Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/76

 56 Sloan's Architectural Review and Builders' Journal. [July, seat settees and chairs, and by cabinet- makers for drawer-sides and bottoms,, comes from the Northern Lake shores, by way of Albany, New York, which is the great distributing point. There are several varieties of indigenous Poplar, all of which bear the tulip-shaped blos- som ; and, as before remarked, in general the farther South it grows, the harder the wood. What is called Hickory- Poplar is very tough to work, and is very elastic. It is used, almost exclu- sively, for fine carriage-bodies. Its dur- ability is exemplified to all, when it is known, that the most expensive and finely-finished carriages are made of this wood. Ash is found in several varieties. What is called White Ash is most fav- orably known. The aborigines of this country used the young White Ash for their bows, it being the most elastic and quickest of spring of all our native woods. It is of great utility to wagon- builders, as most of the felloes of heavy cart, dray and wagon-wheels are made of it. Cabinet and chair-makers use the soft, or upland Ash for frames of chairs, seats and sofas, as it holds the tacks well. Black Ash is scarce, and hardly known, as such, to mechanics. Cherry is a very firm, close-grained wood, and it admits a fine polish. It grows to immense size in the interior of Pennsjdvania. This is not the same as the Domestic Cherry, although of the same nature. It is used principally in making agricultural implements, cheap dining tables and chairs. Before the universal introduction of Walnut for furniture, it was much used in connec- tion with mahogany, as the grain is similar ; and ground terracina, or terra- di-sienna, in oil, coated lightly on this wood, makes a good imitation of St. Domingo Mahogany. At present there is very little demand for this wood. Oak grows, in great variety, on the whole continent of North America. White«Oak is used by builders of heavy wagons, by carpenters, for joists, and, in fact, for almost all mechanical pur- poses. The Brash Oak, which is best for furniture, comes from the Lake shores. Red and Black Oak are very similar, and are principally used for large brewing and other vats, and for barrels of all kinds, whether for solids or fluids. Oak also produces most of the bark used for tanning. Its bark con- tains the most active and valuable prin- ciple of tannin. The foreign demand for this bark is so great, that our State was compelled to pass severe laws, to prevent its adulteration with other and cheaper bark ; and the office of Bark Inspector for the port of Philadelphia is quite a lucrative one. Live Oak grows in the Southern States of the Union, and is most valuable for ship- knees and timbers. The United States Government has large reservations of timber lands of this wood, especially for navy vessels. The other varieties, such as Chesnut-Oak, Pin-Oak and Scrub- Oak, are not of much use. We will mention a singular fact, in regard to what is called Scrub-Oak. Wherever Pine timber is cut off, or burnt out, of any tract, the Scrub-Oak im- mediately and invariably shows itself, although not a shrub of it had ever ap- peared there before ; and it grows and flourishes, until the Pine again grows up, and overshadows it, when it disap- pears, only to renew itself under the same circumstances. It is inexplicable how the germ of this Oak remains in the ground for centuries, without fruc- tifying, as it grows from the acorn only. Why should it appear only in ground previously occupied by the Pine ? Such, however, is the absolute fact. Maple is indigenous to this country only. There are several varieties of great use in the mechanic arts, and some for domestic purposes. The plain White Maple, Curled and Bird's-Eye, are what are known to mechanics. These varie- ties are in much demand in Europe, for furniture, on account of their great beauty. The French cabinet-makers