World of Wood JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOOD COLLECTORS SOCIETY

Volume 62, Number 3 May/June 2009

May/June 2009 World of Wood 1 World of Wood Vol. 62, No. 3 ISSN 1068-7300 May/June 2009 The International Wood Collectors Society, founded in 1947, is a non-profit society advancing information on wood.

Contents Officers and Trustees President: Garry Roux Greetings everyone...... 3 Vice President: Gary Gronborg, Veneers— my inlays and veneer Secretary-Treasurer: Bill & Myrtle Cockrell, collection ...... 4 Publications Chairman: Chuck Holder, Endowment FundChairman: Dan James ...sorting through the off-cuts ...... 6 Archivist: Jerry Zipprich, A message from a long-serving member . 7 Past President: Art Lee, Regional Trustees Waltzing Matilda ‘09 ...... 8 NE USA (2006-2009) Ron DeWitt, SE USA (2007-2010) Chris Nothnagle, Letter to the Editor ...... 9 Great Lakes USA (2008-2011) Bob Chastain, Galls and burls ...... 10 Central USA (2008-2009) Stan King, NW USA (2007-2010): Fred Holder, Kebon Raya, Bogor, Botanical Gardens . . 11 SW USA (2008-2011) Les Campbell, Canada (2006-2009) Greg Reed, Growth Rings: The IWCS Record ...... 12 UK (2006-2009) Ted Ingle, Exploring . . . The Effect of Climate on Australasia (2007-2010) Ian McLaughlin, Wood Growth ...... 14 Committee Chairpersons A sort-of a book review ...... 16 All-Mail Auction: Art Brennan, Membership: Garry Roux, Meet the new Vice President ...... 17 Museum Committee: Robert Ritchie, New-member Correspondent: Bill Cockrell, A Fovourite Wood ...... 18 Wood Import Permit: Alan Curtis, All-Mail Auction ...... 20 Wood Specimen Kits: Dan Keierleber, Web Master: Erlene Tarleton, Shrubwoods of the World ...... 22 Website Committee: Chuck Holder, Corporate Membership Coordinator: Daryle Layton, Birdseye walnut –rare or not so rare? . . 25 Student Membership Coordinator: Les Campbell, Member’s Listings and Requests ...... 26 Wood Meets ...... 27 Personal Information has been deleted from the copy of this issue Australian woods No 15 ...... 28 Regis-tree ...... 30 Corrections, 2009 IWCS Directory ...... 31 More strange things Down Under ...... 32

World of Wood, published bimonthly by the International Wood Collectors Society, is Editor: Morris Lake devoted to distributing information on collecting wood, correctly identifying and naming 22 Julia St, Highgate Hill, Q 4101 wood specimens, and using wood in creative crafts. AUSTRALIA Contributions for publication may be educational, scientific, technical or of general interest Telephone: From overseas: 061 07 3844 1246 to members and relevant to the purposes of the Society. Papers may be refereed by an Within Australia: (07) 3844 1246 Editorial Board of technically trained members. E-mail: [email protected] The phrases ‘World of Wood’, ‘ IWCS Wood Data Sheet’ and all materials contained herein Associate Editors: are © Copyright protected by the International Wood Collectors Society. Address requests to reprint material to the editor. Ken Bassett — Washington, USA. Richard Crow — Cornwall, England. World of Wood is published as a benefit to members of the IWCS, a non-profit organization Alan Curtis — Oregon, USA. of botanists, dendrologists, and other scientists, technologists, wood collectors, hobbyists Ron DeWitt — New York, USA. and crafts people for mutual assistance and reciprocation. Eugene Dimitriadis — Victoria, Australia. Membership rates for individuals or couples worldwide are: US $35 annually, US $90 for 3 David Greve — Queensland, Australia. years, US $125 for 5years and US $500 for life membership. Student Membership is US$15 Fred Holder — Washington, USA. per year. Corporate Membership US$125 annually, US$325 for 3 years, US$450 for 5 years. Willem Hurkmans — Overijssel, Netherlands. Applications are available from the Secretary-Treasurer or from the IWCS website. Dues Emie Ives — Suffolk, England. and address changes also should be directed to the Secretary-Treasurer. Nelis Mourik—South Holland, Netherlands. We encourage your membership in our unique international organization. Susan Stamm — Wisconsin, USA. IWCS World wide web site: Cover photograph..Background; Root burl of Eucalyptus delegatensis ssp. tasmaniensis, Tasmanian oak. Centre; Dieter Becker’s well prepared and documented http://www.woodcollectors.org veneer collection. Read his story on page 4..

2 World of Wood May/June 2009 The President’s Message from Garry Roux

Greetings everyone!

By the time you are reading this, the to start looking for a new project for final details will be completed for the him. 2009 IWCS Annual meeting at Ron DeWitt had a great idea for a Stayokay Hotel, Soest, Netherlands. new section of the World of Wood—a Some of you may already be on your member profiles section. In this way there for the pre-meeting tours. section, there would be a small I’m disappointed that Shelly and I biography (a page or less) about one will not be able to attend. We wanted or two of our members, no matter to go very badly, but due to life’s what that member does, whether twists and turns, things happen they are a crafter, professional about which we have no control. I’m woodworker, specimen collector, sure that everyone there will have a taxonomist, teacher, wood scientist, great experience. I hope to read financial struggles without cutting wood supplier, bus driver, wannabe, any existing benefits, like the some articles in the next couple of or anything. In discussions with issues of World of Wood about the journals or directory, or raising the numerous members, we have some dues. meeting and adventures that extraordinarily talented individuals, Since I’m on the subject of finances, members had there. and it would be great to learn more in this issue you will find the items I’m happy to announce that Gary about them. I would like to see for the All-mail Auction. Please be Gronborg has stepped forward to someone volunteer for an associate generous with your bidding. Thanks serve as Vice-President on the Board editor position and help this become again Art Brennan for organizing of Directors. His knowledge and a regular feature. that for us! experiences will be a great asset to In my previous articles, I’ve Summer is approaching quickly (for this organization. Thank you, Gary. discussed the financial difficulties the northern hemisphere at least), Dan Keierleber of San Antonio, the organization is facing. Everyone and with that comes more Texas, has also stepped forward to can help out by spreading the word opportunities for wood collecting. It take over the wood specimen kits. that there is a new section on the would be great if some of you would Please give your support to Dan website. We will be selling craft submit articles about your when he requests various species of items made and donated by our adventures in gathering and finding wood. Thanks Dan, and a big thank- members. These items will have a set some of your treasures. There will you to Marvin Smith for doing these price (in US dollars). Postage will be also be various regional and local kits in the previous years. We’ll have based on US shipment only, so if you meetings held. Take these need overseas shipping, you will opportunities to meet new members have to email or call for the prices. and old friends. A note for contributors These items are different from the All-mail Auction, because the It’s also time to start planning your Please submit articles as you general public will be allowed to 2010 vacations. You won’t want to complete them. I can then format miss the meetings that are being them and ‘lay’ them into future purchase them as well. The first editions as they will appear. In this selection of items will be segmented planned—they will be great! It way each edition will ‘grow’ and vases and bowls crafted by Jim would really be nice to see some of present a balance of topics. I will Zoellner. Thanks Jim for the the overseas members at these advise you when they will appear. donation! We need other members to meetings too. This will also reduce the last minute be generous and donate additional I hope to see you soon and rush to meet final edit and printing items that would make beautiful remember that each day is a new deadlines. gifts or keepsakes for the purchaser. beginning, and seize that Absolute last minute changes should get to me before: There will be additional information opportunity. 1 July for July/August 2009 issue on our website. The board and I feel 1 Sept for Sept/October issue this is a great opportunity to help the 1 Nov for Nov/December issue E-mail copy to: [email protected]

May/June 2009 World of Wood 3 Veneers— my inlays and veneer collection Dieter Becker # 6362.

Inlays —Marquetry But later found I collected veneers from dealers all I was only around 14 that Ruth Felber over Germany, and I also collected years old when I first in Heilbronn had wood reference books. Our holidays worked with veneers in veneers in all were veneer searches. Fortunately school—we inlayed the hues and the Gerda understood and was patient lid of a toolbox. This was most beautiful with me. Our journeys led us to my beginning with burl-veneers, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Minden, veneers. and this has Hundsleben. Three journeys were I got myself waste pieces been my main also made to a region north of Milan of veneers from a veneer contact in Italy—at that time a paradise for carpenter’s workshop to for 32 years. veneer enthusiasts. make my first inlay I also began to In the early days dealers had sheds pictures. Working with read literature with open stacks for you to select veneers became my about intarsia, from. Then came the era of shelf passion and for the next One of my very detailed wood but I found that storage in high-bay warehouses and year I spent every free pictures. I already knew the dealers had no time to look for minute designing inlay quite a lot one or two packages of veneer for us. pictures—of course my because of my Then when tropical woods became small stock of veneers did not own work—but I did find many scarce dealers had fewer veneer suffice—there were more and I new ideas for my further work. types in their stores. started to search for them. I wanted I always draw outlines for my I then found other commercial to get beautiful veneer woods in pictures and chose only the natural dealers, like Constatine in New York, different colors and grains. colored woods—I do not use At twenty-four I met Gerda and she colored or stained woods. understood my passion for veneers I co-founded the group, and was very patient with me. Kunstkreis-75-Engers 35 years Around this time I found a report in ago because I like to work with the local paper about Otto Wahl who others. We have regular manufactured inlay pictures and we exhibitions of our current works went to see him—of course I took and my inlay pictures find some of my wood pictures along. I buyers there and I get orders had not heard of inlays until then. I from these exhibitions enabling had worked my veneers with scissors me to buy new wood. My and a sharp pointed knife. I had no pictures have been sold to reference books and no literature on people in Spain, USA, Bolivia, this topic. I was self-taught—a pure Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, autodidact. Australia, Netherlands, as well Mr Wahl said to me, “ Now you will as within Germany. I also also make inlays. You have a good joinedThe Marquetry Society in disposition”. He liked my work and England in December 1999. and Craft Supplies and John Boddys in England. gave me some unusual veneers. He The intensive work of always told me of Haider in Nuremberg, a bending forward, however, has The basic question always was veneer specialist. Gerda and I went caused cervical pain and I am now however, “How do I find new veneers to Nuremberg but found a locked working less. But I compromised worldwide?” door—he had gone out of business. and starting wood collecting which At the beginning of 1989 I wrote to is now my passion. our State Department and asked for a list of Embasies. I then wrote to these Building my veneer collection Embasies requesting addresses for wood and veneer dealers, and I got My veneer collection started with a many addresses. I wrote to selected card index on which I had sorted ones for many years getting many my veneers by color. Sometimes I veneer samples from all over the included the trade name, written on world. I had not expected such good a label. results. I obtained veneers from Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, Australia, India, and many more countries. Around 30 years ago I met Georg My veneer rack. for inlaying. Sanders, from Soest who also had

