The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-01-17
The LOBLOLLy PINE.
An Interesting + port Concerning
Recent Tests.

The forest service department. OF
agriculture has just rendered an III
teresting report concerning tests re-
Gently made at a large saw mill near
Charleston, to determine the strength
OF lob!olly pine. The Company oper-
atinV the mill has under its control
about -, 900 acres Of loblolly pine land
and 1t was through their If 'rts that
the department has been making the
tests menUiGGed.
Tnis timber which is known on the
local market IS North Carolina pine,
forms the greater cart Of the lum-
Der OFT at this mill. The loblolly pine
forms q useful construction timber
Of moderate strength, it is Of very
rapid growth and reproduces readily.
For these reasons it will remain one
OF the most important timber trees
in the South. Correct data on it's
strength will be OF permanent value.
It is found much more convenient
to take the testing machine to the
mill instead Of bringing the large
sticks OF timber to the laboratory from
the mill. The condition to which the
stock CT timber is subj .cted after be-
ing cut in the forest determine to some
degree how it will act when put in
use where it will have to carry a load
or bear q strain. It sometimes be-.
comes an important matter to know
the history OF the sticks tested. The
logs from which it is desired to cut
the test pieces, can be selected IN the
forest, marked and subsequently iden.
titled at the leg pond. a concise his
tory CT each log IS kept, showing the
location Of tie tree in the forest, the
kind Of soil in which itgrew, the time
OF cutting, and the length OF the time
the leg lies in the water. On arriving
at the mill, the log is sawed any way
desired, and can then be tested short
ly after coming from the saw OF laid
aside Tor the purpose OF air drying or
kiln drying before testing. Every step
Of Importance IN the life OF the log
after cutting is thus known, and many
pecularlties which arise in the be-
havtor OF sticks when tested can be
explained.
The testing machine is set up In the
mill and driven by the mill machinery.
The sawyer in the mill saws exactly
the kind OF sticks desired, and the
pieces intended for test are sent di.
rectly to the testing machi-e.
The plan OF work at Charleston In.
cluded Investigations to determine
the feet OF knots on the strength OF
the timber; tie relative strength OF
air dried and kiln dried timber; the
# CT OF rate OF growth upon the
st1ergtl the Influence OF the relative
strength OF sap and heart wood, and
the influence on the strength OF the
mnthcd Of saving.
Judging from the Inquiries received
in the service, a widespread interest
is manifested in this line OF work, and
without doubt many questions yet
undecided will be definitely answered
on the com mpletion Ct the tests. The
Specifications fur instance under
which engineers and architects re.
ceive joists are very imperfect because
no one knows the exact degree OF
weakening which arises from the
presence Of knots Of various sizes and
kinds In the joists. Again there Is q
common prejudice against sar
wood on account OF the suppose weak
ness.
The experiments now going on are
most important and interesting to
lumber men and builders generally,
and will be carried on yet for some
time.