KEY FOR IDENTIFICATION OF WOODS USED FOR BOX AND CRATE CONSTRUCTION Revised April 1942 No. LQ258 \i\ UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE FOREST PRODUCTS LABORATORY Madison, Wisconsin In Cooperation with the University of Wisconsin KEY r 0R THE IDENTIFICATION (Without the Aid of Hand Lens) OF WOODS USED FOB EOX AND CRATE CONSTRUCTION- S' ELOISE GERRY, Microscopist HARDWOODS Woods from broad-leaved trees Woods with pores or v essels , that is, cells larger than those surrounding then. I. Pores Present ; Sometimes not visible to the naked eye in certain difr'use porous woods in which, however, the distinct rays or lack of well- defined summerwood distinguish them from conifers. A. Ring-porous woods : The comparatively large s^ringwood pores are clearly visible especially in the sapwood at the beginning of each annual ring. Cn the end grain of a log these pores form distinct rings. The marked difference between springwood and summerwood is characteristic. Longitudinal surfaces appear coarse textured because of the large springwood pores which show as fine grooves or furrows often producing a characteristic figure. These woods are mostly heavy and occur in container wood groups III and IV. Chestnut, which is a ring-porous wood, is an exception; it is fairly light when seasoned and is classed in group I. 1, Summerwood figured with wavy or branched radial bands. (lands extend across the rings in the same direction as the rays. ) "Unless otherwise stated all observations of structure are .„ade on a smoothly cut cross section or end grain showing growth rings of average width. A sharp knife is indispensable, All color determinations should be made on a freshly cut l ongitudinal surface of the heartwood . Identi- fications based on odor or taste are best made on green material or on freshly cut surfaces, shavings or sawdust, which have not before been exposed to the air. Report Ho. R258 -1- AA. Hays many, broad , and conspicuous. They appear as "flecks" or "silver grain' 1 on nuarter- sawed material. Wood heavy to very heavy. Sap'-'ooi rather narrow. 40-^0^ TEE OAKS IV^ BB. --ays not noticeable. Color .rayish brown, texture coarse, Sapwood narrow. Wood moderately light. 30. a:sh. chestnut i. 2. StLT-merwood iigured with short or wavy tangential lines running more or less parallel with the rings often most noticeable toward t .e outer part of the growth ring. AA. :: eartwood not distinctly darker than sapwood 'sapwood some- times darker than heartwood on account of sap stain). Hays distinctly visible but fine. The wavy tangential lines con- spicuous throughout the su..-.ierwood. Springwood pores numer- ous, in more than one row. Color pale to yellowish or greenish gray. Woo a moderately heavy. 37. HACHHSHHY IV. or SUGABBE3KY 75. Heartwood distinctly darker than sapwood. Hays barely visible. (l) Springwood .ores in more than one row . a. Very fine broken tangential liner, visible in outer summerwood and especially prominent in wide rings. Sapwood several Inches wide, heartwoo.l brownish. -tost pores or vessels, except in outer sapwood, a; pear somewhat closed, difficult to bio 1 • through. Wood hard, except pumpkin ash which is moderately heavy to heavy. 33-44. PUMPKIN ASH III. W I i ASH IV. EN ASH IV. — igure indicates an average weight per cubic foot of the wood air dry, it is, containing 12 to 15 percent sioisture, U. . .A. Wood Handbook, 3„ . Iftunoer indicates group to which the wood belongs in the container woo;" classification. b. Long and conspicuous wavy tangential "bands through- out the sumoierwood. Sapwood very narrow. Heartwood brown with reddish tinge. Fores rather open. Wood moderately heavy. 37. SLIPPERY ELM (2) Springwood pores in one more or less continuous row except in wide rings where there are occasionally more. Heartwood "brownish. a. Pores in the springwood fairly conspicuous and visible, because of size and closeness together. Pores rather open. Wood moderately heavy. 35. WHITE EL?-: III. b. Pores in the springwood inconspicuous , hardly dis- tinguishable from those of the summerwood because relatively small, often not close together, and usually filled with tyloses. Wood heavy. 44. ROCK el: IV. 3. Summerwood generally not noticeably figured with radial or tangential bands. AA. Several rows of large springwood pores which are usually open. Easy to blow through. Sapwood narrow, rarely over three-fourths of an inch vide. Heartwood grayish to olive brown. Wood moderately heavy. 34. BLACK ASK III. 3B. Springwood pores comparatively few, relatively small and disposed in broken single rows; usually closed with tyloses. Sapwood often wide. Heartwood brown to reddish brown. Wood heavy to very heavy.. 