4 World of Wood May/June 2009 I have always had the desire to organize my collection in the form of a book—a difficult undertaking. The idea matured further before I started work on a new system in which I cut the veneers so that I could fit a number of samples into windows cut in a piece of white cardboard 27 cm of 39 cm, and 0.8 mm thick. On each sheet I identified whether it was, flat cut, flat cut quartered, or quartered— as well as different figures, such as; Boxes with veneer mounted on cardboard. My veneer press. fiddleback, crotch, ribbon stripe, mottled, swirl, burl, or birds eye. My wood collection been collecting veneers for many Each sheet was then fixed to By 1990 it became almost impossible years. He had good contacts with cardboard and pressed in a veneer to obtain new veneers so I started Danzer, a leading veneer supplier in press (30 cm of 50 cm and 40 cm collecting wood and cutting it into a Germany and we exchanged our high) which I designed and built with veneer—but the results were not newest finds. the help of my brother. good. George identified his veneers by To make the book folders I glued two In December 1992 I read an article in their scientific name so I tried to linen strips along the edge to make a the German NEHOSOC journel identify my veneers from color hinge. The joined sheets were then Holz-Zentral-Blatt and through Ben photos in the books and their filed into a 32 cm of 40 cm folder Coster I have been able to get new descriptions. I even did chemical made especially by a bookbinder. The heavy woods which I have been able experiments and compared the folders are 10 cm thick and are held to cut into veneer. I regularly attend surfaces with a magnifying glass. The by four screws. They are flexible and their events in the Netherlands. In problem with veneers however is single sheets can be added or 1993 or 1994, I decided that veneer is that only the flat surface can be seen. exchanged. This collection is almost veneer and solid wood is solid wood A veneer is only 0.6 to 0.8 mm thick finished, though some markings are and since then have made no more so not much endgrain can be still missing. veneers— I started to collect solid recognized, making it difficult to get My collection now contains around samples instead. an exact identification. 580 different species multiplied by I became a member of IWCS in In storing my collection, I first put A4 the different cuts and figure samples. December 1994 and then joined size veneer sheets into a plastic cover One problem is that some of the HCTO in the fall of 2005— and a in a standing file. This was not folders are too narrow and some are new chapter in wood started for me. satisfactory. I then altered my too big so I decided to return to my I started collecting solid wood collection size to A5 and put the original file-card boxes again— samples with the same enthusiasm veneer leaves into card index covers athough a little bigger that I had for veneers. My sample with a name tag above. These covers proportioned—this time I have collection now contains 4,600 were then put into a file-card box—I wooden file boxes 48 cm by 25 cm different species of wood. still sorted by colour and the boxes and 30 cm high. Cardboard sheets I can only say: were identified by single numbers with veneer attached, fit into these “Wood creates joy and friends”. and letters. boxes. The folders however remain My main listing is by botanic names unchanged as I have taken only the and trade names listed alphabetically cards on which I had the samples. with reference to the special number. In front of the individual veneer In this way I had relatively good file cards is the card with the access to the individual sheets. information about the wood; trade names, botanic name, synonyms, family, origin and collector, is recorded here— but I have not quite finished them yet. My veneer collection contains around 580 different species held on 10 card index boxes. To every species there are different cut and figure samples.

580 species of veneer held in 10 card index boxes. Veneer samples held in book folders.

May/June 2009 World of Wood 5 ...sorting through the off-cuts by Morris Lake #7634

What’s in the off-cuts today? Well On that very subject, I recall Valid and authenticated PMG’s are firstly I want to thank all those who discussions I had some time ago with needed. They are the heart of wood responded with ideas on how we can Jim Flynn about the Australian ID. Take Alan Curtis for instance. economise in these tight times. The identification problem. I will put He uses a magnifying glass when he concensus as to what economies you in the picture by briefly explores in Mexico because he has IWCS could take in regards the World describing the problem so that you an idea of what he is looking at. of Wood have been resoundingly in can follow what we were on about. When he picks up a ‘stranger’ and favour of keeping it just as it is, if One really important way to wood has no reference standard he must that is at all possible—that ‘s good identification is to use a 10x lens to rely upon herbarium material —as news and I would like to thank those examine the wood characteristics and he described in his last issue. No who have commented on how recent then by referrence to published wood herbarium material, no result. editions have been very interesting. ID Keys, establish a match and so The ideal setup is for the wood That is satisfying, but we realise also correctly identify the wood. The collectors in a particular area to that because this is your magazine problem in Australia is that we have make bone fide PMG’s of the woods then it is actually you, the members, 5,300 wood species but ID Keys for that they know. Then have these who make the magazine a success by only 380, or approx 7%. The stark published if they have not been what you supply for us to print. So, reality is that once you go beyond the done so previously. Then when we all need a pat on the back. commercialised species, it‘s a waste guys like Alan Curtis come along, I did detect however that it would of time using a 10x lens as a tool for they have some reference material to not be too much of a loss to produce identification—unless you have all validate their specimen. Lest we get a biannual Members Directory. So, it that information in your head from discouraged there is a cheap way of may be something the Board could your own personal experience over getting PMGs made and printed. I consider. the years—because this information highly recommend we draw to all There has also been considerable is not written down anywhere. member’s attention an article by discussion about fundraising and I What’s more, nowhere in Australia is Ernie Ives in our own book More am sure some of the ideas raised will this science being progressed. The Useful Woods of the World. Ernie come to fruition over time. There ONLY way therefore, to identify 93% describes a way of cutting sections seems to be a resurgence of interest of Australia’s wood species is using of wood for mounting on glass in the various auctions, whether they botanical identification first and then slides using an inexpensive block be at meetings or for the All-mail obtain a sample from that tree which plane. You do not have to be a Auction. So do your bit and either be becomes a comparitive sample you skilled microscopist to make such an a provider or an acquirer. can eyeball. instrument and make a useable slide I would like to thank you all for your So, the discussion with Jim centered that can be used with a microscope contributions, and in the process of around: Where do we go from here— and photographed with a good this discussion we seem to have since Photomicrographics (PMG’s) is digital camera. Efforts spent in this gained ourselves a new Vice- a very detailed and professional direction would pay off in the long President along the way, speciality, I asked the question: “ Is it run. A short time ago a burst of congratulations Gary Gronberg—and of any use sticking a piece of wood on a energy was felt coming from Gary has given us some thought in scanner or taking a close-up photograph Australia created by a desire to his letter to the Editor on page 9. and increasing the size by 10?”. make real microtomes. I am sure Thanks Gary. Jim’s answer was that he did not that there is lots of energy down there if it were focused. Thanks Jim. Where to now? think it would be useable unless the block was one that had been used to Now I’m not sure of the position in We have had good discussions slice off segments with an extremely other areas of the world. What is it floating around about wood sharp microtome knife and had no like? Are we the only ‘basket case’, identification, and that was headed ragged edges on the pores, nor debris or do you have similar problems? off by Alan Curtis in the last issue on clogging them such as sandpaper. In Can you go to publications that will his Aids for tree Identification, and he fact he indicated that he had just tried give you PMG’s of your wood is to continue that discussion in what I had suggested with a polished species? future issues. I am also confident block of Quercus virginiana that that we will have more information The second question I ask of our ordinarily has very prominent on wood identification in the World of Australian members is: “When do we features in the ring-porous end grain. Wood in the near future, so stay start?” I cropped the size and printed an tuned. enlargement. Forget it!

6 World of Wood May/June 2009 A message from a long-serving member Contribution from George Walker #54, written by Morris Lake #7634 It was great to receive a letter from accomplished that. Frankly I was George Walker, and an even greater surprised, I did not think there would be pleasure to find out that his so much interest. We tried to keep it as membership number is 54. I’m sure uncomplicated as possible. We said the George is our longest serving member. tree had to be a native or naturalised I’m sure, because in chaseing back species and they had to be growing within through early records. The first IWCS the county, and that was about it”. minutes were recorded at a meeting The trees were judged on a point held at the Harold Nogle Camp, Big scoring system devised by the

Cow Creek, Newton County, Texas, , Memphis, Friday, November 2, 1979. American Forestry Association. which ran from 4 - 6 April, 1947—24 members were present. “But not only are the trees interesting”, said Norfleet, “So are the people you Then Bulletin No 1 produced in March meet. There was, for example, an 81 year 1948 outlined the Objectives of the old lady who had a giant elm in her back Society. The Constitution was yard. It is the same, size as when we published in the Second Edition, also in moved here 41 years ago. I remember that Photo: The Commercial Appeal March 1948. tree when I was a little girl, she said, I The Winner, an oak tree with a trunk However, in Bulletin Vol 1, No 6, used to take piano lessons in the house circumference of 20 feet 2 inches, height September 1948, the names and next door and we’d climb in it”. 96 feet and crown spread 98 feet. addresses for all members are listed. Thanks George. There were 98 members and member 54 is — Walker G. B , 346 Levee St, Granada, Miss—the man himself—just The winners in each catagory were as follows: 17 months after the foundation of Sassafras. Circumference 5 feet 4 inches, height 65 feet, crown IWCS—but George must have joined spread 30 feet. some time before that. Hickory: Circumference 11 feet 2 inches, height 101 feet, crown George, we are indeed honoured to spread 93 feet. have you with us and to have received Birch: Circumference 8 feet 8 inches, height 110 feet, crown spread your message and a contribution. 80 feet. George initially wrote to Chuck Holder Sweet gum: Circumference 13 feet 5 inches, height 99 feet, crown and sent a newspaper clipping from spread 100 feet. The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Hackberry: Circumference 11 feet 8 inches, height 99 feet, crown Friday, November 2, 1979 which spread 90 feet. contains a story by Ron Russell about Catalpa: Circumference 10 feet 8 inches, height 89 feet, crown The Largest Tree Competition in Shelby spread 28 feet. County. I include extracts from this Locust: Circumference 12 feet 3 inches, height 61 feet, crown spread article which I trust you will find 40 feet. interesting. Dogwood: Circumference 4 feet 3 inches, height 35 feet, crown The competition was organised by spread 40 feet. botanist Phillip Norfleet who spent 13 Ginko: Circumference 13 feet, height 84 feet, crown spread 56 feet. months judging the entries. Even at Pecan : Circumference 10 feet 9 inches, height 75 feet, crown spread the conclusion of the competition, 82 feet. Norfleet, when asked if it was over, is Tulip poplar: Circumference 15 feet 4 inches, height 99 feet, crown reported as saying. “I don’t think it (the spread 94 feet. competition) will ever be (over). Sycamore: Circumference 10 feet, height 96 feet, crown spread 80 Someone is always going to come up with a feet. larger tree of some kind or another. That’s Elm: Circumference 17 feet 3 inches, height 99 feet, crown spread 80 what we want them to do. The idea all feet. along was to enhance public interest in the Pine: Circumference 9 feet 9 inches, height 72 feet, crown spread 70 country’s beautiful tree population. We feet. wanted people to think trees; to be more Oak: Circumference 20 feet 2 inches, height 96 feet, crown spread conscious of them, and from the results 98 feet. (about 150 entries) I think we’ve

