Wood and Forest Part 28

REMARKS: Grows rapidly. Curly varieties found. Sap produces some sugar.

[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.]

59

RED MAPLE.

_Acer rubrum_ Linnaeus.

_Acer_, the cla.s.sical Latin name; _rubrum_, refers to red flowers and autumn leaves.

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

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

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

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 80'-120'; diameter, 2'-4'; branches, low; bark, dark gray, s.h.a.ggy, divided by long ridges; leaves, palmately 5 lobed, acute sinuses; fruit, double samaras, forming characteristic maple key.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, light reddish brown, sap-wood, lighter; diffuse-porous; rings, obscure; grain, crooked; rays, numerous, obscure.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Weight, medium (30th in this list); 38 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp. gr., 0.6178; strong (36th in this list); elastic (36th in this list); hard (27th in this list); shrinkage, 5 per cent.; warps .......; not durable; fairly hard to work; splits with difficulty, splits badly in nailing.

COMMON USES: Flooring, turning, wooden ware.

REMARKS: Grows rapidly. Has red flowers, red keys, red leaf stems, and leaves scarlet or crimson in autumn.

[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.]

60

HARD MAPLE. SUGAR MAPLE. ROCK MAPLE.

_Acer saccharum_ Marshall.

_Acer_, the cla.s.sical Latin name; _saccharum_, refers to sweet sap.

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

HABITAT: (See map); best in regions of Great Lakes.

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

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 100'-120'; diameter, 1-1/2'-3', even 4'; often trees in forest are without branches for 60'-70' from ground, in the open, large impressive tree; bark, gray brown, thick, deep, longitudinal fissures, hard and rough; leaves, opposite, 3 to 5 lobed, scarlet and yellow in autumn; fruit, double, slightly divergent samaras.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, light brown tinged with red; diffuse-porous rings, close but distinct; grain, crooked, fine, close, polishes well; rays, fine but conspicuous.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Heavy (19th in this list); 43 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp. gr., 0.6912; very strong (8th in this list); very elastic (5th in this list); very hard (7th in this list); shrinkage, 5 per cent.; warps badly; not durable when exposed; hard to work; splits badly in nailing.

COMMON USES: School and other furniture, car construction, carving, wooden type, tool handles, shoe lasts, piano actions, s.h.i.+ps' keels.

REMARKS: Tree very tolerant. The uses of this wood are chiefly due to its hardness. Bird's-Eye Maple and Curly Maple are accidental varieties. Pure maple sugar is made chiefly from this species. Its ashes yield large quant.i.ties of potash.

[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.]

61

Ba.s.sWOOD. LINDEN.

Ba.s.s, refers to bast or inner bark.

_Tilia americana_ Linnaeus.

_Tilia_, the cla.s.sical Latin name.

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

HABITAT: (See map); best in bottom lands of lower Ohio River.

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

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 60'-70', even 130'; diameter, 2'-4'; trunk, erect, pillar-like, branches spreading, making round heads; bark, light brown, furrowed, scaly surface, inner bark fibrous and tough, used for matting; leaves, oblique, heart-shaped, side nearest branch larger; fruit cl.u.s.tered on long pendulous stem, attached to vein of narrow bract.

APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, very light brown, approaching cream color, sap-wood, hardly distinguishable; diffuse-porous; rings, fine and close but clear; grain, straight; rays, numerous, obscure.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Light in weight (49th in this list); 28 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp. gr., 0.4525; weak (60th in this list); elasticity, medium (49th in this list); soft (64th in this list); shrinkage, 6 per cent.; warps comparatively little; quite durable; very easily worked; somewhat tough to split, nails well.

COMMON USES: Woodenware, carriage bodies, etc., picture molding, paper pulp, etc.

REMARKS: May be propagated by grafting as well as by seed. Is subject to attack by many insects. Wood used for carriage bodies because flexible and easily nailed.

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