Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-03-09
TUPELO SEASONING.
Experiments Designed to List
Another Southern Wood.

!, oNSCidi IduSSS nave Oh laSt
brought tupelo into more pTomi
nence than it formerly enjoyed.
Tue first of these is the genera
need ST utilizing all possible
species, which is introducing
upon the market various tree.
which had no standing SO long
as the better xnown kinds were
freely obeainable. A second
cause IS that the tree is found in
good quantity in mixture with
tcypress, which is now receiving
SO much attention from lnm Der.
men, and the costs of numbering
cypress are SO heavy that if tupelo
could be numbered with it at a
profit this would mean SO much
added return to the holder OF
cypress stumpage. The excel
lence OF the wood Of tupelo is
also in its favor, but hitherto this
has been Offset by the difficulties
encountered in handling the
lumber-dificulties which have
not been wholly overcome. In
this respect tupelo is much like
red gum, now a leading wood,
which found a ready market
only recently, after special study
had shown that right methods OF
handling obviated certain defects.
Tupelo received its scientific
name of Nyssa aquatica, or
water gum" because of it
ability to thrive in wet situations.
Like cypress, it is proof against
floods which would kill other
species. and its distribution coin
cldes very largely with that of
cypress. The best grades of the
wood are very similar to that of
yellow popular; they have
fine, uniform texture, are soft
and workable, and will take stain
we'll. Such qualities signify a
usefulness which must lend the
wood increased market value if
its tendency to warp, twist, and
''stick rot" during seasoning can
be controlled. Up to the
present, however. the require
ments of tupelo in seasoning
have been but little studied by
the manufacturers. 1t has not
received the degree OF attention
which is due to the wood of such
adaptability.
When lumber is piled for dry
ing, much depends upon the |
separation of the layers OF
'courses,' to allow the air to |
circulate. This is secured bv
inserting cross-sticks, which |
keep the boards from touching
one another. Many woods may
be piled with but little care and |
vet dry straight and sound, but
tupelo must be piled evenly and
so as to secure straignt-laid
boards, even at the cost of more
time and pains. It is common
practice to use for cross-sticks
wood which has been irregularly
SO that the boards are not
held fiat in the courses. Tupelo
will not dry we'll with this treat
ment. Furthermore, where the
cross-sticks rest on the boards,
tupelo is inclined to rot or stain,
and before air drying can be
brought to practical success this
difficulty must be overcome.
Kiln drying is, of course COM
monty used by manufacturers
Of cypress lumber, but tupeloI
1eeds a different treatment in
Kiln drying from the given
cypress, and cypress manufao-I
urers, sure of a market for their
cypress and with their kilns cou-
tsntly monopolized by it, have
title lnducement to experiment
With the less understood tupelo.
Nevertheless, altered kiln
rying methods will doubtless be
lsed for tupelo in due time.
In the effort to improve both
he air drying and kiln dryingl
f tupelo, the Forest Service isl
experimenting to show how the
amber may best be handled.
here can be little doubt shat the
esults will add another tree to
1e list of southern species which
,ientihc treatment has placed