General Characteristics:Included in description. These Cedars have one thing in common; they are all conifers belonging to the Cypress family.
Alaskan or Yellow Cedar is a rather large tree, up to six feet in diameter and 120 feet high. It is of scattered oc urrence from southwestern Alaska t.Cnorthern California, reaching its best development in British Columbia. This wood seldom is seen in American markets, the consumption being largely local, where it is used for furniture, interior millwork and in small boat construction. The,heartwood is pale off-white t6 yellow, the scent faint- but unattractive. Like other Cedars, the wood is light, straight grained, easy to work and durable.
Atlantic White-Cedar grows only in a narrow coastal belt 50 to 130 miles wide, from Maine to Florida and westward to Mississippi. The branchlets are covered with dark blue-green overlapping scales about 1/8-inch long. The fruit is 114-inch in diameter, bluish-purple when ripe, and with a somewhat crumpled appearance. The tree reaches 80-85 feet in height and about 2 feet in diameter. The bark is light reddish-brown and peels off in long fibrous strips. Bark is often partially twisted around the trunk. The wood is light, soft, close-grained, not strong, and slightly fragrant. It is used for shingles, posts, woodenware, and interior finishes.
As lumber, it is used principally for boat planking, tank staves, shingles, woodenware and general millwork.
Eastern Red Cedar is the most widely distributed conifer of tree size in eastern United States. It grows as a tall tree or a shrub and any size between, utilizing a wide variety of sites from dry hillsides to swamps. The leaves are usually opposite, being smooth, shiny, dark green, and glandular on older foliage. On young foliage, leaves are linear (somewhat needle-like), pointed, and prickly. The fleshy cones are round, 1/4-1/3 inch in diameter, and at maturity a bluish color with a grayish-white waxy covering. The tree is commonly 40-50 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 1-2 feet. The short, slender branches form a compact, pyramidal crown except on very old trees. The bark is light reddish brown, thin, and separating into long, peeling, fibrous strips.
Properties - Eastern Red Cedar is moderately heavy, hard, moderately weak in bending, and high in shock resistance. The wood is fine-textured and even-grained, with the well-known "Pencil Cedar" taste and odor. The wood works easily with tools, shrinks very little in drying, stays in place well after seasoning, and is very resistant to decay.
Uses - Eastern Red Cedar is usually available only in fairly small sizes, and generally is quite knotty. Principal use has changed from fence posts to novelty items. Lumber is used where its fragrance and reputed moth-repellent qualities are valued such as in storage chests, closets, and wardrobes. It is also used for millwork, pencils, woodenware, and containers such as buckets.
Northern White Cedar is often called Arbor Vitae (Tree of Life) when used as an ornamental planting. The flattened branchiets have 4 rows of overlapping bright green scales, are much bran c had, and form horizontal fan-like sprays. Foliage has a spicy fragrance when crushed. Mature cones are light red-brown, 1/3-1/2 inch long, oblong erect, and covered with 6-12 thin, blunt scales that open to the base. The tree grows to 40-50 feet in height with a short, often lobed and buttressed trunk 2-3 feet in diameter. The bark is gray to reddish-brown, often tinged with orange, and separated into flat connected ridges. The wood is light, soft, durable, brittle, coarse-grained, and fragrant. It is used for posts, rails, shingles, and pulpwood. This species Is a favorite source of browse for deer and rabbits in northern swamps.
Port Orford Cedar is a timber species of considerable importance. It matures to large size, up to seven feet in diameter, and 174 feet high, with occasional old trees considerably larger than this.
The range of the species is limited; confined to a strip one to forty miles wide from Coos Bay, Oregon to Eureka, California, usually found growing with other species.
The lustrous, pale yellow wood is straight grained, of fine and even texture, and has a penetrating, although pleasant, scent. It is strong for its weight: approximately 2.8 lbs. per board foot, dry. Easy to season, it machines to exceptional smoothness and is well adapted to fine paint and enamel finishes.
Southern Red Cedar is very similiar to eastern Red Cedar but has smaller cones and drooping branches. Southern Red Cedar prefers wet lowlands and swamps.
Western Red Cedar is known to all. it is the leading shingle wood of the United States and is ideally adapted to that purpose. It is light in weight, remarkably durable under exposure to rain and sun; heat and cold. The wood stains well for exterior purposes; machines and seasons readily.