May/June 2009 World of Wood 7 Waltzing Matilda ‘09 by Lindsay Dunstan #5017L

I can’t pretend to add anything to the farm kiwifruit at Tauranga. excellent article and detailed Whilst there I contacted the knowledge of Ron De Witt as Local Council and local expressed on Monterey cypress residents to learn about this (Cupressus macrocarpa) in the Nov/ expatriate giant. What I Dec 2008, World of Wood. But I can found was that the tree was report on possibly the tallest planted in 1892 by Gordon macrocarpa in the world—and also Cummings. Nereby on a lighter note, picture what might residents who observe the happen to some unfortunates in view tree daily, declare of the current world recession. considerable growth has From the Great Trees of New Zealand, occurred. Since last (1984) by Burstall and Sale, a measured 25 years ago, macrocarpa in Moffats Road, one would expect the Tauranga, North Island, New height to have reached Zealand measured 47.7 m (155 feet) 160 feet. Indeed, Standing ‘in’ the macrocarpa in with a diameter of 148 cm. That was perhaps now the Moffats Road, Tauranga, North in 1984 when it was regarded as the tallest tree of its type Island, New Zealand measured at tallest macrocarpa in New Zealand. in the world. When we built our 47.7 m (155 feet) with a diamater In a recent telephone conversation of 148 cm in 1984, and with Lindsay Holland #5845 of semi-retirement home off Moffats Road late photographed in Great Trees of Ashburton, New Zealand, Lindsay New Zealand (photo left). reminded me of the macrocarpa last century this quoted by Ron De Witt in his article, towering cypress and growing in the South Island of could be seen from our back door. in the 1930s depression, and this is New Zealand, that measured 48 m When I say, “We built our home”, we how they dressed—walking the (157 feet) —obviously this species certainly made a contribution—as roads with their swag was a flourishes in New Zealand. Lorraine can well attest—with daily common sight. They trudged raw hands from laying concrete through the countryside looking for I have just returned from New drivelays, building cement block walls Zealand where our son and family odd jobs—humping their bluey, and an 18,000 gallon concrete waltzing matilda—as we might say swimming pool, etc. Down Under. For relaxation, I started to shape a Our farm in Victoria had a strict rule large log of—yes, you guessed— for hungry swaggies. They were macrocarpa, which had been given to given a prompt introduction to the me, and which had grown in the formidable wood heap of sawn, Tauranga district. With the 1987 foot-long blocks of curly-grained world-wide share market crash still in grey box (Eucalyptus woollsiana mind, I resolved to carve a ‘swaggie’. ssp.microcarpa). Two barrow-loads I approached my neighbour, Bill of split pieces were expected Bishop, to pose and I dressed him up payment before any ‘handouts’. with a swag—a rolled blanket slung Those familiar with this wood will over the shoulder holding all his appreciate the effort required to posessions—a walking stick, and a complete this task—especially with billy (no pun intended). It’s again a blunt old axe. topical considering the current world As we were a large family our recession. wood- fired, cooking stove with The whole figure is one piece of oven, which devoured vast macrocarpa—except for the billy, quantities of this high quality, slow- which is Huon pine (Largarostrobos burning, heating fuel. Our meat franklinii). Swaggies, were numerous sandwiches, however, were relished and must have softened the hard work of chopping the wood, Billy the swaggie humping his bluey.

8 World of Wood May/June 2009 Letter to the Editor because many of these itinerant, jobless souls, often returned for more wood and more sandwiches I joined the IWCS a few years ago, and the March/April 2009 issue ot the World of during those difficult times. The Wood really impressed me. How can such a great organization be in such financial aim of the swaggie of course was straits? Then I thought, what have I done to help? Sure, I have bought wood at the to get work to send money home, auctions, donated a piece of my work, paid my dues and even done demonstrations. But but in the meantime he needed just look what is in that last issue! It is nothing short of amazing, and I would like to the bare necessities to keep him point out a few of the items that really hit home. on the road in order to find work. First is our President’s message. Garry Roux is one of the most dedicated members of the Bill might be walking lightly, but IWCS I have ever met. But he is not alone. I have not met anyone in this organization has a heavy heart, hoping for who is not a dedicated lover of wood and a really nice person to know. One of Garry’s replenishment for a cup of tea, statements made me think. Our website is underutilized regarding the sale of members’ some sugar and flour to get him items. I didn’t realize until recently that there was an online auction. I agree it should be to the next farm or station, where open to anyone who has an appreciation for wood. I for one, would be more than willing he migh obtain work and be able to donate more of my craft items for this worthy cause. There is also a mention of links to to send money home to his our website. family—could history repeat How do you do this? I have a website that I would be more than happy to link to the itself—perhaps without the IWCS, but us old folks need to be told how to do it. Don’t assume that everyone is totally woodheap. computer literate. There came a time with this Moving on to the World of Wood, I noticed Lindsay Dunstan’s article on the two sculpture where Lorraine decided Eucalyptus trees with a common branch. Where else would you see this but in the World that Bill had suffered enough. I of Wood? Regarding scheduling, I would not like to see fewer issues. In fact, I would like was glad it was finished—and so to see more; but times being what they are, why don’t we all just pull together and do was Bill. His modelling fee—nil. some more fundraising? I know many members who do not donate to our auctions. How Bill has followed us wherever. about coughing up an item or two for this worthy project? When we retired back to Australia Then I read Art Lee’s article on a future IWCS Museum. What a wonderful idea. And if we brought Bill with us to it is presented correctly to the public, I believe it would be an additional source of new Murwillumbah—strange to say, members. but Bill looks a bit like our current Botanical Gardens of the World? This is the first time my wife, a Missouri Master neighbour. Gardener, has read the World of Wood. Willem Hurkmans’ article was great! I had no A pleasure to work, this idea there were so many Botanical Gardens in the world. macrocarpa must surely be much Alan Curtis followed that up with an article on corkwood, and he’s looking for it in my under-rated in the woodworking home state. Who knew? It took the IWCS to show us. He followed that with an article world. that says there are officially 679 native tree species in North America. What a surprise for me! More trivia I can use when giving turning demos at our schools. Richard Crow then discussed willows. It harkened back to the old craft of making willow furniture. Anyone out there that has done this craft and can write, should submit an Visit a Tropical Forest article on it. Back in the 70’s, I met an old iterant man who went from town to town Spend a week getting acquainted making this furniture. All he had was a small saw, a hammer and a bunch of nails, but he with tropical forests and Mayan crafted the most beautiful, sturdy furniture. ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula of And who would have known, were it not for the IWCS telling us, that some pipe briar Mexico. burls are found 60 feet below ground??? John Allen told us in the World of Wood. And I’ll be your guide and I know the Rhododendron is used for pipes? C’mon. various habitats and trees. Share our So on the next page, I begin to wonder why the IWCS President elect and the Vice- beachside condo (your own private bedroom and bath) in Cancun. This is president positions are currently vacant. Is this a thankless job? Probably, but does it our 17th year of hosting IWCS give the holder of these positions a lot of satisfaction of helping the club and it members? members and spouses, with visitors You can ask them yourselves, but I’ll bet the resounding answer is ‘YES!’ from The Netherlands, Taiwan, Italy, and the USA. I don’t mean to skip over any of the remaining articles, but you get the point. This is a great organization with a great group of members, so let’s buck up and get those Contact us for details. donations coming in. Let the powers that be know how you feel about the suggestions Alan & Mary Ann Curtis. offered in this latest issue. Get involved! Gary Gronborg. IWCS #8959

May/June 2009 World of Wood 9 Galls and burls by Morris Lake #7634

I know I am not alone in my fascination My experience with burls and for as long as I can While on the west coast of remember I have been searching for an Tasmania in February 2000—in a explanation as to what causes burl selfish effort to excape the humid growth on a tree—and I have shared and heat at home—we came across an listened to quite a few ideas on the almost pure stand of Tasmanian subject—but nothing has been quite as myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghamii), interesting as the following article by Dr. but more importantly, there were Humphrey Elliott which appeared in a huge number of both aged and Tasmanian Wood, a short-lived Tasmanian young trees in this stand with Forestry Commission publication. The burls—the older trees had publication is now out of print but the extensive burls, like I had never following are some exerpts from this seen on myrtle, while the younger article. trees exibited new burls. These are shown in the two Extracts from the article by Dr. photographs on the right. Humphrey Elliott: I also detected very new burl Galls and burls... range in size from growth, which is photographed microscopic malformations to large, woody below. Also, scattered on the outgrowths, sometimes several metres across rainforest floor were pieces of on the stems of trees. Many names have been myrtle bark with striking blue given to this abnormal tissue, but in general, mould growth on the underside. the smaller stem and root growths are called The side with direct contact to the galls and larger stem swellings, burls. cambium layer— the stems growth layer. Both are produced by the plant in response to interference with its normal growth.... either The fungi Cyteria gunnii has been documented as the cause of galls Burls on old and young myrtle stems from injury, unusual soil and climatic (Nothofagus cunninghamii). conditions, but more commonly by attack on Nothofagus species in various areas of the world. from insects, mites, nematodes, fungi and Without positive identification of bacteria. The plant then responds to this the fungi species present on this interference by rapid cell division and site with numerous burl-laden enlargement. The exact biological nature of trees, I have to conclude that the the response is not fully known, but is likely two are associated, i.e., the cancer- that growth hormones are altered. like growth of merismatic tissue The smaller stem and root galls are usually resulting in stem burls, is most caused by insects, mites, or nematodes in the likely a direct response to fungal or case of roots. The cause is usually indicated bacterial infection of such tissue. by the size and shape of the gall. In addition, although not all Large burls however, which are common on species have merismatic tissue the trunks of several tree species, when cut present in the stems, those species open reveal a proliferation of buds within the in Australia that do, tend to general tissue, or just a mass of tissue with produce burls. irregular grain patterns. This combination of irregular grain and numerous buds give woodwork made from burls a special character. Exposed new burl growth lifting The main cause of stem burls is thought to be the outer bark on fungi-laden mainly from fungal and bacterial infections Tasmanian myrtle stems. which have been identified as causes on some tree species, but many still remain to be identified. Blue coloured mould on the under-side of myrtle bark fallen on the rainforest floor.

