A Great many men have spent almost their entire lives studying the nature of timber and still find there are new things to learn. You cannot expect to master the subject during your study of this text. However, if you will study the various references given you will learn a great many interesting things about timber. Whenever you are handling any kind of lumber you should think that it was once a part of a living tree. A tree, like any other living thing, is a great mystery. It is hard indeed to explain just how it produces its timber, but if you will study the function of every part of the tree - the roots, bark, trunk, leaves, etc., you will gather some idea of how it acquires its properties. We all know that most plants, like the various grains, vegetables and flowers, grow up and produce their fruit and then decay. Such plants must grow again from the seed the following year, thus making no use at all of the old stalk of the year before. Now, just why certain plants continue year after year to build a strong body upon which to support their branches, leaves and fruit, is hard to explain; but the fact that tree plants do produce a magnificent body that can be sawed up into valuable timber is a characteristic which makes the forests of so much importance.

There are so many different kinds of trees that it would be almost impossible to make a list and offer a description of all of them. Our very best authorities on trees and timber say it is almost impossible to describe a tree so accurately that it can be recognized. However, there are a few characteristics with which you should become familiar, for they will guide you very much in an effort to distinguish the trees. While you may never be able to identify every single tree found in the forest, yet it will be worth while to you to identify the more common forest trees.

If you should walk on the streets in a strange city you would see a great many people whose names you would never be able to call, but if you understood race characteristics you would be able to tell when you met a strange man whether he was a negro or a white man, whether he belonged to the Japanese or the American race, or at least you could form a judgment as to the great class of people to which he belonged. This same general classification is true in the matter of trees; while you might not be able to give the individual name of every tree, you could probably tell to what general class or family it belonged.

Our American trees are usually classified in two general classes. Those that shed their leaves every year (the deciduous trees) are called broad-leaved or hardwood trees; those that do not shed their leaves but remain green are called evergreen or softwood trees. The terms hard and soft wood are misleading, because the timber of some of the so-called hardwood trees is really very much softer than the timber of some of the so-called softwood trees. When we use the term hard or soft wood we should keep in mind the fact we do not mean hard or soft for tool operations, but that it refers to the general classification of those that do or do not shed their leaves.

The beauty of our forests is due mostly to the hardwood trees, which take on so many different colors and hues at different seasons of the year. We are all familiar with the beautiful green which is first seen in the spring and summer, then we know how the leaves change into red, yellow and gold, thus producing such beautiful effects before they drop off in the fall.

Of the hardwood trees the most important are the oak, walnut, elm, hickory, maple, beech, basswood, hackberry and sycamore. Of the evergreens, or softwoods, the most familiar are the pine, fir, hemlock and cedar. There are, of course, a great many more in each of these classes, but the ones enumerated are the most commonly found and best known. You will find it very interesting to study the trees of your own community and list them into the two general classes of hard and soft wood. You should study the general characteristics of the different kinds of trees, and when a tree is once pointed out to you, acquaint yourself with its characteristics so you will be able to recognize trees of that kind when you see them again. Many people who are not very familiar with standing trees are able to recognize timber when it is sawed and planed. It will be well for you to study not only the standing timber of your community, but also the different kinds of lumber as you handle them in the shop or at home.

Standing trees are identified by their general size and shape, by the appearance of the bark, color and shape of the leaves and the shape and position of the branches, and possibly most of all by the kind of flowers, fruit or nuts which the tree may bear. Some kinds of trees have such features that they may be easily and quickly recognized. The shellbark hickory is known for its rough, loose bark. The beech tree can be unmistakably identified by its smooth bark. The elm is known for the graceful curves of its long branches. Other kinds of trees have peculiarities of their own.

Men who handle material in the shops must recognize the different kinds of wood without seeing the leaves, bark and the standing trees. In identifying timber in this way it is necessary to consider other features rather than those which can be studied in the forest. If you are unable to see the trees, then you must identify the wood from its color, weight, odor, nature of grain, etc.

Some woods are extremely dark, while other woods are very white. Ebony (which is an imported wood) is very black - almost jet black, while basswood is a very light-colored wood. Black walnut is one of the darkest-colored woods which grows throughout the United States. Of course there are a great many shades of colors in wood, ranging from the dark walnut to wood as light as basswood or holly.

Weight is also a feature which is of considerable importance in identifying wood. Some woods are very heavy; hickory and white oak are the heaviest native timbers. White pine and bass-wood are very light in weight. When you attempt to acquaint yourself with any kind of wood, consider carefully the weight. Of course, it would be impossible to state accurately how much a given size of any kind of wood should weigh, because this depends very largely upon the amount of moisture it may contain, yet judging from weight you will be able to identify timber pretty accurately.

The odor of the wood is often an important factor in enabling one to identify it. Nearly all of the soft woods have a very distinct fragrance which is quite familiar, for it smells considerably like turpentine, although of course not so strong and disagreeable. Various cedars are noted for their odors. The red cedar, of which chests are made, is very valuable because of its peculiar and lasting fragrance. You should always notice whether or not wood has a peculiar odor if you are trying to identify it. It will not take you long to become familiar with the odor of black walnut, pine, oak, basswood, and some of the other more common woods. However, it is impossible to describe these odors sufficiently to enable you to identify them; you must learn them by experience.

The shape and feature of the grain is also of great assistance in enabling one to identify wood. The broad, prominent figure in the grain of yellow pine is quite familiar to every one who has ever handled that kind of wood. Oaks also have a very peculiar grain which is easily recognized. It is the attractive display and beauty of the grain which gives value to most of our cabinet woods. In some woods grain figure is not an important characteristic; bass-wood and white pine do not usually have distinct grain effects.

The very nature of the wood fiber and its strength also serve as a pronounced guide in identification. Some woods have very open pores. This is particularly true of chestnut. Other woods are very close grained, as may be seen by examining a piece of hickory or hard maple. Some woods are very flexible, and can be bent repeatedly without cracking. The elm, hickory and mulberry show this quality. Other woods are very brittle and will snap in two on slight bending. Some woods have a high power of resisting tool process and are planed and sawed with great difficulty, while still other woods are easily cut. Any boy who has had experience whittling with a jackknife knows that white pine or bass-wood will whittle more readily than a piece of hard maple, hickory or oak. You can oftentimes identify a piece of wood by attempting to whittle it. All of these various characteristics must be carefully studied when you are attempting to identify any piece of wood. It is not a matter of guessing, but a matter of judgment. Whenever you are using any kind of material in the shop you should assure yourself that you know what sort of wood it is. If you are unable to identify it, make inquiry until you find its name and then study its characteristics until you are sure you will recognize that same kind of wood when you see it again.

You will find it an excellent plan to save a small specimen of each kind of wood (no more than an inch wide, a quarter of an inch thick and an inch or two long, would serve very conveniently) . The name of the wood might be written on the specimen. It could then be kept as a standard with which to compare and identify woods. Of course, in making up a set of specimens you should make sure that the one which you select is true to the type and not discolored or unusual in any way. The United States Government has taken the pains to prepare a set of samples of the different kinds of timber of commerce growing throughout the United States. Practical information regarding this matter can be had by addressing the Department of Forestry Service, Washington, D. C.