The name Thule plicata is derived from Latin and Greek; meaning a tree having wood of aromatic fragrance and whose leaves are folded or plaited. It grows in a belt along the coast from southern Alaska to northern California, and in this country, extending across northern Washington to western Montana. Average mature trees are six to eight feet in diameter and 150 feet tall. The heartwood is reddish brown when freshly cut; oxidizing tq dull brown upon exposure. Air dried wood weighs about two pounds per board foot.
It is variously estimated that fifty to seventy percent of the timber cut is processed into shingles. Other uses include exterior millwork and exterior construction of all types where durability is more important than strength. Sash and doors, tanks, small boats, greenhouse sash and trays and interior trim are also manufactured from Western Red Cedar, while small trees are cut for poles and fence posts.
Baldcypress is a tree most often associated with very watery sites such as swamps, often thriving where it stands in water several months of the year. It is one of the most unusual trees of the South, and is easily identifiable by the trunk which flares out at the base into a swollen, deepiy-lobed, buttresslike structure. The wide-spreading roots send up woody growths that protrude above the water, sometimes to a heightof several feet. The exact function of these characteristic "knees" is still not known.
The light-green, lustrous leaves are alternate, two-ranked, and deciduous. Generally 112 to 3/4-inch long, the leaves are flat and linear, without stalks, entire, sharp-pointed, and about 1/16th-inch wide.
The fibrous bark, ranging in color from light gray to brownish red, divides into flat ridges with shallow furrows as the tree ages. The staminate flowers, appearing in March and April, are brownish, 3-5 inches long. The round cones, which are born in leaf axils, occur singly or in clusters of two or three, and are about an inch in diameter. Seeds receive light to moderate use as food by gray squirrels and woodducks.
The Baldcypress, its branches often draped with Spanish moss, is to many people a symbol of the great swamps of the deep South. The tree is noted for its long life and the huge sizes it attains. It was once one of the most plentiful trees along drainages of the Southeast, but its value as a source of rot-resistant wood has caused depletion of many merchantable stands.
Properties - Baldcypress is moderately heavy, moderately hard, moderately strong, and moderately stiff. The heartwood has outstanding durability qualities under conditions favorable to decay. It does not impart taste, odor, or color to food products. Sapwood splits and checks badly, and is not resistant to decay.
Uses - Baldcypress heartwood is used extensively in building construction, especially where high decayresistance is required. It is used in warehouses, docks, factories, and bridges. It is favored for greenhouses, stadium seats, cooling towers and commercial installations that have high humidity. Other uses are for caskets, sash, doors, interior trim, millwork, paneling, and for containers such as boxes, crates, vats, tanks, and tubs. Heartwood is also used for wooden boats, river pilirigs, and fencing.
Balsam Fir is a small-to-mediumsized tree that grows in cold, moist climates. The dark green needles are 1/2 to 1 inch long, flattened, mostly 2-ranked (one row on each side of the branch), and marked on the undersides by 2 silvery-white bands. The cylindrical cones are erect, dark rich purple in color, 2-4 inches long, with scales longer than broad. Bark on old trees is thick, rich brown, and separated into scaly plates. Bark on young trees often has resin blisters. Balsam Fir has a symmetrical, slender, pyramidal crown that is quite dense. The tree grows up to 60 feet in height, with trunk diameter of 2 feet. The wood Is light, weak, soft, and coarse-grained. Not Much used for lumber, the Balsam Fir is utilized in the paper industry for pulp. It is planted as an ornamental, and prized for Christmas trees.
General Characteristics: Soft, coarse-textured, easily worked. It is the strongest of all American woods in comparison to weight. Tree is Evergreen; wood non-porous. Annual growth rings clearly marked, usually with strong contrast in density of spring and summer wood. Luster low. Color of heartwood varies with conditions of growth, from pinkish yellow to reddish brown; sapwood lighter.
Douglas Fir is one of our most valuable timber trees. The following quotation from "Timbers of the New World" by Record and Hess of the Yale University School of Forestry, is of interest: "Douglas Fir is extensively distributed along the Pacific coast from British Columbia to central California and inland through the Rocky Mountains into northern Mexico, a range of more than 2000 miles north and south and almost 1000 miles east and west. Two forms of the tree are recognized, the Pacific Coast and the Rocky Mountain, which at their extremes exhibit such differences in the form of the tree, characters of the foliage and cones, and quality of the wood that they would be considered distinct species except that in portions of their range they intergrade and lose their identity."
The interior form, generally speaking, produces smaller timber, the wood is harder, red in color, inclined to be cross-grained and knotty, but durable. Some clear lumber is produced, but it is used mostly for timbers and cross-ties.