10 World of Wood May/June 2009 Kebon Raya, Bogor, Botanical Gardens By Willem Hurkmans #8761-L

During the period of colonial 300,000) at an altitude of some 300 expansion it became ever more clear metres. Trees are well represented, to the Dutch authorities that they had with special areas being set aside for to make the best of their possessions palms, bamboos (up to 25 metres), in the Dutch East Indies. The pandanuses, commercial timber standards of agriculture and timber trees, a ‘Mexican garden’ with cacti, management had to be improved to etc. make the colonies a viable Several ‘special trees’ are proposition. In 1817 the Dutch represented here – some ebonies, for government appointed Caspar Georg example, all belonging to the genus Carl Reinwardt, 44 years old, to lay Diospyros. D. frutescens, which out and maintain botanical gardens means the ‘shrub ebony’ proves to where plant species from all corners be a tree which, in the Kebon Raya, of the colonies could be collected, grows to about 20 metres and has a grown and tested. Reinwardt was a trunk well over a foot in diameter. practical man with an eye for the This tree was described by Blume. It economic importance of crops, and plays a part in the general ecology of successors like Teysmann and Treub tropical woodland, for example as ensured the scientific importance of food for proboscis monkeys. The the gardens. Their impulse led to a fruits remind one of persimmon or major exchange of cash and kaki, but they often fall from the tree Diospyros diepenhorstii. subsistence crops in the Dutch East when still green. Wood production Indies. Since the economy benefited from this tree is unknown. Diospyros (D. kaki), jackalberry (D. mespiliformis) directly, government support was celebica (named after the island of and lotus tree (D. lotus). Another kept up. During the 19th and part of Celebes, now Sulawesi) which also group of trees well represented at the the 20th Centuries, the number of grows here, is well known for its Kabon Raya are the figs. They vary plant species and the area of the beautiful, brown-and black marbled from giants like Ficus binnendijkii, gardens grew considerably. Now, the wood named coromandel. Virtually which has a diameter above the root Kebon Raya (Indonesian for large the same wood is produced by D. extensions of 8 to 10 feet and grows garden) occupies about 200 acres in rumphii (named after the naturalist, up to 200 feet, to F. benjamina which the midst of the city of Bogor (pop. Rumphius). It is one of the most often remains a shrub, is often grown expensive carving and turnery indoors, but can make a small tree. Of woods, often used for musical course, figs are a well known variety instruments (flutes, clarinets, pegs, of edible fruit – but not all figs can be fingerboards and chin rests for string eaten. Some of them remain hard and instruments, etc.) on account of its small, while others, when they finally very fine grain, strength and ability drop off the tree, are so smelly and to take an incredibly high lustre attract a multitude of insects, that when polished. Then there’s most people will avoid them. Diospyros maritima (also described by Monkeys often are attracted to them Blume), which is grown in Florida and can swarm all over a tree, until under the name of Malaysian its fruit is finished, then go in search persimmon, (D. andamanica, and, D. of another one. Figs are not famous diepenhorstii), 19 ebony species in all. for their timber although this can be Did you know that there are well used for a multitude of light duty over 400 species of ebony, and that purposes like packing crates. Ficus most of these do not have black wood is usually distinctly striped on heartwood? Many of them produce the cross section, which is caused by fruit that man and animals can eat, alternate bands of fibres and like persimmon (D. virginiana), kaki parenchyma; this often reflects the alternation of dry and wet seasons.

Diospyros frutescens. Cont’ over page.

May/June 2009 World of Wood 11 Growth Rings: The IWCS Record Cont’ from page 11. bt Ken Bassett #543 Visiting the gardens is A few notes on woods used for possible every day of the violin making week. The gardens are well What would music be signposted, there is a without wood? by Dr. W. Mautz Oberursel catalogue of all plants, which So many of our musical The most famous of European violinmakers who are referred to the easily instruments are or were pride themselves for carrying on the tradition of identified areas (a map of the formerly (flutes for the great past masters of their craft — such as for gardens is for sale near the example) made of wood. instance: Stiadivarius, Amatius and Guarnerius main entrance). Guided tours Furthermore, they are not — and whose ancestors have been devoted to can be taken, the workers at made from just any wood. making violins for many generations and several the gardens are very helpful. Each instrument is centuries still use the same classical materials A nice little booklet is for identified with a specific which once went into the making of a highly sale, showing four different type or types of wood. prized, famous Stradivari violin. It can be walks which all take about an This absolute identity is considered an established fact that the old Italian hour. Anyone who really the product of the and Bavarian masters whose handiwork is still wants to see it all has to evolution of the unsurpassed and nowadays worth a small spend days, if not weeks. instrument and the fortune, had found out by long experience just discoveries and Part of the gardens area is which woods were best suited for building a refinements produced by occupied by the former violin. Is it a coincidence that the woods they and many skilled craftsmen governor-general’s palace, their successors used, grew in the land of their and musicians over many built in 1870, which was later birth? used by the Indonesian years. It is certainly still President, Sukarno. going on as new materials Naturally, in the course of the last centuries, are found and traditional experiments have been carried on with the object Bogor is connected to Jakarta of testing numerous other woods hoping perhaps (some 40 miles off) by a materials become scarce; however, most classical to find still better materials or at least to discover national toll road and by an adequate substitute for the rapidly train. instruments are fixed in their construction. Why diminishing supply. The result was, however, Bogor is known as ‘the rainy mess with a good thing. that no other woods were found which could city’ – one of the reasons for equal —not to speak of surpassing —the classical Much has been and laying out the gardens here, materials of old which Stradivarius and his continues to be written since water is seldom in short contemporaries once used. These were curly about the violin. As far as supply. This is also the maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) and the so-called I can determine the reason why Bogor, although tune spruce (Picea abies) The latter is used for the experts still cannot only 300 metres above sea top of the violin, whereas the maple is used for definitively determine level, is substantially cooler the back and the sides. Now as far as these what combination of than hot and noisy Jakarta woods are concerned, it is not so much the factors produces a great (pop. 8.75 million). The other botanical species which is important but more violin such as a side of the medal is that it than that the location and peculiarity of the Stadivarius. Extensive will often rain during the particular tree. Both the maple and tune spruce of testing using modern afternoon; no problem if you the desired quality grow only —with certain technology has not arrive on time. The main gate exceptions— on the slopes of the Italian and produced the answer. One opens at 8 am, allowing Bavarian Alps: the spruce generally occurring at factor beyond dispute is visitors a relatively cool and somewhat higher altitudes than the maple which, the wood. This article is dry walk. In case you’re by the way, is called bergahorn, meaning one of the better caught out in the rain there mountain maple in German. It is usually the very descriptions of the woods are several places offering big, old maples which yield a finely textured, used in violin making that shelter, such as the De slowly grown wood of the desired and highly I have read. Others Daunan restaurant and the prized figure or grain, i.e., a fine, regular, curly apparently agreed as this substantial buildings, in figure on radial cuts. This figure of grain has is its second reprinting. It retro-classical style, near the always been preferred for the back and the sides first appeared in the May main entrance. of violins and it is due to this fact that nowadays, 1952 IWCS Bulletin and a very regular curly-grain on quarter- sawn was reprinted in the material is always referred to as fiddle-back November 1977 Bulletin. figure.

12 World of Wood May/June 2009 Some trees have curly grain only at the thickest edge and tapering down the sound qualities of the violin. the base of the trunk —where this to 3/8". These small boards are Naturally, due to the narrow figure of grain frequently occurs stored and seasoned for many, many latewood, the specific weight of tune when a tree is very old due to the years. In fact, it is not extraordinary spruce is considerably below the enormous pressure on the wood for a good violin maker to use the average of spruce derived from trees tissues— whereas more rarely others material which his grandfather had grown in other localities. An old and are curly up to a height of 10 to 12 acquired in his day. Seventy years is very experienced violinmaker with feet. The figured part of the tree is consider a good age for the material whom I am acquainted is carrying processed into regular slices, both and the longer it has lain, the better it on experiments with a view of faces of which are exactly parallel to is. These woods, of course, are not finding a definite relationship the medullary rays. The reason for stored in the open but in perfectly between specific weight and sound utilising only quarter-sawn material dry rooms. quality. Since these spruce boards is of course not merely a matter of A typical characteristic of the so- also have to be exactly quarter-sawn beauty, but first of all to ensure that called tune spruce is the close — and and because they must be at least no warping will take place in case of above all — regular spacing of the 5½” wide and furthermore taking possible changes of atmospheric annual rings. However, this can also into consideration an average of 20 conditions since a quarter-sawn be found once in awhile in old spruce to 30 annual rings to the inch, this board will always remain straight. trees growing in the lowlands. The means that a tree yielding the On extremely rare occasions, old most important peculiarity of the desired quality of wood must be at trees of Acer pseudoplatanus show a true tune spruce, however, is the fact least 150 to 200 years old. In fact, a true birds-eye figure comparable to that the latewood is extremely tree usually has to be very much the well known birds-eye maple of narrow in comparison to the spring older because when it is young the Acer saccharum origin. It is, however, growth and somewhat lighter in trunk has branches all the way down well discernible from the latter, Acer coloring compared to trees grown and many years have to pass before pseudoplatanus being more yellowish elsewhere. This peculiarity is these branches die, break off and are white and never having a reddish or restricted to trees growing at high finally overgrown by layers of brown tinge. The annual rings are altitudes where adequate conditions straight grained wood. Hence the never so pronounced as in sugar of climate and soil prevail. It is never prices for suitable violin spruce are maple and the eyes are not quite so to be found in trees from other very high and it is not exceptional prominent and with somewhat less localities. The characteristic structure that for a pair of nicely matched lustre. of wood — close and regularly boards of superior quality prices The previously mentioned slices are spaced annual rings with narrow amounting to $50, — and more — roughly cut to the size of about 16" x latewood — is responsible for the have to be paid. 5½" being approximately 1" thick at resonance which in turn influences

Hello from Ken Platt in Florida, USA.

This is a follow up on Alan Curtis’s article on were full of small sprouts of corkwood just like corkwood in the World of Wood March/April 2009 Dennis Wilson found (MO). The area was thick to page 12. wade through in the summer..Please take due notice that ...mosquitos, ticks and snakes are very plentiful Corkwood —Leitneria floridana in the summer months ..By this time Freida had I first went looking for the corkwood with a friend and stopped because of the thickness of the brush.. The after looking all day, we stopped where an old forest last time I took her into a thick area the vegetation road crossed the Waccasassa River in the Cedar Key was poison oak (Toxicodendron toxicarium)...so, after area of Florida. We found one small spot of waist high the Florida meeting this past Febuary,which is our brush that looked like corkwood. winter, the area vegetation is free of leaves and Not satified with our outcome for the day , my wife ditches dry now, we went back by boat taking Alan Freida , and I went back for a better look a bit later. Curtis. We found the corkwood , but none larger We took her canoe—the only way to the spot— and than about 2" in dia. and barely tree size, but big then did a great deal more walking in the same area of enough for a couple samples.... my frist visit. Where the uplands breaks to sawgrass and salt marsh (not all of Florida is beach), the ditches Good day to ya, Ken Platt

May/June 2009 World of Wood 13 Exploring . . . The Effect of Climate on Wood Growth

