The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-13

The lumber industry of the country has been provided with much valua- ble information by the investigations which have been made through the scientific study of many species of trees, against the use of which there has been a prejudice for one reason or other, and from an economic stand point this is one of the most impor- tant phases of the forest work of the government
 The latest discoveries of valuable qualities in a former neglected species resulted after an investigation of the red gum, sometimes commercially called satin walnut" which finds it's home in the hardwood bottom lands and drier swamps of the South, in mixture with ash, cottonwood and oak. This tree is one of the common est timber trees of the South, reach ing it's best development in the deep, rich soil of the bottoms, where it of- ten attains a height of 150 feet and a diameter of five feet. Were red gum imported from a distance and obtain able only at a high price, -itN prooa- bly would be used extensively in the manufacture of furniture, cabinet work. and interior finishing, but being native wood and low in price, it has been discriminated against Gradual ly this objection Is being done away with, and the demand for red gum has increased very rapidly in the past few years.
 The best grades of red gum, clear heart, find a market almost exclusively in the export trade, though small amount is used in the United States for inside finishing. Practically sev- enty-five per cent of the clear heart gum lumber cut in this country is ex- ported for use in England France and Germany, for the manufacture of fur niture, inside trimmingA\ \newel posts and stair railings. The commoner grades of red gum are used in the United States for cheap furniture, desks the, better grade of boxes and number of novelties The poorest grade goes into boxes, barrels and other articles for which short. narrow boards can be used The inner DOT tion of the hearts of the trees, which are of little value for boards on ac- count of shakes and other defects. are usually sawed into two by four to two by twelve, and sometimes six by six and six by eight inch building timbers These timbers have small values in the large markets. but near the mills the local trade exhausts the supply.
 Slack Barrels.
 For the manufacture of slack bar rels red gum is one of the most inn portant woods in the country, ranking second to elm, both as stave and a heading wood. Up to the year 1900, elm and a little cottonwood were used for this purpose, but with the advance in price of these woods sub- stitute had to be found, and red gum, owing to its cheapnesA was experi- mented with and found quite satis- factory.
 The chief objection to red gum is its strong tendency to warp and twist. This can be entirely overcome by proper handling. Were the timber of high price this difficulty would have been considered and overcome long ago and the wood used, but on ac- count of its abundance and cheapness, very few operators have turned their attention to solving the problem.
 The preparation of red gum lumber for any purpose sh ould begin when the tree is felled. To guard against stain ing and warping. 1t is handled in much the same way as other woods, hut with the important difference that the piles are narrower, so that the air may circulate freely and thus pre- vent fermentation of the sap, and that the cross sticks must be placed close together. It has also been found well to place weights on the cars of red gum when they are sent to the Kiln. Every manufacturer of high grade furniture and trim knows, that to se- cure the best possible results. the ma