The coast type is a large timber up to 325 feet in height and 17 feet in diameter. It supplies most of the lumber known to the trade as Douglas Fir (sometimes called Oregon Pine or "Oregon" in the export trade).
The size of the timber permits the manufacture of vast quantities of lumber in a variety of grades adaptable to a wide range of requirements. The best logs go into veneers, and are the source of Douglas Fir plywood, one of the most important commodities of the lumber business, a utility material of countless uses.
Principal among the uses of Douglas Fir lumber are: wood construction of all types, planing mill products including doors, sash, interior trim, flooring and ceiling, mouldings. Clear heart grades are used in the construction of tanks and similar items. Large timbers can be obtained for heavy construction.
Inland California Douglas Fir of mountainous growth is inclined to be of softer and more even growth than coastal stock, and is redder in color. It is sometimes offered as soft-textured California Red Fir.
Fraser Fir is very similar to Balsam Fir, the minor differences being confined mostly to the cones. The scales on the cones of Fraser Fir are wider than long, usually about twice as wide as long, while the cone scales of Balsam Fir are generally about twice as long as they are wide. The bracts of Fraser Fir cones are longer than the scales, thus exposing the tips of the bracts which curl downward. Bracts of Balsam Fir cones are shorter than the scaleti; and hidden when the cones are closed.
General Characteristics: Soft, light in weight, low in density; rather brittle. Machining properties good; texture fine to moderately coarse. Tree is Evergreen; wood non-porous. Color nearly white or with pale tannish cast.
A number of species of true Firs, including those shown above, are marketed together as White Fir. These trees are found throughout the forests of the Pacific slope and in the Rocky Mountains. Much of the lumber is marketed locally, where it is used in residences and other light construction, and in the production of boxes and crates.
Select, shop and construction grades find their way into other markets. The wood machines and sands well, and will receive acceptable enamel and paint finishes. Thus, it is a satisfactory material for trim, kitchen cabinets and the like. In strength, it compares favorably with Spruce and Ponderosa Pine; construction grades are used for light framing.
Eastern Hemlock is a graceful, lacy-foliaged tree of the cool moist forests. The flat needles are roundtipped, 1/3-2/3 inch long, and marked on the lower surface with two pale lines. Needles are narrowed to form short, slender stems that grow from rounded, dark orange-colored, persistent, woody pads on the twigs. Cones are roughly oval, 1/2-3/4 inch long, with scales about as wide as long. The pendant cones are borne on short, slender stalks from the tips of branchlets, usually remaining on the tree until the following spring. Hemlock is remarkably tolerant to shading by overstory trees, and may remain in the understory in natural stands for 25-200 years. The tree is usually 60-70 feet high with a trunk diameter of 2-3 feet. It often has a broad-based pyramidal shape. Ends of branches are often drooping and "feathery." The wood is light, soft, brittle, and difficult to work. It is used occasionally for rough or construction lumber, and for pulpwood.
Once disregarded entirely as a decorative wood, Western Hemlock is now being used to make many articles of wood; doors, for example.
The pale brown or grayish wood is fairly light to medium in weight, strong and reasonably stable. The figure is almost toopronounced, with strongly contrasting layers of spring and summer wood. Not, one might suppose, a material to challenge the talents of a journeyman cabinetmaker.
Yet, when properly finished, the wood is astonishingly good-looking . . . and it is presently gracing many of Arnerica's fine homes.
A member of the Pine family, Western Hemlock grows in humid regions along the coast from Alaska to California and inland as tar as western Montana.
Pines are probably the world's most important conifers. They grow in most areas of ihe Northern Hemisphere and in a few areas south of the equator. About 100 species are recognized worldwide; 36 of these species are native in the United States.
Pine trees usually have deeply furrowed bark, resinous wood, and an upright terminal axis which produces the annual growth in the form of a long shoot with.) one or more whorls of spreading branches. Pines are Evergreen, with needlelike leaves usually borne in clusters or bundles of 2-5. Leaves remain on the tree from 2 to 12 years, depending upon the species. Male flowers are clustered at the base of the current year's leafy growing shoots in lower portion of the crown. Female flowers occur on the same tree, more often on upper branches.
The cones are variously shaped, usually longer than wide, tapering to a point, maturing at the end of the second year (rarely the third), and either failing promptly or remaining attached to the tree for several years. Cones are composed of the hardened, woody scales of the ovulate (female) flowers. Seed are usually winged.