About the Author By Richard Crow #595-E

A pine tree grows in poor soil with During the summer, growth continues less Richard little rain at 10,000 feet in California. frantically and by autumn in most species Crow Another pine tree grows in moist sub- the leaves fall as growth slows to a halt. Living in tropical southern Brazil. A teak tree The wood may show a narrow darker Cornwall, grows in the seasonal monsoon climate borderline. The more ideal the summer England, of Burma, while a tall cactus grows in conditions, the faster the growth and the Richard the desert of Arizona. Oak trees grow greater the contrast between ‘early’ and Crow is a well known in Scotland and by the Mediterranean; ‘late’ wood. Even in the relatively cool wood collector and meranti grows in Singapore where the summer of Scotland, a clear-cut difference timber trade historian. He sweltering climate stays the same all will be able to be seen. year long. What effect do these has been an IWCS But what about an oak tree growing by the locations have on the growth of the member since 1960 and Mediterranean coast in Spain. Here the trees and the structure of their wood? has a personal wood climate contrast is less defined so the tree collection of over 7,000 Obviously, there are several factors can keep its leaves and be evergreen. The specimens. Richard was involved which influence the answer to wood will not show the prominent big- born with a love of wood this question. How much rainfall is vesselled ‘early’ wood. Since the summers that was nurtured by his there? Does the rain fall consistently or are hot and dry, the leaves are thicker and family’s centuries-long seasonally? Is there a clearly defined drought-resistant. The wood is capable of connection to the timber winter and summer season? How storing water which means there will be a trade. With an warm or cold is it? What is the altitude? higher proportion of sapwood (and adventurous spirit and How rich is the soil? shrinkage when the wood dries after kind heart, Richard has felling will have devastating effects of travelled the world Changing Seasons and Growth Rates warping and splitting). collecting wood, making Let’s consider seasonal variations first. friends, and accumulating The further north or south the location Adapting to Harsh Conditions knowledge which he is, the more pronounced and cold the Within these climate zones other factors graciously shares with us. winters are. During the winter season, need to be taken into consideration: all growth ceases. Temperatures in the altitude, amount of rainfall, and quality of summer are also cooler. So the first soil. Perhaps the best example of the effect effect on the tree and of these can be found in the White wood is that growth Mountains in California near the Nevada is slowed. The second border. Here at 10,000 feet the winters are effect is that when cold, the summers are not very hot, the spring arrives the rainfall is very low, the winds blow, and growth opportunity the soil is poor. Perhaps nothing should has to be seized. The grow here. But the bristlecone pine has leaves open and the learned to grow here, although at a sap rushes up. The painfully slow rate. The result is that effect on the wood is growth rings are infinitesimally small and the presence, in close together. It may take 100 years to varying degrees, of a grow an inch in diameter, and while the ring of much larger growth rings are distinct, they are so close vessels. For example, together that a lens or microscope is the vessels will be needed to see them. The trees plod on and very prominent in oak on and can live for 5,000 years, albeit or sweet chestnut, but stunted, battered and blasted by wind much less prominent born ice crystals. They have one advantage in beech or maple. – while they have learned to survive in these arduous surroundings, very little else has. There is very little competition, and even destructive fungi cannot survive. A Saguaro cactus in The trees and the wood have great southern Arizona. survival characteristics.

14 World of Wood May/June 2009 dryness is not quite so ‘total,’ trees will grow very slowly. Their leaves will be tiny and some trees will have no leaves at all. Because the tree has to cope with the dreadful drought conditions, the wood is often very fine-grained and extremely heavy and hard (and attractive) as in the dry-region Acacias of Australia. As the fringes or ‘savannah’ areas around the deserts increase, growth improves but even then the wood is generally harder than if it had grown in easier conditions. An example is the dry-zone mahogany of the savannah regions of Central Africa which produces a harder and, in my view, more attractive wood than Bristlecone pines at 10,000 feet in the White Mountains, California. that grown in damper regions. But managing without water is While the climate is not so arduous I can vouch for this since this is not the only response of trees to dry in Oregon or southern Sweden and where I was for most of my National conditions. The hot, dry ‘nearly growth is faster, in pines the contrast Service in the Royal Air Force. This desert’ climate of southern Arizona between soft and light (color and region is steamingly hot, it rains off is the home of the mighty Saguaro weight) earlywood and harder and on all the year, and the cactus which can be 40 feet tall. The darker latewood is distinct and humidity is daunting. But for trees it climate might be described as ‘desert growth rings can be clearly seen. is ideal. They grow steadily, monsoon.’ Even though it is vigorously, and uninterrupted. generally very dry, there are times Thriving in Warm, Wet Places There are virtually no growth rings when, for a short time, very heavy Now, imagine the climate in (although there may be ‘chalky’ rainfall occurs causing flash floods. southern Brazil, northeastern deposit rings which are not related The clever Saguaro has learned to Argentina, or central Africa. The to seasons). The vessels are cope very well with this. When the seasons are much less distinct, the consistent in size and distribution; rains come, the tree soaks up the humidity is generous, and the soil is meranti is a good example of this. water and stores it in a great soft good. So the pines (in plantations) If we move a little north to Burma, core in its trunk. Surrounding the have a much easier life and, to the we will experience another type of soft core is a hard one like a set of delight of the plantation owners, climate. It is hot all year long with scaffold poles within the trunk they grow very rapidly and little variation but, unlike Singapore, which holds it all together. The tree consistently with very little contrast the rainfall is highly seasonal; it is consists of 90 percent water which between the early and latewood. This monsoon country. In the ‘dry’ acts as a reservoir for the long, dry fast growth has productive season growth continues but in the hot season. advantages, but the wood texture is wet season growth greatly A Tree for All Regions rather coarse. Also stability is not as accelerates so that the growth rings good as, for example, the slow- of large clustered vessels, like those Such are the variations in the world’s grown northern European pine. of oak, indicate the flow of sap. Teak climate and the reactions of trees. Perhaps the best growing conditions is a very good example of this. From regions where one would not for trees are locations where the expect a tree to survive to areas climate is warm, damp, and Overcoming the Dry Zones where all plant life flourishes, you can find one of our hearty friends consistent. Equatorial regions are In other parts of the world, it can be adapting to the environment. The ideal. One such region is Singapore very hot but dry – the ‘total’ deserts growth of the wood will tell the and peninsular Malaysia where the such as the Sahara. Here the climate story of the tree’s life in that climate. weather and temperatures remain may be so dry that no trees, indeed virtually consistent all the year long. nothing, will grow. Where the

May/June 2009 World of Wood 15 A sort-of a book review contributed by Sandra Szczygiel #9278

Dear IWCS Members, Further Project Description and Statement of Need Another day cannot pass without my World Dictionary of Trees, gives the information to monitor, thus maintain, expressing sincere gratitude for having global biodiversity. This is critical in that forests provide immeasurable met you wonderful people at the Florida resources including food, medicine, forage, resins, gums, lumber, fire wood gathering. When I first joined, it was to see and paper, as well as capture and sequester atmospheric carbon and if perhaps “someday” I would participate, contribute to the global production of oxygen. As a quantitative baseline of all but Jerry Zipprich tugged at me to go to known native genera, species, sub-species and varieties, the dictionary may be the meeting because IWCS would “come used to monitor, (among others) the effects of changing climate, clear cutting alive” there for me. Well, come alive it in some areas, over-harvesting and single species plantations at a time when surely did! scientists are encouraging sustainability. Truly I have never met such a kind, Sustainable use means that the utilization of forest resources must respect generous, welcoming group. Your the ecological limits of production for the particular ecosystem, and encouragement was very important to maintain its biodiversity. Because forest ecosystems are dominated by trees, those of us who are still reading, it is a primary task to establish a baseline for studying and monitoring the “Woodworking and Identification for dendroflora. There was no existing inventory of the dendroflora of North Dummies!” America, and no baseline was available for a monitoring system of its I wanted to give something to IWCS in biodiversity until the publication of World Dictionary of Trees first volume. return for the outstanding welcome. Since Ensuing volumes will provide the baselines for remaining continents. I have no skills to give back to you folks, I have given you something dear to me World Dictionary of Trees, may also serve as a guide to users such as instead, Dr. Miroslav M. Grandtner’s first scientists, individuals, and those who are collecting for seed banks and DNA volume of World Dictionary of Trees, storage; or for those considering different plantations as the composition of Elsevier’s Dictionary of Trees, Volume 1: the present zones changes as does the climate; locating species in like zones; North America. This is the initial of five or studying distribution while considering carbon storage. volumes that will present the first global The dictionary’s multilinguistic synthesis provides more possibilities for use dendrological portrait. in many disciplines and cultures; consequently, it encourages the global Miroslav Grandtner is a member of IWCS cooperation necessary to protect biodiversity. In a world community, this #6040, who belongs in support of a group he reference is essential to users such as forestry students, linguists, translators, believes in even though he is still busy botanists, environmentalists, researchers, ecologists, pharmaceutical researching the trees of the world, thus too researchers, urban environmental planners, wood collectors and busy to attend. newcomers. Okay, that is how it began, and now I will World Dictionary of Trees, Author and Scientific Project Coordinator, Dr. tell you “the rest of the story” concerning Miroslav M. Grandtner, earned a Ph.D. in Plant Ecology, as well as a Water World Dictionary of Trees. Miroslav and Forest Engineering Diploma from the University of Louvain and a Grandtner has devoted his life to the Master’s in Forest Ecology from Laval University. He is now Prof. Emeritus science of international forestry; therefore, at Laval where he taught Plant Ecology and International Forestry. it is easy to see how this project evolved. He initiated and created the International Forestry Training courses that he The leading publisher of scientific work, delivered in 12 countries in North and South America, Africa, and Eurasia, Elsevier, is producing the dictionary in while having first-hand experience with the large diversity in tree species five volumes, one for each of the following composition of each continent. In addition, books and papers that he has continents: North America, South written throughout his career, are still in use today. America, Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. So, our non-attending member #6040 is no longer a stranger to you, and I The scientifically accepted Latin names of truly hope that you will check out his work at your nearest library perhaps trees are numbered and listed in through an interlibrary loan. It’s definitely worth it!! alphabetical order for easy cross- Regards to IWCS members in your part of the world! referencing. Common names are verified Sandra Szczygiel. in English, French, Spanish, as well as indigenous and other languages where available, and English and French names Editorial Note are being standardized. Sandra Szczygiel is from Prince Edward Island, Canada. She is a For each tree species, the following retired teacher, who worked with environmental high schools elements are addressed: students and various environmental groups for the past 30 • World distribution and zones something years! She has no hesitation in declaring herself a “tree • Size of individuals hugger,” because of all that trees do for her. She supports groups • Foliage type like IWCS that also appreciate the environment and the • Ecology interdependence we all share. She is a volunteer on the staff of Dr. • Current threats, and Grandtner, IWCS #6040, who is compiling/ producing the material for • Known uses. the series of five World Dictionary of Trees, published by Elsevier. Sandra is writing grant requests to support Dr. Grandtner’s work.

