The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-05
names OF WOODS
OF [ N CONFUSED \
Proper Identification a Matter Of
Great Importance to Builders
and Others.
HAVE DIFFERENT
NAMES
Same Tree Called BY Different
Same Tree Called by Various
Names in the Several
Times Dispatch Bureau.
Munsey Building,


3 ~ washington, ID u, July Sc N
The proper Identification of woods !.
4 subject which might not strike the
average reader rs being one of special
Importance, but the builder. persons
having buildings erected, proprietort
81 of wood working concerns. contractors
and others realize that it is one OF very
q great Importance to them.
When mistakes are made in the iden-
LITIGATION of wood for building pur-
poses, much embarrassment and trou-
u HE often result. Architects. builders,
3 and other users of lumber find that the
situation is growing worse each year,
because many of the kinds of lumber
formerly in heavy supply are Tow
growing scarce. and substitutes are
h gradually taking their places. To meet
this one demand Of Identification of
trees by wood structure. the govern
1nent has established laboratory
Il which renders free service to all users
of timber. This laboratory is in charge
81 of a trained tlendrologist of the United
States Forest Service. whose prompt
advice may be had by architects. build
ers and other wood users who send
specimens Of woods for examination adj
dressed to the Forester at Washington.
Bca. Different: Names.
II Is remarkable how woods bear DIFF
ferent names In different sections of
the country. AS Chief Forester Plnchot
remarked recently. some kinds of trees
+ have as many aliases IS the criminal
with the longest police court record.
The trouble is almost always over
what the botanist calls the specific
name. 1t is easy enough to tell an oak
from a maple, and there ought not to
be much uncertainty-though there
often is--as to whether tree is pine
& or a spruce. But oak. maple. pine and
spruce iare generic names, and each
genus includes a number of species.
Here begins confusion which often
approaches chaos.
Not only do different localities apply
different names to the same species
and the same name to different species:
g in the same locality several different
names may be used for single species.
Very likely with false distinctions
where no botanical basisffor distinc-
ton exists For instance, certain
oak often called both black and yellow
oak. used to be split into handmade
@lath in early days, and hence got also
the name of Hath oak: but since to
make good iath a straight-grained
tree was needed. some woodsmen think
that a black oak, such as the lath-
maker would have selected by its looks.
Is n Inherent KIND or tree from other
black oaks. Black oak is also used as
a sub generic term for all the many
kinds of oak which. unlike the white
oaks have leaves with bristle-tipped
lobes. and take two years to mature
their acorns.
Mnnt Kinds of Oaks.
VII Inds<l the local names given to the
forty-seven different oaks which form
forest trees in the United States are
almost without Limit. The true white
& oak, however, the noblest tree of the
oak tribe, seems to have no nickname
Z except in Arkansas, where 1t is occa-
q sionally known as stave oak But a
good many other kinds are also called
white oak
{ss What is called black locust in Penn
4 sylvania is yellow locust in Massachll-
i tets white locust in New York. red
locust In one part of Tennessee and
green in another. In Maine 1t is simply
3 locust in Louisiana acacia, in Mime
& sofa honey locust. and in Maryland
post locust These many names over
lap and are .2ot strictly separated by
State lines. On the other hand, the
true honey locust (Which belongs to an
altogether distinct genus from the
black locusD is known also as black
) locust sweet1 locust, thorn locust. To-