Wood and Forest Part 25

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 90', even 120'; diameter, 3'-8'; trunk, usually divides at 30'-40' from ground into upright branches, making triangular outline; bark, ashy gray, deep longitudinal fissures, broad ridges; leaves, 4"-6" long, oblique obovate, doubly serrate, smooth one way; fruit, small, roundish, flat, smooth, samaras.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, light brown, sap-wood yellowish; ring-porous; rings, marked by several rows of large open ducts; grain, interlaced; rays, numerous, thin.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Heavy (24th in this list); 34 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp.

gr., 0.6506; strong (33d in this list); elasticity, medium (59th in this list); medium hard (28th in this list); shrinkage, 5 per cent.; warps .........; not durable; hard to work, tough, will not polish; splits with difficulty.

COMMON USES: Cooperage, wheel stock, flooring.

REMARKS: Favorite ornamental tree, but shade light, and leaves fall early.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Radial Section, life size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cross-section, magnified 37-1/2 diameters.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tangential Section, life size.]

50

CUc.u.mBER TREE. MOUNTAIN MAGNOLIA.

Cuc.u.mber, refers to the shape of the fruit.

_Magnolia ac.u.minata_ Linnaeus.

_Magnolia_, named for Pierre Magnol, a French botanist; _ac.u.minata_, refers to pointed fruit.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]

HABITAT: (See map); best at the base of mountains in North Carolina and South Carolina and Tennessee.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 60'-90'; diameter, 3'-4'; in forest, clear trunk for 2/3 of height (40' or 50'); bark, dark brown, thick, furrowed; leaves, large, smooth; flowers, large greenish yellow; fruit, dark red "cones" formed of two seeded follicles.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, yellow brown, thick sapwood, lighter; diffuse-porous; rings, obscure; grain, very straight, close, satiny; rays, numerous thin.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Light (45th in this list); .... lbs. per cu. ft.; sp. gr., 0.4690; medium strong (49th in this list); elastic (38th in this list); medium hard (41st in this list); shrinkage, 5 per cent.; warps .........; very durable; easy to work; splits easily, takes nails well.

COMMON USES: Pump logs, cheap furniture, shelving.

REMARKS: Wood similar to yellow poplar, and often sold with it.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Radial Section, life size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cross-section, magnified 37-1/2 diameters.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tangential Section, life size.]

51

YELLOW POPLAR. WHITEWOOD. TULIP TREE.

Poplar, inappropriate, inasmuch as the tree does not belong to poplar family. White, refers inappropriately to the color of the wood, which is greenish yellow.

_Liriodendron tulipifera_ Linnaeus.

_Liriodendron_, means lily-tree; _tulipifera_ means tulip-bearing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]

HABITAT: (See map); best in lower Ohio valley and southern Appalachian mountains.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 70'-90'; even 200'; diameter, 6'-8', even 12'; tall, magnificent trunk, unsurpa.s.sed in grandeur by any eastern American tree; bark, brown, aromatic, evenly furrowed so as to make clean, neat-looking trunk; leaves, 4 lobed, apex, peculiarly truncated, clean cut; flowers, tulip-like; fruit, cone, consisting of many scales.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, light greenish or yellow brown, sap-wood, creamy white; diffuse-porous; rings, close but distinct; grain, straight; rays, numerous and plain.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Light (54th in this list); 26 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp. gr., 0.4230; medium strong (51st in this list); elastic (39th in this list); soft (49th in this list); shrinkage, 5 per cent.; warps little; durable; easy to work; brittle and does not split readily, nails very well.

COMMON USES: Construction work, furniture, interiors, boats, carriage bodies, wooden pumps.

REMARKS: Being subst.i.tuted largely for white pine.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Radial Section, life size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Cross-section, magnified 37-1/2 diameters.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Tangential Section, life size.]

52

SWEET GUM. Gum, refers to exudations.

_Liquidambar styraciflua_ Linnaeus.

_Liquidambar_, means liquid gum; _styraciflua_, means fluid resin (storax).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]

HABITAT: (See map); best in the lower Mississippi valley.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 80'-140'; diameter, 3'-5'; trunk, tall, straight; bark, light brown tinged with red, deeply fissured; branchlets often having corky wings; leaves, star-shaped, five pointed; conspicuously purple and crimson in autumn; fruit, multi-capsular, spherical, persistent heads.