16 World of Wood May/June 2009 Meet the new Vice President

Profile of Gary Gronborg IWCS #8959

From the President I retired from the railroad industry after member and contributor of wood 37 years, and took up wood turning turning articles to the American Gary joined IWCS April about ten years ago. Turning involves Association of Woodturners (AAW); a 2006 and comes from the spinning a piece of wood on a lathe and member and demonstrator for state of Missouri . He has cutting it with various tools. I have woodturning in the International Wood attended an annual turned just about anything that is round, Collectors Society; and a member of the meeting and several local and am now working towards my own Best of Missouri Hands (BOMH). I also and regional meetings. He artistic statement. Recently I have been attend local craft shows and have my is an avid wood turner, melding woodturning with work displayed in galleries in Columbia, and teaches wood turning blacksmithing. Interesting idea, but my Lake of the Ozarks, Branson and the to both adults and main focus remains bottle stoppers. I Central West End in St. Louis. I love students. As you can tell really enjoy making stoppers, and I was wood, and am constantly amazed at its from the email attachment the first to come up with the idea of a beauty and strength. I believe that by enclosed, he is enjoying goblet on a wine bottle stopper. I call it saving a piece of wood, and turning it IWCS and has IWCS my ‘Gob Stopper’. My next innovation into something beautiful, I am interests at heart. was the wine bottle shaped stopper; then contributing not only to mankind’s Gary is an enthusiastic the winged stopper and an apple appreciation of nature, but preserving supporter of IWCS and shaped stopper out of red bloodwood. the wood for us to enjoy for many years has offered to fill the My Pepper Mills are also my own to come. As always, I use only renewable vacant office of Vice design. It took me about twenty mills to sources of wood, recycled wood, and President. get one design of which I am proud. I am storm damage. A recent piece was made Garry Roux, President the founder, past President and from a floor joist from a 150 year old Honorary Lifetime Member of the Show church which was torn down in Y2K. Me Woodturners of Festus, MO; a

Tribute to Margaret Edwards #5427

We have received word of the death of Margaret Edwards of Wales, United Kingdom. She and her husband Brian attended and were very helpful with many USA meetings. The Edwards were members of the UK Branch. Myrtle Cockrell.

A Guide to More Useful Woods of the A Guide to Useful Woods of the World World Edited by James H. Flynn, Jr. Edited by James H. Flynn, Jr. The book includes 71 additional and Charles D. Holder wood data sheets (WDS) bringing Published in 2001, the first printing sold out! Reprinted in These publications are the total of published WDSs to 350, marketeted on behalf of PLUS two comprehensive indexes. 2007, here’s your chance to have It also contains fourteen articles a copy of the definitive IWCS and are available statement on 279 woods of the through: from highly respected professionals world. The description for each in wood-related matters: Richard wood includes: scientific and Forest Products Society Crow, Alan B. Curtis, Mihaly Czako, family names, common names, Eugene Dimitriadis, Robert distribution, the tree, the timber, seasoning, 2801 Marshall Court Goldsack, Ernie Ives, Siegfried durability, workability, uses, and supplies, Madison, Wl 53705-2395 Klotsche, and Regis Miller. along with a line drawing, a photomicrograph, Phone: 608-231-1361 ext. and a color photograph of the wood. Also A Guide to More Useful Woods of the World was included are common name, scientific name, 202 Fax: 608-231-2152 launched at the 2007 IWCS Annual Meeting & and family name indexes and 3 appendices. Woodfest in Grafton. This is a second edition, softcover, 640 pages. Softcover, 376 pages. $29.95 plus postage to members. $39.95 plus postage for members.

May/June 2009 World of Wood 17 by Ron DeWitt #6037-S Pumpkin Ash (Fraxinus profunda) (Bush) Bush A Deciduous Hardwood Oleaceae - Olive Family Synonym: Fraxinus tomentosa F. Michaux (40 m), with stems 5 ft. (1.5 m) dbh (diameter breast high), but more Classifying ash in the Olive Family green (also called red)– often to about 100 ft. may seem confusing. The olives are F. pennsylvanica, blue–F. (30.5 m) by 3 ft. (0.9 m) evergreen hardwoods, ashes are quadrangulata, and dbh. These trees may deciduous. Olives have sweetly indigo–F. tremillium. live 300 years. The scented, petaled flowers; ash flowers The original native U.S. National Register of have neither scent nor petals. The range of the pumpkin Big Trees lists a ashes, however, have an oil in their ash, all in the U.S., is in pumpkin ash, found in wood that is chemically very similar the swamps and river 1995 in Big Oak Tree to olive oil. bottoms of the coastal State Park in Missouri, Derivation of the genus name plain from New Jersey at 103 ft. (31.5 m) by 5 Fraxinus is from the classical Latin and Maryland south ft. (1.5 m) dbh. name for ash. The epithet or species across northern Florida This tree usually self- name profunda is from the Latin for into Louisiana. This prunes to grow “deep” or “profound,” referring to quite discontinuous straight and clear from the tree’s chosen swamp habitat. The range, with many small a broad expanded butt common name pumpkin ash is outliers, also extends to an open, rounded derived from the sometimes up the Mississippi crown of heavy pumpkin-shaped base this tree Valley into Illinois, branches. Like the develops to better support itself in Ohio and Michigan flared buttresses of the very wet locations. (first noted in 1992). baldcypress, the The ash species number 21 in North Recently it has been bulbous base of this America (16 in the U.S. and Canada) found in southern tree is thought to help and about 50 more in Eurasia for a Ontario, Canada. stabilize it in its boggy world total of about 70. Almost all Pumpkin ash grows habitat. are native in the North Temperate well in wet to very wet The opposite, Zone. swamp margins, wet pinnately-compound, The pumpkin ash, Fraxinus profunda, woods and poorly- Mature pumpkin ash tree. 8- to 16-inch- (20- to 40- is also called swell-butt ash or red drained river bottom centimeter-) long ash, the red reference from the land. Soils are usually leaves of pumpkin ash cinnamon-orange color of its inner mineral types of various textures are usually composed of seven to bark. This species is a member of a from silt loam to clay loam. The tree nine short-stalked leaflets topped by large group of colorful ashes: the is sensitive to drought and fire. a longer-stalked terminal leaflet. white–F. americana, black–F. nigra, Frequent companions may include Leaflets are 3 to 8 in. (8 to 20 cm) baldcypress (Taxodium distichum), long, elliptical to lance-shaped, only water tupelo or tupelo-gum (Nyssa occasionally with saw-toothed aquatica), water-elm (Planera margins but hairy along the aquatica), and red maple (Acer underside of the midrib. Leaflets are rubrum). On better-drained sites it dark green above, yellow-green will associate with some of the less below. An identifying feature, useful common oaks (Q. spp.), American in separating this ash from the elm (Ulmus americana), and others, is the heavy hair cover on the sweetgum (Liquidambar straciflua). underside of the leaf axis or stem. Pumpkin ash is a medium to large Pumpkin ash is dioecious, having tree, occasionally growing to 130 ft. male and female flowers develop on Emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis.

18 World of Wood May/June 2009 separate trees. Small inconspicuous Tyloses are plentiful in pulverized fresh bark yellow male and greenish-purple, heartwood. of twigs and roots (and wind-pollinated female flowers are Pumpkin ash dries two parts of alcohol) without petals. Flowers appear in quickly with average has been used “where early spring before the trees fully leaf shrink and only a an astringent tonic was out. The fruit, a single wing key or moderate tendency to deemed necessary.” samara is 2 to 3 in. (5 to 7.5 cm) long warp, check or degrade. Infusions were found and about 1.5 in. (3.8 cm) wide, This ash works nicely useful as a cathartic, usually rounded at the tip. The wing with hand or power stimulant, for relief of nearly extends to the base of the tools, although slightly constipation, for single seed. Fruits develop in dulling cutting edges. treating mastitis and multiple clusters and mature in late Sanded surfaces have a enlargement of the summer or autumn. They may soft, lustrous spleen. Bark poultices continue to drop well into winter. appearance, the result of were used to treat The fruit is popular with ducks and a small amount of a eczema, arthritis and other birds. The individual fruit and volatile oil in the wood. gout. Consuming the leaves are larger than those of any Pre-drilling for fasteners seeds was thought to other native ash, another is recommended. It prevent accumulation distinguishing feature of this species. turns well, carves nicely, of body fat. Twigs are stout, light brownish-gray especially with power, Wood of pumpkin ash when young, and densely hairy and is excellent for is a very desirable which may persist for one to three steam-bending. Those firewood. It easily years. Bark darkens and becomes large earlywood pores splits along radial lines. scaly as it ages, developing coarse, do require filling before The oil in the wood tight furrows and divided ridges that finishing to achieve promotes good form diamond-shaped patterns. The smooth surfaces. It burning, green or dry. tree grows rapidly, occasionally to 20 glues, stains, and accepts High quality wood is ft. (6 m) in its first six years. It is almost any finish, used for tool handles, considered moderately shade including paint, with farm implements, tolerant. normal care. It is stable dimensional lumber Sapwood of the pumpkin ash is in service, but durability Board of pumpkin ash. and trim stock. It is creamy-white and relatively narrow is poor when exposed to also used for furniture, with an abrupt transition to the tan moisture, soil or cabinets, flooring, or light brown heartwood. Growth weather. caskets, plywood, veneer, steam-bent rings are distinct. Wood is coarse, Dermatitis is an occasional parts, boxes, walking canes, crates even textured, straight grained, consequence of working with any and pulp. In its growing areas it is usually with little figure, medium of the ashes. Skin cover and usually mixed with and sold as white, hard and medium heavy. Average breathing and eye protection Oregon, or Pennsylvania ash or sp. gr. is about 0.55 and it weighs should be routine when working simply as “hard ash.” Pricing is about 38 pcf (609 kg/m3) at 12% around this wood or its sawdust. comparable to that of the other common hardwoods. At present M.C. This wood is tough, has Perhaps the most important use of supplies are adequate but are excellent shock resistance and pumpkin ash for Native Americans seriously threatened. excellent strength, among the best on and early settlers was that of the basis of strength to weight. The carrying its leaves in their shoes or The threat comes from the Emerald wood has no distinguishing taste or about their person. This “proved” Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis), an odor. to be offensive to rattlesnakes and exotic beetle first discovered in North The wood is ring-porous; earlywood so provided protection from America, in southeastern Michigan, pores are moderately large, distinctly snakebite. (In the event of failure in the summer of 2002 and in Ontario, visible to the naked eye. Earlywood the leaves were used to treat the Canada, later that year. It is believed is 2 to 4 pores wide. The transition bite.) the beetle probably came into the U.S. accidentally in wood shipping from earlywood to latewood is Pumpkin ash also reportedly has material of surface or air cargo from abrupt. Latewood pores are small, some medicinal benefits, probably its native Asia. Adult beetles are barely distinct to the naked eye and from glucosides and essential oil in about 5/8 in. (15 mm) long with solitary or in radial multiples of 2 or the wood and bark. A beautiful, metallic green wing covers and a 3. Rays are 1 to 3 seriate, indistinct clear, reddish-orange, very bitter coppery-red or purple abdomen. or barely visible to the naked eye. tasting infusion prepared with Cont’ over page. May/June 2009 World of Wood 19 All-Mail Auction by Art Brennan #6663 Cont’ from page 19. They are usually seen from May through Bids due by June 25, 2009 Notification of successful bids; payments for September. The insect is I invite IWCS members to take a look at items, postage selective, living only on the accompanying list of donations for I will notify the bidders of the results of the the ash species. Adult the 34th All-Mail Auction and submit bidding by June 30, 2009. After the winning beetles feed on ash bids on this year’s unique mix of books, bidder receives notification from me, the leaves, doing little specimens, pen blanks, egg blanks, crafts, successful bidders should forward payment damage. The larvae, woods, and a Compact Disk donated by expeditiously to IWCS Secretary/Treasurer however, feed on the members. William Cockrell, 2300 West Rangeline Road, inner bark, disrupting Greencastle, IN 46135-7875. You may pay by Bidding the tree’s ability to check or money order in U.S. funds, made out to the IWCS. Alternatively, you may pay by transport water and The minimum bid for any item is $5.00 unless otherwise noted in the description Visa or Master Card; identify the credit card nutrients. Symptoms of you are using and provide the card number, invasion are 3/8 in. (9 of that item. Bids above that amount should be in whole dollar amounts in the expiration date, and the V-code (that’s the mm) “D”-shaped exit U.S. currency, e.g., $9.00, $21.00, etc. last three digits on the signature line on the holes in the bark and back of your card). If you pay by credit card, Bids should reach me by June 25, 2009. dying upper branches please mail your credit card information to the You may mail or e-mail your bids to me; Secretary/Treasurer. Do not send credit card followed by the death of however, if you have an Internet account, information by e-mail. No payments should be the tree from the top I would prefer to receive bids via e-mail. sent to the auction coordinator. down. It’s fast and easy, and not only saves on Since its discovery the postage, but also paper, envelopes, and Shipping costs Emerald Ash Borer has trips to the post office. E-mail me at killed tens of millions of [email protected] and use a subject Successful bidders also are responsible for ash trees in Michigan line of “all-mail auction” in your e-mail. reimbursing the donors for the postage costs of forwarding the item(s) to the winning bidders. and more in infested Or, send your bids to Arthur Brennan. In forwarding your bids to me, please Payments should be forward directly to the adjoining states. The donors after receiving the bid upon item(s). epidemic is progressing include the number of the item(s) you are at an alarming rate, bidding on (e.g., S001, W003, etc.), the amount you are bidding for each item, Forwarding items to successful bidders having reached Ohio in your name, your membership number, as After notifying successful bidders of their 2003, Indiana by 2004, well as your return e-mail or mail being the high bidder, I will forward those Illinois and Maryland in address. names and bid amounts to Bill Cockrell. When 2006, Wisconsin, You may bid on as many items as you he receives payment, he will authorize me to Missouri, Pennsylvania, like, but you can submit only one bid notify the donor to forward the appropriate and Virginia in the amount for any particular item. Whoever item(s) to the bidder. Donors should forward summer of 2008. submits the highest bid on an item will items expeditiously and by economical means. At present the future of receive that item. In the event of a tie, the If shipping costs are not reimbursed, please the native ashes of North earliest bid received by me will prevail. notify me. America is in question. Internet This insect is well High Bidder Award established and will be As a bonus this year, Jim Flynn will be This year, a list of the donated items will be difficult to eliminate or awarding a copy of A Field Guide to the posted on the IWCS Web Site (http:// contain. Quarantines of Families and Genera of Woody Plants of www.woodcollectors.org). Also, you can see Northwest South America (Columbia, photographs of all of the craft items that were nursery stock and donated as well as photographs of wood items firewood in infested Ecuador and Peru) to the person who bids the highest amount for any item in W001 through W007. states may be slowing the auction. See the accompanying article Thank you for your support the advance. An by Jim for details. Also, in this year’s injectable insecticide is Please join me in expressing appreciation for auction, Les Campbell has offered to the IWCS members supporting the All-Mail showing some promise, carve Welch love spoons and a wooden Auction. We should be especially thankful but without massive bowl full of eggs for the highest bidders. for the members who donated items. Their proactive measures, our If you have some woods with special names appear with the list of donated items. ashes could go the way significance, here is an opportunity to The proceeds of their donations support of the American elm and have them carved into a keepsake. See IWCS activities. Also, it is not too early to the American chestnut, items C009 and C010 for details. begin setting aside items for next year’s all- Castanea dentata. mail auction.

