[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 50"-75", even 100"; but often a shrub; diameter, 2"-3"; branches, spreading into dense round-topped head; bark, red or brown, deep, vertical, almost continuous, fissures and broad ridges, looks corrugated; leaves, in large tufts at ends of branchlets; acorns, small, sessile.
APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, brown, thick, sap-wood, lighter; ring-porous; rings, 1 to 3 rows of not large open ducts; grain, crooked; rays, numerous, conspicuous.
PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Very heavy (2d in this list); 50 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp. gr., 0.8367; strong (29th in this list); medium elastic (50th in this list); very hard (4th in this list); shrinkage, 4 per cent. or more; warps and checks badly in seasoning; durable; hard to work; splits readily, bad to nail.
COMMON USES: Cooperage, railway ties, fencing, construction.
REMARKS: Wood often undistinguished from white oak.
[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.]
47
WHITE OAK. STAVE OAK.
_Quercus alba_ Linnaeus.
_Quercus_, the cla.s.sical Latin name; white and _alba_, refer to white bark.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]
HABITAT: (See map); best on western slopes of Southern Alleghany Mountains, and in lower Ohio river valley.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 80"-100"; diameter, 3"-5"; trunk, in forest, tall, in open, short; bark, easily distinguished, light gray with shallow fissures, scaly; leaves, rounded lobes, and sinuses; acorns, 3/4" to 1" long, ripen first year.
APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, light brown, sap-wood paler; ring-porous; rings, plainly defined by pores; grain crooked; rays, broad, very conspicuous and irregular.
PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Heavy (8th in this list); 50 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp.
gr., 0.7470; strong (23d in this list); elastic (32d in this list); hard (13th in this list); shrinkage, from 4 to 10 per cent.; warps and checks considerably, unless carefully seasoned; very durable, hard to work; splits somewhat hard, very difficult to nail.
COMMON USES: Interior finish, furniture, construction, ship building, farm implements, cabinet making.
REMARKS: The most important of American oaks.
[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.]
48
CORK ELM. ROCK ELM. HICKORY ELM. WHITE ELM. CLIFF ELM.
Cork refers to corky ridges on branches.
_Ulmus thomasi_ Sargent. _Ulmus racemosa_ Thomas.
_Ulmus_, the cla.s.sical Latin name; _racemosa_, refers to racemes of flowers.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]
HABITAT: (See map); best in Ontario and southern Michigan.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TREE: Height, 80"-100"; diameter, 2"-3", trunk often clear for 60"; bark, gray tinged with red, corky, irregular projections, give s.h.a.ggy appearance; leaves, obovate, doubly serrate, 3"-4" long; fruit, p.u.b.escent, samaras.
APPEARANCE OF WOOD: Color, light brown or red; sap-wood yellowish; ring-porous; rings, marked with one or two rows of small open ducts; grain, interlaced; rays, numerous, obscure.
PHYSICAL QUALITIES: Heavy (15th in this list); 45 lbs. per cu. ft.; sp. gr., 0.7263; very strong (13th in this list); elastic (22d in this list); hard (15th in this list); shrinkage, 5 per cent.; warps, ........; very durable; hard to work; splits and nails with difficulty.
COMMON USES: Hubs, agricultural implements, sills, bridge timbers.
REMARKS: The best of the elm woods.
[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.]
49
WHITE ELM. AMERICAN ELM. WATER ELM.
Water, because it flourishes on river banks.
_Ulmus americana_ Linnaeus.
_Ulmus_, the cla.s.sical Latin name.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Habitat.]
HABITAT: (See map); best northward on river bottoms.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Leaf.]