This section is from the book "Your Home And Its Decoration", by The Sherwin-Williams Company. See also: Nell Hill's Feather Your Nest: It's All in the Details.
The principal difference between this wood and white pine is in the grain, which is more strongly marked in Southern pine. This wood is heavy, hard, strong, and durable, becoming harder with age. It is close grained and does not require filling.
Plate CXXV. Southern Pine.
When Handcraft stained, the beauty of this grain is greatly enhanced, and it now frequently displaces oak for interior trim. All Handcraft brown stains are particularly attractive on Southern pine. The silvery grays are quite effective, although the yellow tones in this wood largely overcome the blue in a silver-gray stain. These stained effects are still more attractive when treated in mission or dull finish with Mission-lac (specification 9), or Velvet Finish Varnish (specification 11). Southern pine is often finished in white enamel, although it is not the best wood for the purpose. Birch, whitewood, or poplar are much less liable to show yellow streaks. Southern pine, however, can be treated in white enamel when a sufficient number of the proper undercoatings are used. When this wood is full of pitch a first coat of shellac can be applied to good advantage. Flat-tone white is particularly suited to such work, and when followed with Enamelastic will produce a perfect surface. The following specifications should be used: For Enamelastic Dull Finish, specification 19; for Enamelastic Rubbed Finish, specification 18; for Enamelastic Gloss Finish, specification 17. For less expensive white enamel work, Enameloid can be used.
 
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