20 World of Wood May/June 2009 Books - CD outstanding book with a judicious 9” wide, 6 lbs. The eggs are turned spread of Aussie trees. from a variety of woods and in various Items B001- B006 were donated by shapes and sizes. No duplication of Jim Flynn #3975H, Virginia. B006 Standard Plant Names published in 1942 wooden eggs. Minimum bid of $45.00. B001 by American Joint Committee on C008 Book, Diccionario Botanica de Nombres Horticultural Nomenclature. Good Carved bowl of Eucalyptus spp., Vulgares Cubana Par el Dr. Juan Tomas condition, 677 pages, weight 3 pounds. brown mallee burl, 9” long, 6” wide Roigy Mesa. Editora Del Consejo 8” x 9 x 1.25”. This book was in heavy 2½” deep, 3lbs. Minimum bid of Nacional de Universidades, La use prior to computerized programs $25.00. Habana, 1965. Printed in Spanish. Two and served well as a starting point in C009 Volumes, sewed sections, hard cover, 5 plant identification. It remains useful You are bidding on six Welsh love x 8 x 3 “, weight 3 pounds (2 volumes as a handy reference guide for spoons that Les will carve using your combined) Considering origin, in very nomenclature. Minimum bid of $50.00. wood or his. The spoons will be similar good condition. Many B & W photos, Item B007 was donated by Art Lee to items C005 and C006, photographs Index contains 3,553 scientific name #7984L, Maryland. of which can be seen at the IWCS web entries. Botanical literature written in site. Details to be worked out between Spanish is quite readable with practice. B007 the high bidder and Les. Minimum bid A good bit of the nomenclature can be 2003 American Society for Testing and of $30.00. translated with a little practice. The Materials (ASTM) Volume 04.10, Wood world used book market lists only two on CD. Retail value is $159. Minimum C010 copies of this book available. One in bid of $20. You are bidding on a carved bowl of Spain and the other in Florida. your wood and a set of turned eggs Minimum bid of $125.00. Crafts similar to item C007 which can be seen on the IWCS web site. Details to be B002 Note: Photographs of all of the craft worked out between the high bidder Trees for Darwin and Northern Australia. donations are available on the IWCS and Les. Minimum bid of $50.00. Author D. A. Hearne. Published by web site: www.woodcollectors.org. Australian Government Publishing Items C011 - C012 were crafted and Service, Canberra. 1975. 1 pound 10 Items C001 - C004 were crafted and donated by Jim Zoellner #8029, oz., 7 x 10 x .75”, like new, 168 pages donated by Jerome Padrutt #1068. Florida. plus 36 B & W plates and 8 color. A C001 C011 compilation of trees that have Large weed pot of avocado (spalted) Honduras mahogany (Swietenia demonstrated good growth in northern (Persea americana), 11" tall x 4" diameter. macrophylla) segmented bowl, 3 rows Australia. It was written in response Has a small crack on the spalted line. of 12 segments per row, 2¼" high x 5 for calls from residents living in the C002 ½" diameter. Minimum bid of $30.00. extensive housing developments for Pepper mill of Loquat wood. - 8¼" tall C012 shade plants as well as botanical and Base is 2¼ diameter. Honduras mahogany (Swietenia agricultural needs. C003 macrophylla) segmented vase. 8 rows of B003 Desk organizer of staghorn sumac 12 segments per row, 5¾" high x 5½" Cinchona in Java, The Story of Quinine. (Rhus typhina), 2½" tall x 2¾" diameter. diameter. Minimum bid of $75.00. Published by Greenberg, NY 1945. C004 Item C013 was crafted and donated by Hard cover, like new, 87 pages, 12 Tooth pick holder of staghorn sumac Art Lee #7984L, Maryland. ounces, 6 x 9 x ½”. Outstanding (Rhus typhina) 4½" tall x 2" diameter. C013 coverage of the history of discovery, silky oak (lacewood) (Grevillea robusta), cultivation uses and distribution of Items C005 - C010 were crafted and bank, brass Grecian-style post office quinine. A collector’s item. donated by Les Campbell #8626. box door with combination dial, brass B004 C005 Set of three carved Welsh love spoons coin slot on top, approximately 5" by 6" Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of the Texas Hill and 4" deep. Minimum bid of $25. Country, A Field Guide, By Jan Wrede, of cherry wood (Prunus serotina), in published by Texas A&M University flower, calla leaf and oak leaf motifs, 6” Item E001 - E002 were donated by Press 2005. Weight 1 pound, 5 oz. 246 long, 1½ “ wide, ½” deep, 1lb. Alan B. Curtis #1132-HL, Oregon. pages, 6 x 9 x ½ “. Condition like new. Minimum bid of $15.00 Includes Book Review by Jim Flynn. C006 E001 The Texas Hill Country includes 13 Set of three carved Welsh love spoons Set of 15 wooden egg blocks. Each counties in central Texas. of cherry wood (Prunus serotina), in piece is roughly 2” square by 4” long. B005 swan, maple leaf and acanthas leaf Labels give botanical and common Native Trees of Australia by J. W. motifs, 6” long, 1½” wide, ½” deep, 1lb. names, and where grown. All wood is Audas Published by Whitcombe & min bid of $15.00 dry. About 8 lbs; red ash (Alphitonia Tombs Pty, Ltd, Melbourne, Australia C007 excelsa), Parana-pine (Araucaria circa 1935. 396 pages. Good condition Carved bowl of Western juniper crotch, angustifolia), chakte-viga (Caesalpinia with some sun fading on spine. 5.75 x with 16 turned eggs of various woods. violacea), sugi (Cryptomeria japonica), 8.75 x ¾ “. Weight 1 pound 8 oz. An The bowl is 16” long, 4-6 inch deep, 5- black hawthorn (Crataegus douglasii), Cont’ page 24. May/June 2009 World of Wood 21 Shrubwoods of the World

by Nelis Mourik #7460-L Common Lilac Lilacs are among the most elegant and The genus name Syringa is derived colorful flowering shrubs and small from ‘seringa’, which was the local trees. They’re also accompanied by a name for it on the isle of Crete in the delicious fragrance. Moreover, their second half of the 16th century. The wood is one of the most beautiful specific epithet vulgaris means shrubswoods available. ‘occuring everywhere’ or ‘common’, an Common lilac’s Latin name is Syringa indication that the shrub already had vulgaris L., one of the only two spread widely in Linnaeus’ time (the endemic to Europe out of a total of 23. 18th century). The English name lilac is About 20 others are natives of Asia, as said to be derived from ‘nilak’, Persian far east as Japan. They are in the for purplish blue. Oleaceae family, in which is also the The wood of the common lilac (and olive tree and the (common) ash. also all other lilacs) is light brown with Common lilac’s most probable natural a rose tinge and is quite sharply range was central and south-eastern demarcated from the creamy colored Europe, but because this shrub has sapwood. On its end grain the been cultivated so long and extensively heartwood can show concentric or meanwhile it is possible that it waving red or purple whorls that occurred only the mountains of south- result on the longitudinal surface in eastern Europe: from Rumania down meandering streaks of that same color. into the Balkan peninsula. From the This is most possibly caused by a second half of the 16th century this fungal attack because of a too wet shrub was introduced via Germany growth site. It´s not the color of the flowers, for it´s the same in wood of into western Europe and a little later Longtitudinal surface of common lilac. onto the British Isles. Therefore it’s just white flowering lilacs. Stems can easily grow to 10 cm across; healthy shrubs as common as many other native sharp tools. The combination of small shrubs in western Europe now. or in tree-form it can reach up to 20 cm. dimensions and hardness, however, Common lilac can attain the size of a can lead to dangerous situations. small tree, some 4 to 7 m high, bearing Growthrings are visible because of When working the wood has a a round crown. Suckers can make it more dense fibers in the latewood near specific, quite fresh-sour odor. It can grow bushy, they’d better be cut off. the bounderies. The wood is semi be sanded and polished to a very Leaves are heart-shaped. Flowers are ringporous, the pores being very small, smooth surface. It glues well, and richly scented, born in dense, erect, nevertheless in the earlywood wider finished with laquer the color paterns conical panicles in May or June. Their than in the latewood. Parenchyma is are deepened. The wood is not colors range from white through paratracheal, but scanty. Rays are 2- durable: fungi and worms both like it! seriate, less often 1-seriate and rarely, creamy-yellow to red, purple or blue. This often beautifully figured wood is The Hilliers Manual of Trees and Shrubs local, 3-seriate, heterogeneous, in general with one row of square used for craft items, especially small 1998 edition says over 500 selections turnings, carvings and inlay works. have been named for their differencies marginal cells, up to 0.3 mm high. In in color, single or double flowers, and the ground tissue thick walled fiber panicle form. tracheids predominate. The wood of common lilac is very hard, dense and heavy (specific gravity 850 - 1050 kg/m3, average 900 kg/m3), very fine textured and straight grained, although quite often also spiral grain occurs. This latter, together with a high shrinkage rate of over 10 % in tangential direction, makes drying of this wood very difficult. It’s good to dry it with sealed ends and cut over the pith. Do it as slowly as possible, letting it season quietly over a long period of time. Once dry it can be worked well, using Transverse section of a five cm stem of 10x magnification of endgrain of common lilac. common lilac.