Pines are separated into two groups. The soft (or white) Pines are identified by their soft, light-colored, closegrained wood, needles in clusters of 5 with the sheath of the needle-bundle being shed with the leaves, cones usually stalked, cone scales not armed with spiny tips. The hard (or pitch) Pine characteristics are their coarse-grained, generally darker-colored wood, thickened cone scales mostly armed with spiny tips, needles in bundles of 2 or 3 with the sheaths of the bundles not shed, and cones short-stalked or (usually) not stalked.
The only soft Pine of eastern forests is the eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus). All other species fall into the hard Pine group.
Eastern White Pine needles are soft bluish-green, flexible, 3-5 inches long, in bundles of 5, with 3-5 fine white lines (of stomata) on two surfaces of each needle. Needles remain on the tree for two years. Cones are fully grown in the summer of the second season, opening to discharge seed that autumn. Cones are 4-8 inches long, curved, stalked, with scales not spiny. The bark on young trunks and branches is thin, smooth, greenish (sometimes tinged with red), and lustrous. On old trunks, the bark is deeply divided into broad ridges that are covered with purplish scales. The tree commonly attains 100 feet in height and 4 feet in diameter, with a tall, straight stem and pyramidal crown. Branches are in definite whorls of long lateral branches sweeping upward in graceful curves. This is the largest conifer of eastern forests, is long-lived, and has been known to reach heights above 200 feet. The wood is light, straight-grained, easily worked but not strong. It is used in cabinet work, interior finishes, woodenware, matches, and lumber. A large part of the winter diet of red squirrels (boomers) in the southern Appalachians is made up of the seed of eastern White Pine.
This is one of the genuine White Pines, and like the others, is relatively durable when exposed to decay. It grows in mountainous areas from southern British Columbia across northern Idaho, Montana and Washington; and southward through Oregon into California. The tree grows rapidly, yet may live as long as 500 years, reaching maximum height of 175 feet and eight feet in diameter.
Idaho White Pine is excellent for planing mill products of all kinds, sash, doors, mouldings, light construction, boxes, crates and a multitude of similar requirements Its straight, even grain and dimensional stabflity make it a good pattern wood, although grades suitable for this purpose are difficult to procure. Because of its durability, Idaho White Pine is recommended for exterior work where Pine is specified. The knots in common grades of this species are numerous, but are inclined to be small and tight, thus this is one of the best of the Pine group for Knotty Pine wall paneling and furniture.
The heartwood of Idaho White Pine is a very pale tan or off-white; sapwood, white.
Jack Pine needles are stout, flat, 1 - 1-1/2 inches long, dark green, deciduousin their second and third years, and in 2-leaved bundles. The cone is usually erect, 1-1 /2 - 2 inches long, and generally curved in toward the branch. Cones are green or purplish when full-grown, turning light yellowishbrown as they ripen. They may remain on the tree for years. Cone scales are armed with small prickles that are often deciduous. The tree is frequently 70 feet tall with a straight trunk about 2 feet in diameter. The branches are long and spreading, forming an open crown that often has a ragged appearance. The wood is soft, light, and not strong. It is used mainly for pulpwood.
Pitch Pine needles are 3-5 inches long, rigid, dark yellow-green, and marked on 3 faces by numerous fine white lines (of stomata). Needles are in 3-leaved clusters. Cones are oval, 1 - 3-1/2 inches long, and have scales tipped with curved, rigid spines. The tree usually grows 50-60 feet tall with trunk diameters of 2-3 feet, The branches are often thick, contorted, and pendulous, giving the tree an irregular, ragged, picturesque crown. The bark is broken into thick plate-like scales that are yellowish-brown to reddish-brown on older trees. Pitch Pine is usually restricted to the less fertile soils such as the sandy outwash plains of glacial origin, or gravelly soils. The coarsegrained wood is very durable. It is sometimes used for lumber, but more largely used for fuel and other minor products. Wild boar in the southern Appalachians dig out the roots of this Pine and eat the bark and soft outside wood from them.
Ponderosa Pine is sometimes listed in tree books as Western Yellow Pine, soft-textured stock from large timber has in the past been marketed as California White Pine, Arizona White Pine, Ponderosa Pine, etc. Ponderosa Pine is not a White Pine in the botanical sense and it is illegal to offer it as such. The general distribution of Ponderosa Pine is in mountainous regions from British Columbia far into Old Mexico and from California to Nebraska, forming great forests in favorable places. Naturally, there is great variety in the quality of timber coming from such a vast region. The wood can be hard and coarse textured, or it can be so fine in grain and texture as to rival the best of the true White Pines.
