Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1894 — Curiosities About Wood. [ARTICLE]

Curiosities About Wood.

The strongest wood which grows within tho limits of the United States is that known as “nutmeg” hickory, which flourishes on the lower Arkansas river. The most olastlc Sa tamarack, the black, or shelbark, standing not far below. Tho wood with the least elasticity and lowest specific gravity is tho Flscus aurea. Tho wood of tho highest specific gravity is tho blue wood of Tdxas and Mexico. The heaviest of tho foreign woods aro tho pomegranate and the lignum vitae; the lightest, cork. The tonsils strength of the best-known woods is sot forth In the following, the words “tensile strength” moaning tho weight of power required to tear asunder ono square inch of each: Ash, 14,200 pounds; beech, 11,500; cedar, 14,400; chestnut, 10,500; cypress, 0,000; elm, 111,400; fir, 12,000; lance, 28,000; lignum vitae, 11,800; locust, 20.500; mahogany, ill,000; maple, 10,1)00; American white pak, 11,500; pear, 9,800; pltdi pine, 12,000; larch, 9,500; jiofdar!' 7,000: spruce, 10.290; teak, 14,000; ffafnut, 7,800; willow, 18,000. *+ The weight in pounds per square foot (without fractions) of the wellknown woods (dry) Is as fallows: Butternut, 25; cedar, 85; chorry, 44; chestnut, 88; cork, 15; dogwood, 47; ebony, 88; box eldor, 48; olm, 41; blue gum, 52; water gum, 62; whito hickory, 49; shellbark hickory, 48; holly, 47; juniper, 85; lancewood, 45; larch, 84; basswood or linn, 87; mahogany, 6(5; hard maple, 46; white maple, 84; mulberry, 85; white oak, 58; persimmon, 44; pear, 41; pitch pine, 41; rod pine, 86; whito pine, 84; yellow pine, 88; plum, 49; poplar, 88; spruce, 81; sycamore, 88; tamarack, 28; black walnut, 41; white walnut, 82; the willows, from 80 to 86, and the yew, 49. Four hundred and thirteen different species of trees grow in the different States and Territories, and of this number, 16, when perfectly seasoned, will sink in water. These woods of high specific gravity grow mostly in tho arid regions of New Mexicpi Arizona and Nevada.—[St. Louis Republic.