The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-10-28
The Relative value of Woods.


i The time has already arrive,
when a more thorough and intelli
gent investigation into the nature Q
the various woods of our native for
ests and their adaptabilitv to tn
different uses wherein timber is ad
vantageous would prove extremel,
valuable. 1t is indeed strange tina
the research in this direction shouls
be SO meagre, SO narrow, and discon
nected. There has never been any
wide and systematic investigation o
the relative qualities of the differen
species of timber and a comparatiy,
summing up of the same. The met
ais and stones have been exhaustive
ly studied, but we are without any
comprehensive or authoritative infor
nation concerning our timbers. Pm
vate investigations have been made
in d small way and under differing
circumstances which leaves the re.
suit obtained at variance. 1t is as
tonisbing how few, even among
those who should know every phase
OF the subject, really possess any
knowledge on the subject beyond
the mere fact that for certain pur-
poses certain woods ore used with
good results. The information OF
commerce, and, indeed. OF manu-
facture also, on such subjects, is al
together traditional. Certain
growths are used thus because they
were found to suit the pupose long
ago, and there has been, and is, a
remarkable antipathy to trying ex-
periments to see if something else
which might be had tor much less
money would not serve as well.
Blessed with magnificent forests,
the people of this country have new
er been obliged to economic in this
direction. That which was known
to be good was so cheap that there
was little present incentive to seek
anything else, and it has not occur
red that provision should be made
for the future. The good timber, SO
considered, was used lavishly, and
that which was tried by some anti
quated farmer of a remote genera
ton in the worm fence or some
equally decisive test and found
wanting was destroyed wholesale. A
tim Der thus found wanting in one
thing was condemned for all, and a
prejudice difficult to combat grew
up on the subject. From time to
time it has occurred to men that as
certain characteristics untitled giv-
en- timber for one set of uses they
might not unfit for, or might even
make it especially suited to, other
purposes. Such things are known
to be true OF the metals-of almost
every material, in fact, known to the
world. The results of personal in
vestigation have been uniformly
convincing that the so-called inferior
woods were only inferior for certain
purposes, and that every species was
capable OF profitable use in some
one or more of the fields of construc-
ton or manufacture. The rotting
qualities of certain woods for which
they have been condemned were
found to exist only under certain
conditions which could be guarded
against by removal from damp, by
immersion in water, by saving thin,
and a variety of other means. Ger
tain woods, as the hard maple, which
possesses little market value has
been found to resist wear much bet.
ter than the woods hitherto most ia
vored for that purpose. The tenden-
cies of other trees TO twist and wasp
has been found easy of remedv in
woods supposed to possess no great
beauty of grain. Condemned trees,
as the sweet gum, have proved them
selves susceptible of high polish,
and weather boarding and fencing
(off the ground) once securely on
have worn with pine or poplar. This
country is secured over for stave
timber. and yet the red oak has
never been tried for the purpose,
simply because it was not the habit
to make slaves out of red oak. No
other reason why it should not be
SO used has thus far been adduced.
Millions of feet of swamp oak are
yearly destroyed. Straight grained,
clear of knots, large in diameter,
dense, and tough, it splits easy,
makes superior clap-boards, and in
a floor gives up grease and stains
like marble, yet it is unknown to
Thus the catalogue of native trees
might be run through, and the read
er would wonder at how few of them
haze been decreed valuable. But
we are nearing a time when this
must change; when timber will be
scarce, and the people will awaken
to the enormity of the sin of de-
the woods now considered
useless. There is in accurate and
investigation of this SUBJ
ject a rich field for some mans am
bition.