Because of the huge supply available, the ease with which the wood is worked and its excellent dimensional stability, Ponderosa Pine is our most important planing mill species. Many large sash and door plants operate almost entirely on it. On-the-job fitting of sash, doors, cabinets, trim and mouldings is relatively easy as the wood yields readily to hand tools.
Most Ponderosa Pine is painted, but there is an increasing tendency to finish it with varnish or lacquer. Clean looking and attractive in its natural color, it accepts stains remarkably well, especially the new gelled stains, which do not cause blotching.
Knotty Pine wall paneling and furniture has been popular in recent years. The common grades, in which the principal defect is knots, are used for this purpose. Substantial quantities of Ponderosa Pine plywood are produced. It is popular for cabinet work, door panels, etc., as it finishes well and is relatively inexpensive.
Lower grades are cut to common dimension and boards; used for light construction, sub-flooring, sheathing, inexpensive shelving and the like.
In purchasing any Pine lumber, a little knowledge of the theory under which it is graded is essential if an intelligent selection of the right quality for the job at hand is to be expected.
The color of Ponderosa Pine heartwood is light tan, sometimes with an almost orange cast; sapwood is white.
Red Pine needles are soft, slender, flexible, lustrous, dark green, 5-6 inches long, and in 2-leaved clusters. Cone sare symmetrical, ovoid, 2 - 2-1/4 inches long, light chestnut-brown and lustrous at maturity, and not armed with spines on the scales. The thick bark is divided shallowly into broad, flat ridges that are covered with thin reddish-brown scales. The tree usually grows to 70-80 feet in height with a trunk 2-3 feet in diameter. It may reach 100 feet in height; some trees have attained 150 feet in height and 5 feet in diameter. Red Pine has a tall, straight trunk and a symmetrical crown. The somewhat pendulous branches almost reach to the ground on smaller trees. This species is an important timber tree. The wood is hard, very closegrained, light, and quite strong. It is used among other things for construction, pilings, and flooring.
Sugar Pine is the largest of our Pine trees. Old trees have been noted almost 250 feet high and 12 feet in diameter. Its cone is also the largest; almost two feet long when fully developed. It is found only in Oregon and California, with 80 percent of the stand in California. The best development is on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada and a part of the California coastal range.
The wood is used to a great extent for planing mill productsofall kinds, but is best known to woodworkers as a pattern lumber. The texture is fine, soft and uniform andthe wood is unusually responsive to carving tools. The sharpest andmost intricate detail can be executedcleanly and rapidly by a skillful pattern maker Relative freedom from dimensional change in the completed pattern adds greatly to the value of Sugar Pine for both patterns and models.
The knots in Sugar Pine are usually large and coarse, unsuited for Knotty Pine wall paneling. Low grades are used for light construction, sub-flooring and the like; boxes, crates, etc.
The heartwood is light tan or brown; sapwood white. Sugar Pine is one of the true White Pines and offers a considerable degree of durability when exposed to decay.
Virginia Pine needles are 1-1/2 - 3 inches long, stout. ciray-green, marked with many fine whitish lines (of stomata), and in bundles of 2. Cones are dark reddish-brown, ovoid, lustrous, 1-1 /2 - 2-1/2 inches long, and armed with a sharp spine at the tip of each scale. VirginiaPine is a small tree, 30-40 feet tall, with a trunk rarely more than 18 inches in diameter. The long horizontal branches often droop to form a rather open, ragged, flat-topped crown. The seeds are eaten by wild turkeys, squirrels, and some songbirds.
Properties - The woods of the southern Pines share many common properties. They are classed as moderately heavy, moderately hard, moderately strong, stiff, and moderately shock resistant. Heartwood is moderatelyresistant to decay. All southern Pines have moderately large shrinkage when drying but stay in place well after they are seasoned. In nail-withdrawal resistance, they rank above Hemlock, Spruce, and Douglas fir.
Uses - Southern Pine is used mainly for building materials such as framing, sash, sheathing, subflooring joists, and interior finish. As a result of techniques developed in recent years, much southern Pine is cut into veneers for use in construction plywood. It is also used for boxes, crates, caskets, interior parts of furniture, woodenware, and novelties. Considerable amounts go into poles, pilings, crossties, and mine timbers. Much southern Pine is cut for pulpwood. Southern Pines are used for obtaining wood turpentine, tar, and tar oils through the distillation process.
