood nearly similar, very straight and close-grained, compact structure.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, easily worked, tough, not strong nor durable.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Sides and backs of drawers, bodies of carriages, woodenware, paper-pulp.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
28.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,190,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
8300.
Remarks.
Basswood refers to the inner bark or "bast," sometimes utilized for cordage. The flowers attract bees, whence the name bee-tree. White Basswood, (Tilia heterophylla,) is not distinguished commercially. [p088]
The willows are very widely distributed over both continents, and their history extends back over a very considerable period. Pliny states that Britons used to make voyages in boats of willow. The willow mentioned in the Bible was the Salix babylónica, or weeping willow, later acclimated in this country.
The principal experience with the tough, light, workable, elastic wood has been in Europe. The ancients used it for shields, because it was one of the woods that would indent without breaking. Lazlett states that it is used for cart-linings because it will not splinter when struck by stones. It has been used for lap-boards, cricket-bats, keels, paddles, and water-wheels. It resists heat and friction and is therefore used for lining friction-brakes. Willow charcoal ignites readily and is highly esteemed in the manufacture of the finer kinds of gunpowder. The bark is used in tanning. The little branches have long been associated with baskets and woven work. American trees are seldom cut up into lumber, but are valued for shade and appearance, and are often planted along the banks of streams to prevent erosion.
Willows grow very rapidly and have a characteristic and attractive appearance. They usually prefer low moist places. There are so many hybrids and peculiar species as to render classification in all cases difficult.[50] Black willow is the native species, oftenest attaining to tree size in North America. The White, Crack, Bedford, and Goat Willows (Salix alba, S. fragilis, S. russeliana, and S. caprea) are said to afford good wood. Salix is said to be from the Celtic sal, meaning near, and lis, water. Salicylic acid is abundantly present in the bark of some species. [p089]
[50] About 140 species and varieties of the willow family have been enumerated.
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Black Willow (local and common name).
Swamp Willow (N. C., S. C.).
Willow (N. Y., Pa., N. C., S. C., Miss., Tex., Cal., Ky., Mo., Neb.).
Locality.
New Brunswick to Florida, westward intermittently to Dakota, Arizona, and California, Mexico.
Features of Tree.
Forty to fifty feet in height, two to four feet in diameter. Long narrow leaf, characteristic appearance.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Heartwood brown, sapwood nearly white, close-grained.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Soft, light, weak, checks badly in drying, readily worked. Dents without splitting.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Lap-boards, basket-making, fuel, charcoal.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
27.
Modulus of Elasticity.
550,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
6000.
Remarks.
Prefers borders of rivers and bottom lands. Many varieties of willow grow in the United States. No one is used to any extent in construction. [p090]
Many kinds of wood that were formerly plentiful are now much less so. Attention is being turned to trees that give best results under artificial conditions. Catalpa, formerly but little known, now bids fair to become of some importance in this connection.
The catalpa grows rapidly and produces a coarse, brittle, weak, but durable and desirable, lumber, well fitted to meet the requirements of railways and other branches of construction where the annual consumption is the largest. Fifty thousand catalpa trees have recently been planted by a Western railway at a cost of one cent apiece. Catalpas at Hutchison, Kansas, were large enough to cut for posts at the end of six years.[51] A sample tie recently removed from a Western railway was found to be perfect after fifteen years of service. Mr. John Brown[52] mentions specimens sixteen inches in diameter seventeen years after planting. The species Catalpa speciosa is said to be much the more desirable in that it is hardy and reaches a tall upright form.
The catalpa may be known by its showy flowers, suggesting those of the horse chestnut. These are succeeded by long pods filled with many-winged seeds and often used by children as cigars. [p091]
[51] U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, Div. of Forestry, Bulletins 27 and 37.
[52] The Forester, October, 1900, and November, 1902.
Kansas Agricultural College Experiment Station, Bulletin 108.
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Catalpa (R. I., N. Y., La., Ill., Ind., Mo., Wis., Ia., Neb., Minn.).
Hardy Catalpa (Ill., Ia., Kan., Mich.).
Western Catalpa (Pa., Ohio, Kans., Neb., Ill.).
Cigar Tree (Mo., Ia.).
Indian Bean, Shawneewood (Ind.).
Bois Puant (La.).
Locality.
Central Mississippi valley, naturalized in many localities.
Features of Tree.
Forty to sixty feet or more in height, three to six feet in diameter; well-formed trunks. Large, white, faintly mottled flower, long pod or bean.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Thick heartwood brown, thin sapwood lighter, nearly white, coarse-grained, compact structure, annual layers clearly marked.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, not strong, durable in contact with soil.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Railway ties, fence-posts, rails, adapted for cabinet-work and interior finish.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
25.
Modulus of Elasticity.
1,160,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
9000.
Remarks.
Hardier and better formed trunks than afforded by C. catalpa. A rapid grower; sprouts vigorously from stumps. A valuable tree, promising to become better known. Foliage subject to attack by insects. [p092]
John P. Brown (The Forester, October, 1900).
Nomenclature. (Sudworth.)
Catalpa (local and common name).
Indian Cigar Tree (Pa.).
Smoking Bean (R. I.).
Cigar Tree (R. I., N. J., Pa., W. Va., Mo., Ill., Wis., Ia.).
Indian Bean (Mass., R. I., N. Y., N. J., Pa., N. C., Ill.).
Catawba, Catawba Tree (Del., W. Va., Ala., Fla., Kans.).
Bean Tree (N. J., Del., Pa., Va., La., Neb.).
Locality.
Naturalized in many localities east of Rocky Mountains.
Features of Tree.
Thirty to fifty feet in height, one to two or more feet in diameter. Trunks not well formed. A low, wide tree, large heart-shaped leaves, characteristic flower. Long slender pod or bean.
Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood.
Thick heartwood is light pink brown; thin sapwood is nearly white. Coarse-grained, compact.
Structural Qualities of Wood.
Light, soft, not strong, durable in contact with soil.
Representative Uses of Wood.
Fence-posts, railway ties, etc.
Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot.
27.
Modulus of Elasticity.
960,000.
Modulus of Rupture.
8300.
Remarks.
Grows rapidly. Pods remain on tree after leaves fall. Sometimes used as cigars by children. Wood is less desirable than C. speciosa. [p093]
The sassafras was one of the first American trees to be described in Europe,[53] where many fictitious properties were early credited to its aromatic essences. The wood is not distinguished by unusual qualities, but trees are cut for lumber as encountered with other and more valuable species in the forest. The mucilaginous leaves are of three separate shapes. Some have lobes on both sides of the central surface, others have one lobe at one side so as to resemble mittens, while yet others on the same branch have simple oval shapes. The dark-blue berries on bright-red stems are so eagerly devoured by birds as to be seldom seen. The characteristic flavor is most pronounced in the bark of the root.
The Red, White, and Black Mulberries are named from the color of their fruits. The former, which is the American species, has wood resembling that of the sassafras, only in that it is not distinguished by unusual qualities. Its leaves, like that of the sassafras, are of several shapes on the same tree. The very sweet fruit resembles blackberries in form. The leaves used in silkworm-culture are from the Russian mulberry, a cross between the white mulberry and black mulberry (M. alba and M. nigra).[54] [p094]