45-51. HICKORY IV. B. Diffuse porous woods ; No ring of large pores found at the beginning of each year's growth. Pores appear as fine grooves on the longitudinal cuts and are scattered with considerable uniformity throughout both the springwood and the summerwood. Pores vary in size from visible to the naked eye to barely visible or indistinguishable without a lens. The relatively small amount of difference in size between the springwood and summerwood pores makes it often difficult to distinguish the annual rings. Some of these woods are rather soft and light but are separated (because they contain pores or vessels) from "II," the conifers, or softwoods which do not have true pores or vessels. Diffuse-porous woods are found in groups I, III, and IV of the container woods. Those in group I are lightest. 258 ._ 3 _ R2i 1. Individual pores plainly visible . Keartwood light chestnut brown. Sapwood narrow. Says not visible on cross section. Wood light and soft. 26. BUTTERNUT I. 2. Individual pores barely visible . Sapwood wide. Bays not visible on cross section. AA. Pores not crowded. Keartwood reddish brown, Wood heavy. 38-44. BIRCH IV. B3. Pores crowded. Keartwood grayish to brownish. Wood moder- ately light to light. 24-28. COTTONWOOD I. WILLOW I. 3. Individual pores not visible . AA. Pays comparatively broad and cons icuous, avpear as flecks on quartered cuts and distinguish these woods from conifers. Color various shades of light reddish brown. (1) Pays crowded. Ho denser and darker band of summerwood noticeable. Wood usually lock-grained. Moderately heavy.. 34. AME." . SYCAMOBE III. (2) Pays not crowded. A distinct denser and darker band of summerwood present. Wood fairly straight grained. Keavy. 44. aker. ppj^c:: iv. 33. Bays not conspicuous but visible, hence distinguishing these woods from conifers. (1) Keartwood dingy reddish brown often with darker streaks. Sapwood pinkish white moderately wide, usually over an inch; often sold as "sap gum," sometimes stained blue by sap stain. Annual rings not clearly defined. Hays very fine, close together, not plain even on quartered cuts. Wood moderately heavy. 34. NEED ( IED GUM) III. (2) Keartwood light reddish brown. Sapwood v/ide. Annual rings clearly defined by a thin darker reddish browfl layer. Pays fine but distinct, cons, icuous on quartered cuts because of darker color. -4- a. Wood hard, difficult to cut across the grain. Pith flecks rare. Hays a;.pear to be not very close to- gether as compared with soft maple. Wood heavy. 43. SUGAR OH HARD MAPLE IV. b. Wood comparatively easy to cut across grain. Pith flecks often abundant. Pays appear very close to- gether compared with hard maple. Wood moderately heavy and moderately light. 32-37. SILVER MAPLE III. PSD MAPLE (3) Heartwood pale to yellowish with a greenish, sometimes (especially in yellow-poplar) purplish tinge. Sapwood usually over an inch wide. Annual rings clearly defined by a fine whitish line. Wood moderately light to moderately heavy. About 27-35. YELLOW-POPLaR I. CUCUMBER TREE I. MAGNOLIA I. (4) Heartwood pale or creamy brown often with occasional dark or black marks or streaks. Heartwood not sharply defined from light creamy colored sapwood. Wood light. 26. AMER. BASSWOOD I. CC. Pays not distinctly visible on cross section. Annual rings usually not clearly defined which aids in distinguishing these woods from conifers. (1) Heartwood distinctly darker than sapwood. a. Heartwood reddish brown. Wood fairly straight grained, pith flecks sometimes found. Pores visi- ble in a good light expecially on longitudinal surfaces where they appear as fine lines or grooves. Wood heavy. 38-44. BIRCH IV. b. Heartwood pale to grayish brown. Wood often very cross grained. Moderately h^avy. 34-35. BLACEGUM III. WATER TUPELO III. (2) Heartwood not distinctly darker than sapwood. Wood odorless, tasteless. R258 -5- a. Color creamy. Annual rings inconspicuous, very faintly defined. Tangential surfaces show when smoothly cut, faint fine bands running across the grain produced by the regularly spaced or storied rays . Wood light and soft. 25. BUCKEYE I. b. Wood whitish. Annual rings clearly defined oy a fine sometimes whitish line. No figure such as is produced by storied rays. Wood moderately light. 28. QUAKING ASPEN OH "POPPLE" I. C ONI PEPS The softwoods, obtained from scale or needle-leaved trees. Woods without pores. II. No pores present . Wood usually appears fine textured, because the cells are small and regularly arranged and because no cells are strik- ingly larger than those surrounding them. Annual rings are clearly defined by a definite band of suminerwood. Woods light, most of them are in boxwood and crate wood group I. A few heavier conifers make up group II. A. Odor and taste spicy-resinous. No resin ducts, pitch pockets or accumulations of pitch present . THE CEMRS. I. 1. Color creamy, shading to a pale brown. Heartwood odor strong in green material, somewhat suggests ginger. Wood moderately light. 31. POHT OHPOHD W ITZ-3EDAH I. 2. Heartwood various shades of red and brown. Odor resembles that of cedar shingles. Wood light. 22. HEDCHZA.-.S I. JOHTHEHN WEITE-CSLAH OH EASTEBN AHHOHVIIAE I. P. Odor and taste not spicy, may be resinous, especially in the pines. Pitch pockets and other accumulations of pitch including small exuda- tions on the ends of boards often present. Knots usually ;..ore or less resinous. Hesin ducts present. 