Loblolly Pine needles are in clusters of 3, slender, stiff, 6-9 inches long, pale green, and deciduous during the third season. The oblong cones are 2-6 inches long, light reddish-brown, and armed with a spine at the tip of each scale. Cones drop their seeds in autumn and winter, remaining on the tree for another year. The bark of Loblolly Pine is thick, bright reddish-brown, and divided by shallow fissures into broad, flat-topped plates covered with thin scales. The tree often reaches 100 feet in height on a good site, with trunk diameter of 2-3 feet. It has a tall, straight trunk. The short, thick branches are much divided, the lower ones on older trees drooping while the upper ones grow upward. The crown is usually compact and round-topped. Loblolly is considered the principal commercial Pine species of the southeastern states because of its wide range, abundance, and adaptability to a variety of sites. It is often called "old field Pine" because it seeds into openings very readily. Loblolly seeds are eaten by wild turkeys, squirrels, and some songbirds.
Longleaf Pine is appropriately named for its long, lustrous, drooping, brightgreen needles. The needles are 8-18 inches long, and in 3-leaved clusters (sometimes 5-leaved) crowded into dense tufts toward the end of the stout branches. In spring, the large, silverywhite, lustrous buds (called "candies") make Longleaf Pine easily recognized among other forest trees. The cone is the largest of the southern Pines, being 6-10 inches long. Cone scales are tipped with spines. The thick bark of mature trees in orange-brown or reddish-brown, and separated into large plates with papery scales. The tree is commonly 100-120 feet in height on favorable sites, with trunk diameters of 2 - 2-1/2 feet. It has a tall, straight trunk, and an irregular crown made up of stout, heavy, gnarled or twisted branches. Longleaf Is used, along with Slash Pine, for commercial production of naval stores. The seeds are a favorite source of food for wild turkey and fox squirrels. Hogs root up seedlings and sat bark and soft wood of the tap root.
Pond Pine needles are in clusters of 3 (occasionally 4), slender, dark yellowgreen, flexible, 6-8 inches long, and deciduous in their third and fourth years. The broadly-oval cones can be either pointed or rounded at the end; they are 2 - 2-1/2 inches long, and light yellow-brown at maturity. Scales on the cones are flattened, and each is tipped with a slender, mostly deciduous prickle. Cones remain closed for 1-2 years after maturing, and are persistent on the branches for many years. Bark of Pond Pine is dark reddish-brown, divided by narrow, shallow fissures into small, scaly plates. Pond Pine prefers moist-to-wet sites such as those near marshes, swamps, and interstream areas with poor drainage. The tree grows to 70 feet in height with a short trunk about 2 feet In diameter. The wood is very resinous and heavy; used for lumber and pulpwood.
Sand Pine is almost entirely a Florida species. Its largest concentration is in a 280,000-acre block in north-central Florida, where it forms an almost pure forest known as the "Big Scrub." As its name suggests, Sand Pine grows on soils composed of almost pure sand. Its needles are dark green, flexible, slender, 2- 3-1/2 inches long, deciduous during their third and fourth years, and occur in 2-leaved bundles. The cones are oval-to-conical in shape, 2 - 3-1/2 inches long, short-stalked or without stalks, and armed with a short prickle at the tip of each scale. Sand Pine cones may remain unopened for years, sometimes until the tissue of branches grows up around and covers them. Sand Pine is a small, scrubby tree, generally 15-20 feet tall with poor form. Exceptional individuals may reach 75 feet in height. Sand Pine wood is used mostly for pulpwood.
Shortleaf Pine needles are 3-5 inches long, slender, flexible, dark green, in clusters of 2 or 3. Needles begin dropping at the end of the second season, with some remaining until the fifth year. The symmetrical cones are ovoid, short-stalked, 1-1/2 - 2-1/2 inches long, and armed with a short spine at the tip of each scale. The bark is broken into irregularly-shaped plates that are covered with thin, reddish scales. The tree grows to 80-100 feet on good sites, with diameters of 2-3 feet. The comparatively slender branches form a loose, pyramidal crown. Seeds are eaten by wild turkey, squirrels, and some songbirds.
Slash Pine is one of the most important Pines of southeastern United States, and one of the two species yielding commercial quantities of naval stores. The common name comes from the turpentine fare, of "slash" cut into the bark to collect the resinous sap. Needles of Slash Pine are dark green and lustrous, 8-12 inches long, and grow In 2-leiived or 3-leaved clusters. The short-stalked cones are 3-6 inches long, pendant, ovoid, and have thin, flat, flexible scales, each tipped with a small spine. The bark is gray to reddish-brown, rough, separating on the surface into large, thin scales. The tree commonly grows to 100 feet in height with a tall, straight, tapering trunk 2-3 feet in diameter. The stout horizontal branches form a handsome, round-topped crown. The wood is heavy and hard, strong, durable, and stiff. Seeds are eaten by wild turkey, squirrels, and some songbirds.
