The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-06-12
x x x x Y x x x x x x x x =
K INCREASING USE OF RED. I;
x GUM FOR CABINET WOOD !;
Z :; Z Z x x < < < x x z Z x

The lumber industry of the country
has been provided with much valua-
Bile 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
standpoint this is one of the most
important phases of the forest work
of the government.
The latest discoveries of valuable
qualities in a former neglected spe-
cies resulted after an investigation of
the red gum, sometimes commercially
called satin walnut which finds its
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 its best development in the deep
rich soil of the bottoms, where il of
ten attains height of $50 feet and
a diameter of five feet. Were red
gum imported from a distance and
obtainable only at a high price, it
probably would be used extensively in
the manufacture of furniture, cabinet
work, and interior finishing but be-
ing a native wood and low in price, it
has been Disseminated against.
Gradually 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 exclus-
lively in the export trade, though
small amount is used in the United
States for inside finishing. Practical
ly seVenty-five per cent of the clear
heart gum lumber cut in this country
is exported for use in England France,
and Germany, for the manufacture
of furniture, inside trimmings, newell
posts and stair ratings. The COM
moner grades of red gum are used in
the United States for cheap furniture,
desks, the better grades of boxes, and
a number of novelties. The poorest
grade SOeS into boxes, barrels. and
other articles for which short, narrow
boards can be used. The inner portion
of the hearts of the trees, which are
of little value for boards on account
of shakes and other defects, are u.s.
usally sawed into two by four to two
by twelve, andsometimes six by six and
six by eight inch building tfmbers.
These timbers have small values in
the large markets, but near the mills
the local trade exhausts the supply.
For the manufacture of slack bar
rels red gum is one of the most i'm
pOrtant woods in the country, rank
ing second to elm, both as stave and
a heading wood. Up to the year 1900,
elm and little cottonwood were used
for this purpose, but with the advance
in price of these woods a substitute
had to be found, and red gum, owing
to its cheapness, was experimental
with and found quite satisfactory.
The chief objection to red gum is
its strong tendency to warp and twist.
This can be entirely overcome by
proper handling. Were the lumber
of high price this difficulty would
have been considered and overcome
long ago, and the wood used. but on
account of its abundance and cheap
ness, very few operators have turned
their attention to solving the prob
lem.
The preparation of red gum lumber
for any purpose should begin when
the tree is felled. To guard against
staining and warping. it is handled in
much the same way as other woods.
but with the important difference
that the piles are narrower, so that
4
thus prevent fermentation of the sap.
and that the cross sticks must be
placed close together. 1t has been
found well to place heavy weights on
the cars of red gum when they are
sent to the kiln. Every manufacture
er of high grade furniture and trim
knows that to secure the best possible
results, the material must be redried
when it reaches the factory. Some
large users of red gum reptile the
stock after it has been carried awhile
and bulk it down with cross sticks
every five or six layers, so as to
straighten out whatever twist there
may be in the boards. This practi-
cally assures the elimination of twist
ing and warping. 1t can be handled
in this way to much better advantage
where an effort is made to straighteI
it out by force, when cutting up the
stock and preparing it for use; for
when the pressure is applied gradual
ly, there is no loss by reason o.
breakage or splitting. After having
been dried and tempered in the ali
and then redried, it usually Loses
nearly all of its warping tendency
The cost of handling lumber in thi
manner is not great, and the good re
suits secured thereby more than pa,
for whatever outlay there may be
A plan, which many furnitur
manufacturers have followed to goo
advantage and employed where RET
gum, oak, mahogany, or other wood
are used, is to design the article il
such a manner that the wide piece
may be reinforced, and thus proven
any warping or other defects show
ing IN Instances have been known