1. Heartwood darker than sar>wood. H258 -6- AA. Resin ducts visitle, relatively conspicuous as small light specks on the cross section or as fine lines of slightly different color on the longitudinal surfaces. Wood with pitchy resinous odor or taste. Heartwood creamy to orange brown. THE PINES. (1) Summerwood relatively inconspicuous, not much harder or denser than springwood. Change from springwood to summerwood gradual. Heartwood pale creamy to light reddish "brown. Resin ducts often conspicuous, espe- cially in sugar pine. Wood moderately soft and light. 26-29. WHITE PINE I. SUGAR PINE I. (2) Summerwood somewhat denser and more conspicuous than in (l). Color of heartwood reddish to orange brown. This group midway in density and appearance between (l) and (3). Weight 28-34. PONDEROSA PINE I. JACK PINE I. RED PINE (NORWAY) I. LODGl'POLE FINE I. (3) Summerwood very dense, horny. Change from springwood to summerwood often very abrupt. Resin ducts to be seen especially in or near the summerwood. Wood heavy. 35-45. VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA PINE II. SOUTHERN YELLOW PINE II. BB. Woods with rather inconspicuous resin ducts, without piney odor but with somewhat resinous odor and taste, i-iarked and rather abrupt change from springwood to summerwood. Pitch pockets or streaks may be found. (1) Color of heartwood usually reddish, sometimes with yellow cast. Sunuuerwood dense. Scattered resin ducts present. Often several seen as small white dots in short tangential rows in or near the summerwood. Pitch pockets common. Wood moderately heavy. 30-34. DOUGLAS- EIR II. (2) Heartwood dull russet brown. Summerwood sharply defined and fairly dense. Wood moderately heavy, especially that from butt cuts. 36. LARCH II. TaI ABACK II. R258 „7_ (3) Keartwood pale reddish. Transition from springwood to suii rwood more gradual. Split tangential surfaces especially ii through the summe rwood of narrow rings characteristically indented or "dimpled." Split sur- faces show silky sheen. 26. SITKA SPRUCE I. 2. Keartwood the same color as sapwood. Woods not conspicuously pitchy though resin ducts are present and pitch pockets may occur. Gradual transition from springwood to summerwood. Split surfaces show silky sheen. Moderately light. 24-28. OTHER SPRUCES I. C. Wood without spicy odor, not pitchy or resinous. No resin ducts , pitch pockets or accumulations of pitch normally present in the wood though resin may in some cases exude from the bark. 1. Keartwood strongly colored, summerwood dense. .-.A. -leartwood deep brownish red. ' ,r ood without markedly char- acteristic odor. Wood moderately light. Annual rings rather regular in width. 25-30. REDWOOD I. 33. Keartwood light to very dark brown. Odor somewhat rancid. Longitudinal surfaces feel waxy. Annual rings very irregular in width. Weight variable. Average 30, 3aLDCYP?JSSS I. 2. Keartwood not strongly colored. AA. Wood whitish at least in springwood. Summerwood darker, often sharply contrasted in color, tinged with red or purplish brown. Wood light. 23-28. THE TRUE FIRS I. BB. Wood has slight reddish hue in both springwood and summerwood. Wood splintery, often with cup shake. Odor somewhat sour en wood is fresh. Moderately light. 30. ' CLOCK 1 1 . R258 -8- APPENDIX CLASSIFICATION 0? CONTAINER WOODS The various species of woods generally used for constructing boxes and crates are classified into groups. This grouping is based on weight, strength and especially on the ability of the different woods to hold nails securely and resist the splitting action which is produced when they are driven, thus making it necessary to use smaller nails in the heavier, denser woods. The specification groups are here subdivided according to structure: Group 1 Ring-porous Di f fuse-porous Conifers American chestnut 30 Butternut 26 Cedar 22-31 Cottonwood 24-28 Pine, white 27-29 Willow 26 Pine , sugar 26 Yellow-poplar 27 Pine , -lodgepole 28 Cucumber 33 Pine, ponderosa 28 Magnolia 35 Pine, jack 29 American basswood 26 Pine, red (Norway) 34 Buckeye 25 Spruce, Engelman 24 Quaking aspen (poppl e) 28 Spruce , red Spruce, Sitka Spruce, white Redwood Bal&cypress 26 26 28 25-30 30 Fir, balsam Fir, noble Fir, Alpine Fir, red Fir, grand 25 26 23 28 27 Fir, Pacific silver 27 Ring- -porous None Group 2 Di f fuse-porous None Conifers Pine, Southern 35- -45 yellow Pine, (North 37 Carolina) Douglas-fir 30- -34 Larch 36 Tamarack 36 Hemlock 28 -The figure at the right of the wood indicates the average air-dry weight per cubic foot of the species. U.S.N. A. Wood Handbook. R258 -9- Group Rin^-porous Diffuse- orous pkin ash 36 Amer. Sycamore 34 Black ash 34 Sweet gum (redgum) 34 Amer. elm 35 Silver maple) ~ ? -37 Red maple ) Black gum 35 Water tupelo 34 Group 4. ..;-,jorous Diffuse-porous Conifers "one Conifers Hackberry te ush Rock elm Hickory 40-49 37 40-44 44 45-51 Amer, Beech 44 Hard maple 43 Birch 38-44 None R2fi -10- UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 08866 5046