"Typical" Slash Pine has the scientific name Pinus elliottil var. elliottil. Another variety grows from central Florida south to the lower Florida Keys. Its name is Pinus elliottii var. densa.
Spruce Pine needles are dark green, soft, slender, 1-1/2 - 3 inches long, deciduous between the second and third years, and grow in 2-leaved bundles. The oval-to-round cone occurs in clusters of 2 or 3, or occasionally singly. Cones are 1/2-2 inches long, short-stalked, reddish-brown, lustrous, and armed with a tiny prickle at the tip of each scale. The bark of upper trunks and on young trees is smooth, pale gray. On old stems it becomes dark gray to black, irregularly divided into connected, scaly ridges. The tree frequently reaches about 70 feet in height with a straight trunk about 2 feet in diameter that may be free of branches for 20-30 feet from the ground.
Table-Mountain Pine needles are rigid, usually twisted, dark bluishgreen, crowded in clusters, 1-1/2 2-1/2 inches long, deciduous in their second and third years, and in 2-leaved bundles. The cones are 2-1 / 2 - 3 inches long, in clusters of 3 or 4 (sometimes more), light brown, lustrous when ripe, and armed with a stout hooked spine at the tip of each scale. Cones have a very knobby appearance. They may open and shed seeds as soon as they ripen or remain closed on the tree for 2-3 years or longer. The thick bark is separated into irregular plates on the lower part of the trunk, the surface of the plates covered with thin, loose, dark-brown scales that are tinged with red. The tree is commonly around 60 feet tall in forest stands, with trunk diameters of 2-3 feet. In the open, the tree is 20-30 feet tall with a short trunk and spreading, irregular crown.
General Characteristics: Soft, light in weight. There is considerable variation in the texture and density of Redwood, but in the main it is fine-textured and even in grain. Very easy to work; seasons slowly but is relatively insusceptible to dimensional change resulting from varying moisture conditions after it is properly seasoned. One of the most durable of all softwoods. Free from resin; takes and holds paint well. Tree is Evergreen; wood nonporous. Color of heartwood cherry-red to reddish brown, very low luster; sapwood off-white, annual growth visible.
There are two of the giant Sequoias, the one we know as Redwood and the big tree (Sequoia gigantea). The big tree no longer is cut for lumber, as the old trees are protected. It grows In a few scattered groves of a few hundred to several thousand trees each at 5000 to 8500 feet above sea level on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in central California. The Redwood is found in a narrow strip along the Pacific Coast from southwestern Oregon about 500 miles into California.
The Sequoias are among the most interesting of our native trees. So far as is known, none has ever died of old age. They can be destroyed by fire or felled by storms. Their huge bulk may become out of balance through lopsided growth, so that the tree is easily undermined and overturned. Except for the limitations placed upon them because of their bulk, they presumably would live forever.
The Redwood at maturity is a little taller than the big tree, while the latter surpasses the Redwood in bulk. Large Redwoods may be up to 350 feet high and 25 feet in diameter; large big trees somewhat shorter but up to 30 feet in diameter. The famous naturalist, John Muir, once counted the annual rings of a big tree which he believed to be over 4000 years old.
Redwood lumber is valuable for many purposes, its relative weakness making it unsuitable for some uses for which it would otherwise be admirably adapted. Compared to its weight, however, the wood is very strong. Its greatest strength is evidenced in endwise compression, so that in heavy construction it is more suitable for columns than for heavy beans. Redwood can be employed in almost every part of a house, but it is best suited for those parts which may be exposed to decay. For all exterior parts, and for pergolas, trellises, greenhouses and fences, Redwood is without a peer. Among its many uses are: caskets, tanks, silos, beekeepers' supplies, flumes, bridge timbers, general millwork, furniture, water towers, etc. When first exposed to water, some of the coloring matter leaches out, interferlng with its use for some purposes.
The Redwood sometimes produces burls of extraordinary size, which may be up to six feet in diameter. These may be sawed into lumber or sliced into veneers. Small, freshly cut burls are sold for sprouting; they develop into fern-like bouquets when placed in water. Occasional trees may produce highly figured curly grain, once highly prized.
