Of all the different kinds of wood, deal, or pine, is that with which the amateur will be most frequently employed, and of which it is most necessary that he should know the prices and sizes at and in which it can be procured at the timber yard. We shall now endeavor to convey some idea of the nature of a few common kinds of wood, and the purposes for which they are or may be used.

The Ash is a hardy deciduous tree, found generally in northern latitudes. In color the wood is greenish white when young, but the grain of timber cut from old trees is often dark and beautifully marked. When in this condition it is frequently used by the cabinet-maker. Its toughness, elasticity, and closeness of grain render the wood useful for making the frames of carriages, agricultural implements, felloes of wheels, etc. Hammer handles and billiard-cues are frequently made of Ash, as well as the handles of croquet-mallets, and it is much used by coopers. It admits of being bent almost double without snapping, and on that account it is well adapted to be used for curved work.

The Beech, a hardy deciduous tree, is found in the northern States and Canada. The color varies; it is mostly light or whitish brown in tint, but is found in all shades of brown, deepening at times to black. The wood is fine and straight-grained, and is, in consequence, easily worked. The grain resembles that of mahogany, and it is often stained to represent it. It is used in the manufacture of furniture-tables, beds, and chairs being made of it. It may be stained to imitate ebony and rosewood.

The Birch is a forest tree of graceful appearance, found in cold and temperate regions, and on elevated situations, such as the sides of mountains in warmer countries. The wood is white, firm, and tough, and is used especially in northern countries for making wheels, casks and tubs, and in turnery.

The wood known as Chestnut is derived from two widely different kinds of trees the Horse Chestnut and the Spanish or Sweet Chestnut. The white brittle wood of the Horse Chestnut is used by turners in making fancy goods. The wood of the Sweet, or Edible, Chestnut, is hard and durable, and beautifully grained and variegated. Furniture is sometimes made of it, and it is used with effect for decorative purposes in building.

The name of Pine is given to the timber of a great variety of cone-bearing trees, although the deal or pine cut from different trees varies considerably in quality and general utility. It may be broadly distinguished as Red or Yellow Pine for the names are indifferently used—and White Pine. In the one kind, the ground color of the wood is yellow, diversified with markings of pale red; in the other kind, the wood is of a whitish color, whence its name. The American White Pine is highly esteemed in carpentry work from its softness and the ease with which it can be worked. While not strong, it is durable. The difference in the two kinds of wood is this : the grain of the Yellow Pine is generally very straight and free from knots, and it is very durable, though it is soft and easily worked. This renders it peculiarly appropriate for all building purposes, whether in the construction of houses or ships. The great height and straightness of the pine renders it well suited for the masts of ships; and when stained and varnished the timber presents a handsome appearance for joiners' work in houses. White Pine is harder and not so straight-grained as Yellow Pine, and it is generally full of knots. The variety known as Silver Fir is used for flooring, and also in the manufacture of household furniture.

The Oak. The best Oak timber in the world is grown in America and Great Britain, from whose forests, until iron came so much into use for ship building, all the Oak was derived for the splendid fleets which have commanded the sovereignty of the seas. Although the grain is somewhat open too open, indeed, for the purposes of the turner—the wood is extremely hard and durable, but difficult to work, and apt to take the edge pretty quickly off the workman's tools. The wood is dark in color and susceptible of a high polish. It is much used in house building, for houses of the better class, for floors, staircases, doors, the paneling of rooms, etc., and for tables, chairs, sideboards, and other pieces of household furniture.

The Poplar. This wood is white, soft, and brittle, and is chiefly used in the manufacture of boxes, cases, and children's toys. The softness of the wood causes glass grinders and lapidaries to use horizontal sections as polishing wheels. The wood of the poplar is not liable to shrink, warp, or swell. The fret-sawyer will find it useful for backgrounds, linings, and veneered work.

The wood of the Walnut is extremely useful and valuable, and is used in the arts for many purposes, of which not the least important is that of the manufacture of ornamental furniture. Its only drawback is its want of density, which renders it liable to injury from blows and rough usage. It is as useful to the turner as to the cabinet-maker, and works well in the lathe. It is desirable to get walnut wood from old, well-grown trees, for the older the tree the more beautiful and diversified are the markings of the wood.

For fret sawing and all kinds of cabinet work, the wood known as Black Walnut is the most suitable. Unless well seasoned by kiln-drying, or some similar process, it is apt to warp and split. It will take a beautiful polish, and still look well. Plain oiling seems to harden the fibre, and a dead polish will often show better in the work than though it shone like a mirror. This wood ought never to be varnished, since this gives a common look to the article, as it always brings out the grain.

The White Walnut, known in the United States as the butternut, is a pretty wood, but soft. It cuts clean, and is adapted for many kinds of work, which, however, must not be delicate in design.

It has the same grain as Black Walnut, stains well, and shows oiling to advantage.