The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-03-05
HICKORY SUPPLY.
Closely Watched, As Present Cutting
Soon Exhaust Wood.

Soon Exhaust Wood
Automobile and carriage manufac-
turers, along with the men o. the allied
vehicle industries, are giving very Sc.
rious consideration to the question Of
the future supply Of hickory timber.
This wood, which is one Of the most I'M
portant Of all woods, since no salts
factory substitute for it has been founl,
plays a more important part among the
commercial tinbeTs than many people
realize
For automobile and carriage wheels,
whore strength, toughness. and resi-
liency are essential qualities. no other
wood has been found in his country
that win take tie place q hickory
Manufacturers say that no ste, or wire
spoke has been found that v I with
stand the wear and tear IF the hicioy
spoke ANA for this reason the welfare
III tbc vehicle industry seems depend
ent upon The conservation Of the hick
Dry supply
Three Of The largest associations u
hickory users in tue country, the Ma.
tional Wagon Manufacturers association
Of America, the Carriage Builders Ma.
tional association. and the National
Hickory association have completed
series of cooperative tests with the
United States Forest service and the
trasPe considers the results highly i'm
partant The tests covered a close
study Of the properties OF different
woods used IN vehicles and implements,
supplemented BY mechanical tests to as
Ell tain the relative strength Of differ.
ant strength Of different woods and lit
ferent forms Of construction and to test
tile accuracy If the present system 0f
grading.
In report of TIE tests made by FL b.
Iiolr0yd, forest assistant, and ~ NJ.
BETA, engineer ii timber tests, Of the
Forest Service. tie fact + brought out
that there il an error at over 80 per
cent. IN the grading Of vehicle stock dua
largely to the prejudice Of the manu-
lecturer against the use Of red hickory.
/. Is SHOWN that in clear stock, weigh.
for weight, the red hickory IS as strong
as the white. By bringing this fact to
the attention of the manufacturers, Il i
hoped that much OF Tie hickory which
vas formerly left as waste in the woods
viii be utilized BIZ the trade and thus
prolong the rapidly disappearing supply
% hickory.
Such practical results as are given IN
the report, whicR q letter to the Forest
Service at Washington viii secure for
any one who wishes IL show conclusive
~ the value of such studies IN solving
problems connected with the grading
81 stock, the utilization 81 new for ola
woods, and the conserving of our future
supply Of timber. The supply Of good
hickory IN tile United States is known to
be very limited. The cut last year for
humber was a little less than $50 mill
lion feet, and it Is estimated an even
greater amount was used fof automo-
bile and carriage wheels. axle caps, gears
aNles, poles, single trees and neck yokes,
and it il figured that at the present rate
of cutting the supply win last about Is
years
Reports are made from time TO time
OF the discovery of suitable substitutes
for hickory in foreign countries The
two woods which come nearest to hay
ing the quality Of the hickory seem to
b one Of the eucalyptus and the crow
foot elm. both Of Australia. Only time
will tell whether these woods viii prove
satisfactory substitutes. III the mean
while, American hickory users will Ne
Obliged to conserve the present supply
and take steps to guarantee a future
supply by encouraging private planting
of the tree, whose wood is becoming
more precious each year