General Characteristics: Soft and relatively weak, although strength, especially of Sitka, is good in comparison to weight. Machining qualities of Eastern and Engelmann Spruce fair; of Sitka Spruce poor. Stability excellent. Tree is Evergreen; wood non-porous. Texture uniform, annual growth visible but not conspicuous. Color of heartwood very light tan to very light reddish brown, sapwood off-white to white, not strongly demarcated from heartwood.
All the Spruces are members of the Pine family and are close relatives of the Firs. The trees are noted for their beauty; many are cultivated for park and lawn landscaping.
Black Spruce has blue-green needles that are rigid but blunt-tipped. Needles are 1/4 to 3/4-inch long, 4-Sided but somewhat rounder in cross-section than the Red Spruce or White Spruce. The cones are oval, pointed, 1/2 - I inch long, and persistent on the tree for sometimes as long as 20-30 years. Cone scales have rough margins. The tree is commonly 30-40 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 1-2 feet. Black Spruce is one of the most abundant conifers of northern North America. It prefers wetland sites such as bogs, muck-filled seepages, and edges of streams and swamps. The wood is light, soft, and not strong. It is used extensively for pulpwood.
Engelmann Spruce is a highly ornamental tree, but not of much commercial importance. It grows from 6000 to 12,000 feet above sea level, thus much of the timber is inaccessible. The wood machines cleanly and can be polished to high luster. It is relatively weak, however, and is mostly suitable for general carpentry, cabinet making and light construction.
Engelmann Spruce is a feature of the high Rocky Mountains from the Yukon to Arizona. About half of the stand is in Colorado. Most of the lumber cut is in Colorado, Montana and Idaho.
Red Spruce leaves are yellowgreen, 1/2 - 5/8 inch long, rather bluntly-pointed, and lustrous. Cones are 1-1/4 - 2 inches long, with scales that are smooth-margined. Cones are light reddish-brown and lustrous when mature. Cones begin to fall as soon as they ripen, and are all off the tree by the following summer. The tree grows to 60-70 feet in height with trunk diameters of 1-2 feet. The dark brown to gray bark is broken into irregularly shaped scales, with the reddish inner bark showing between. Red Spruce attains its best development in the higher parts of the southern Appalachian mountains.
Where White, Red and Black Spruce grow together, they are mixed in cutting and marketed simply as eastern Spruce. The wood is useful for a great many articles of utility. It is good for general carpentry, crates, canoe paddies, ladder rails, planing mill products and light construction. Red Spruce is used in organ pipes and sounding boards of musical instruments. The most important commercial use of the Spruces is as pulp wood. It is considered the most desirable wood for that purpose.
The distribution of Sitka Spruce is along the coastal region from Alaska to Cape Mendocino, California. It is the most important timber tree of Alaska, where it is extensively used for general construction. This is the species which produced spar stock and other parts for wooden aircraft. It is suitable for planing mill products and in general may be used for any of the purposes to which a softwood is adapted. It is an excellent material for ladder rails, combining sufficient strength with light weight. One of the obstacles to the use of Sitka Spruce in fine cabinet work is its poor machining qualities, It is inclined to exhibit a certain amount of torn grain unless run on very high speed equipment. This can be removed by sanding but is troublesome.
White Spruce leaves are crowded on the upper side of the branches by the twisting upward of the needles on the lower side. Needles are 3/4 - 1 inch long, and bluntly pointed. Cones are usually about 2 inches long, becoming pale brown and lustrous when mature. Cone scales are flexible and smoothmargined. Cones fall soon after they ripen in autumn, rarely persisting through the winter. The tree grows 60-75 feet tall with trunk diameter of 2 feet. Foliage of White Spruce has a somewhat disagreeable odor when crushed. The wood is used for pulpwood, interior trim, and interior parts of furniture.
Tamarack has one of the widest ranges of all American conifers. Its
needles are deciduous, 3/4 - 1-1/4 inches long, soft, flat, and roughly triangular in
cross-section. They turn yellow and drop in September or October. Leaves are borne singly
or alternate,but often form brush clusters at the tips of short spur shoots. Cones
areroughly rounded-oval, 1/2-3/4 inch long, with about 20 scales that are longer than
broad. The tree is 40-80 feet tall with trunk diameter of about two feet. It is most
commonly found on moist organic soils such as those in swamps and muskegs. Tamarack often
has a narrow pyramidal shape in forest stands, but develops a broad picturesque head in
open area. Bark is thin, bright reddish-brown to gray, and scaly. The wood is hard, heavy,
durable and strong, but difficult to work with tools. It is used for posts, poles, ties,
and as construction lumber.
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