Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-10-05

The Shoe and Leather Reporter has an
interesting article on the value and uses of
hemlock timber and the limit of hemlock
bark, etc. 1t says that hemlock. like all
other timber, if exposed to wet and dry
atmosphere alternately, will decay in the
parts thus exposed
The life of the hemlock, under these con-
ditions is not beyond eight or ten years.
But the Sunbury * Erie railroad. which was
constructed about eighteen years ago. used
'sapling" hemlock very largely for its ties.
and many of them still remain in the road
bed. Because this wood does not hold the
spikes as well as oak and chestnut in part
accounts for its non-use in modern railroads
For this reason too, are pine and spruce re
jected. 1t is claimed that when this wood
is kyanized with tannin, it will last as long
as oak or chestnut for bridges or ties.
As finishing wood for ceiling and floor
ing, hemlock is subject to this objection
1t will splinter when roughly used, as in
kitchen floors, but when covered with car
peting on bedrooms or parlors it will give
perfect satisfaction Many of the best hotels
and dwellings of Philadelphia and Baltimore.
as well as other cities of our Central States,
are floored with white hemlock flooring. and
it gives general satisfaction. For siding
when covered with paint, it answers a good
purpose. When not so covered it is insult
ed, as, indeed, few woods are capable of
standing our climate unprotected with paint
Wherever hemlock is used in contrast
with spruce or pine in dry structures, such
as dwellings, barns sheds, etc, it will be
found in all respects as lasting as these
woods, and by reason of the exemption of
this wood from black knots. it cuts UP" to
much better advantage that is, less waste.
than either of these more pretentious and
expensive woods. 1t is today the wood, in
most cases, men use in all the Northern
States, including Canada.
Until within a short period hemock has
not been considered suitable for "pulping'
but recent experiments have demonstrated
that hemlock will make good pulp for paper
makers While it is claimed that the per.
centage of product is not as large as from
some other woods, the quality is equally as
good. Recently a sample of hemlock was
taken to France and the chemist and pulp
maker has sent back, as the result of his
experiment, sample of pulp quite equal to
the best that is made
Hemlock bark is conceded the leading tan
ming bark of the country 1t is usually
worth from s. to 50 per cord or ton of 22O0
pounds, at the nearest places of delivery.
to great distances by rail it is worth the
freight additional, as for instance, at Bos-
ton and Chicago it sells from IS to % per
ton or cord.
The hemlock tree does not reproduce it
self. When the land is once cleared of
these trees, beech, birch, maple and chest.
nut come in their place. This fact has Civ
en- rise to the frequently expressed opinion
that very soon must look to other SQUIRE
es for our tanning material. OF course.
under these circumstances, il is safe to pre-
dict that at some future period there will he
no supply Of hemlock bark for tanners hut
when asked to say how long the supply will
last at the rate we are now consuming it, it
is safe to say that the child is not born that
will see the end of the supply
The final extinction of the hemlock for
ests will, Of course, present fruitful theme
OF speculation, for, as stated, it does not
reproduce itself but when we consider
that other states besides PENNSYLVANIA can
be relied upon for a considerable amount of
this lumber and bark, it seems quite un-
necessary for us to make ourselves unhappy
over the problem of final extinction.
Besides, within a few years it has been
discovered that each oak aud chestnut tree
VIII yield as much tannin in its wood as its
bark. This is a French discovery, and is
now making practical Roadway in this coun-
try. II this discovery proves reliable, as
there seems no doubt it will then we may
fall back ON the old ground which the tan
ners have gone over 80 years ago and re
build our tanneries in the old states of New
England and New York, and make leather
quite independent of hemlock. But what
shall we do for the servceahle and cheap
hemlock lumber Iron will take its place.
as indeed it is already doing in measure.
The writer was evidently not acquainted
with the habits of the hemlock IN northern
New York and New England, or he would
never have entertained the idea that this
tree does not reproduce itself Here no
tree is more likely TO spring up and grow
spontaneously. Dense groves of young
hemlock are common everywhere In
many places, if not cut away often, the
young trees soon overgrow the pastures
II allowed to stand, they grow into dense
thickets, killing out other trees. In time
the lower limbs, which at first grow close
10 the ground being excluded from the di-
rect light of the suns rays, decay and fall
of. The top shoots up towards the light,
making slender stem or trunk-the hem
lock pole which is used in mendmg fences
We have in mind a growth of hemlock GOV
ering several acres, tall trees with straight
trunks, free from large limbs 30 to 80 feet
from the ground, Twenty-Five years ago
these trees were of a size suitable for fenc-
ing poles