The wood from the older and larger trees is not so tough and hard as that from the younger growth, and is much used for cabinet work and for interior finish. It should be filled with a paste-filler, after which it may be brought to a fine polish. The wood holds its shape well and is useful for the purposes mentioned.
(D.) Apple (dec.) is not used for construction, as the proper dimensions cannot be secured, and as it is very stubborn to work. It is one of the best woods known to resist splitting, and is much used for chisel and saw handles.
(E.) Basswood, or linden (dec.), is a soft, porous wood, which shrinks considerably in drying. It is used for the backing of veneer work, for drawer bottoms of the common grades of furniture, for case backs, and similar purposes, and is also much used in the manufacture of spools and other small articles which are made in large quantities. In building construction, basswood is used for ceilings, and for other work where strength is not needed, though for use in such places it should be thoroughly seasoned, or the joints will open.
If steamed, basswood may be bent to almost any form. Steaming also cures to a great extent the tendency of this wood to shrink and swell.
(F.) Beech (dec.) is adapted for use in places where the ability to resist a heavy strain or hard wear is necessary, as in plane stocks, tool handles, and parts of machinery. In building work, it is used to some extent for flooring and for inside finishing. It is used also for furniture, though the difficulty of working it makes it more expensive than other equally desirable woods.
If exposed to alternations of dryness and dampness, it decays rapidly; if submerged, it gives fair satisfaction.
Beech trees are common through the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, and are found to some extent in all of the states between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic seaboard.
(G.) Birch (dec.) is one of our most useful hard woods. It is found in abundance in the broad-leaved forests of the Eastern states and Canada. There are two varieties recognized in commerce, the red and the white birch. The former is used considerably for inside finish and for furniture. It takes a stain well, and may be made to imitate cherry or mahogany so exactly as to deceive any one but an expert. When finished in its own natural color, it is a satisfactory wood for the above uses, but as it ages, it turns to a muddy brown; as it is a stubborn wood to work, it is not popular.
Fig. 18.—Beech and Sugar Maple Forest.