22 World of Wood May/June 2009 Shrubwoods of the World

by Nelis Mourik #7460-L Forsythia One of the most colorful flowering sometimes hanging over, 2 - 3 m high. shrubs in early spring is forsythia Leaves are sometimes trifoliolate, but with its numerous yellow flowers on mostly simple, with toothed edge. erect stems. Key characters of the Flowers are deep yellow and clustered wood are an off-white color and a almost all along the stems, four-lobed, hollow pith. bell-shaped, mostly hanging. Forsythia is also sometimes named The wood of forsythia is off-white, (Chinese) golden bells. The most darkening to a very light brown. common cultivated in gardens is Heartwood is indistinct. If some darker Forsythia x intermedia Zabel, a hybrid wood around the pith is visible, this is originated between 1880 and 1890 in rather due to penetrated water after Germany between its two parents pruning, that can easily reach and stain Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.)Vahl and the wood through its pith, that is Forsythia viridissima Lindley, both eighter (partly) chambered or fully natives of China. The genus Forsythia open in segments between the nodes. has, besides its several hybrids, 7 Diameters at the base of the stems not species of which one is native to often exceed 5 cm. south-west Europe, the others to east Growthrings are visible, but not very Asia. They are in the Oleaceae family, clearly. There is a slight transition in and closely allied to the lilacs and the color from lightbrown in the earlywood jasmines. to cream colored in the latewood. The The genus name Forsythia is in honor wood is ring porous with one to William Forsyth (1737 - 1804), discontinuous row of earlywood Scottish superintendent of the Royal vessels being that small (20 - 30 μm) Gardens of Kensington Palace. The that they are hardly visible through the specific epithet suspensa means lens, let alone the latewood vessels (10 - Longtudional surface of glue-up ‘hanging’ and viridissima means ‘very 20 μm). Parenchyma is only specimen showing the hollow pith. green’. In the epithet x intermedia ‘x’ paratracheal, sparse. Rays are means it is a hybrid and intermedia exclusively uniseriate, up to 15 cells For the small dimensions this means the plant characters are high. wood is never used, although it intermediate between its two Forsythia wood is quite hard and will be suitable for small parents, and indeed, in many medium heavy (specific gravity around craftwork like turnings and respects they are. 650 kg/m3 airdry), very fine textured carvings. Any other use is Forsythia forms a bushy shrub with and straight grained. To avoid cracks unknown, except for its abundant many slender, erect stems, also when drying this wood it is better to flowering in Spring. cut the bigger diameters along the pith. It seasons quite slowly. Once dry it is quite easy to work. A prominent feature is the pith that is contrasting to the lighter colored wood and showing the hollow segments between the nodes. Near the nodes, in Forsythia x intermedia the hollow pith is chambered. Other species are either fully chambered, or fully open, even at the nodes. Rays are so fine that they can hardly be seen even on the quarter sawn wood. The wood can be glued well. It can be polished to a very smooth surface. It is not durable. Transverse section of a 5 cm stem 10x magnification of Forsythia and grain. near the end of one of the nodes.

May/June 2009 World of Wood 23 Cont’ from page 21 Standard Wood Specimens baileyana) dwarf form, westrern coastal wattle (Acacia cyclops), carob (Ceratonia Items S001 - S004 were donated by cocobolo(Dalbergia retusa), earpod-tree siliqua), Gowan cypress (Cupressus Dave Milligan #4864L, California. (Enterolobium cyclocarpum), jarrah governiana), bronze loquat (Eriobotrya (Eucalyptus marginata), Oregon ash S001 deflexa), sweetshade (Hymenosporum (Fraxinus latifolia), cluster fig (Ficus Set of 12 specimens, 2 lbs, most of flavum), California black walnut racemosa), ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), silky- these specimens are pefect by a few (Juglans hindsii), avocado (Persea oak (Grevillea robusta), tulipwood may have knots, checks, or bark americana), digger pine (Pinus (Harpullia thanatophora), kaffir plum edges: Acacia baileyana dwarf form, sabiniana), California live oak (Quercus (Harpephyllum caffrum), and American purple leaf acacia (Acacia baileyana var agrifolia), holly oak (Quercus ilex), and holly (Ilex opaca). Minimum bid of purpurea), Acacia cyclops, Sydney African sumac (Rhus lancea). $15.00. golden wattle (Acacia longifolia), Item S005 - S008 were donated by Carmel creeper (Ceanothus griseus), E002 Jerry Zipprich #1238, Illinois. Set of 15 wooden egg blocks. Each carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Arizona S005 piece is roughly 2 inches square by 4 cypress (Cupressus arizonica var Set of 11 specimens, 2 lbs: damar/ inches long. Labels give botanical and glabra), bronze loquat (Eriobotrya almaciga (Agathis dammara), parana common names, and where grown. All deflexa), common flannel bush pine (Araucaria angustifolia), Pacific wood is dry. About 8 lbs; western larch (Fremontodendron californicum), madrone burl (Arbutus menziesii), (Larix occidentalis), false-mastic Australian wilga (Geijera parviflora), pawpaw (Asimina triloba), black olive (Mastichodendron foetidissimum), beach California black walnut (Juglans (Bucidas buceras), bitternut hickory heliotrope (Messerschmidia argentea), hindsii), and pin oak(Quercus (Carya cordiformis), pecan (Carya black poisonwood (Metopium brownei) palustris). illinoinensis), American chestnut (the wood is not poisonous, only the S002 (Castanea dentata), hackberry (spalt) fresh sap), red mulberry (Morus rubra), Set of 12 specimens, 2 lbs, most of (Celtis occidentalis), Eastern redbud figured myrtle beach (Nothofagus these specimens are pefect by a few (Cercis canadensis), and Port Orford cunninghamii), Brewer spruce (Picea may have knots, checks, or bark cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana). breweriana), yellowwood (Podocarpus edges: Cootamundra wattle Acacia gracilior), cherry-laurel (Prunus baileyana (dwarf form), purple leaf S006 laurocerasus), quaking aspen (Populus acacia (Acacia baileyana var purpurea), Set of 11 specimens, 2 lbs: camphor tremuloides), canyon live oak (Quercus westrern coastal wattle Acacia cyclops, laurel (w/red, figured) (Cinnamomum chrysolepis), California black oak carob (Ceratonia siliqua), Leyland camphora), Pacific dogwood (Cornus (Quercus kelloggii), rhododendron cypress (Cuprocyparis leylandii), bronze nuttalli), Sisso rosewood (Dalbergia (Rhododendron spp.), red elm (Ulmus loquat (Eriobotrya deflexa), common sisso), X persimmon (w/black) rubra), and an unknown tropical wood, flannel bush (Fremontodendron (Diospyros virginana), American beech possibly a Dalbergia spp, possibly californicum), Australian wilga (Fagus grandifolia), white ash (Fraxinus rosewood. Minimum bid of $15.00. (Geijera parviflora), sweetshade americana), black ash (burl) (Fraxinus (Hymenosporum flavum), California nigra), velvet or Arizonia ash (Fraxinus velutina), honey locust (Gleditsia Pen Blanks black walnut (Juglans hindsii), avocado (Persea americana), and Japanese black triacanthos), Kentucky coffeetree; Item P001 was donated by Dave pine (Pinus thunbergii). (Gymnocladus dioicus), and black walnut (crotch). R (Juglans nigra). Mouat #7101, California S003 P001 Set of 12 specimens, 2 lbs, most of S007 Set of 15 pen blanks, at least 11/16 x these specimens are pefect by a few Set of 11 specimens, 2 lbs: tamarack or 11/16 x 5"; knobthorn acacia (Acacia may have knots, checks, or bark Eastern larch (Larix laricina), yellow nigrescens), kingwood (Dalbergia edges: Cootamundra wattle Acacia poplar or tulip poplar (burl) cearensis), tulipwood (Dalbergia baileyana (dwarf form), western (Liriodendron tulipifera), cucumber tree frutescens), Brazilian rosewood coastal wattle (Acacia cyclops), carob (Magnolia acuminata), chinaberry (Melia (Dalbergia nigra), cocobolo (Dalbergia (Ceratonia siliqua), Italian cypress azedarach), black tupelo or black gum retusa), American chestnut (not (Cupressus sempervirons), loquat (Nyssa sylvatica), avacado (Persea wormy) (Astanea dentata), Mexican (Eriobotrya japonica), sweetshade americana), slash pine (Pinus elliotii), crucillio (Condalia warnockii), coastal (Hymenosporum flavum), California sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), banksia (Banksia integrifolia), African black walnut (Juglans hindsii), pondorosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), mahogany (Khaya nyasica), pink ivory chinaberry (Melia azedarach), avocado loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), and (Bercemia zeyheri), Zanthoxylon (Persea americana), Jelecote pine (Pinus Jamacian dogwood (Piscidia piscipula). diversifolia, red milkwood (Mimusops patula), holly oak (Quercus ilex), and S008 obovata), Knysna boxwood (Gonioma African sumac (Rhus lancea). Set of 12 specimens, 2 lbs: sycamore kamassi), Catalina ironwood (spalt) (Platanus occidentalis), quaking (Lyonothamnus floribundus), Gaboon S004 aspen or popple (Populus tremuloides), ebony (Diospyros spp.). Minimum bid Set of 12 specimens, 2 lbs, most of shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria), burr of $15.00. these specimens are pefect by a few oak or mossy cup oak (QS) (Quercus may have knots, checks, or bark macrocarpa), live oak (Quercus edges: Cootamundra wattle (Acacia virginiana), staghorn sumac (Rhus

24 World of Wood May/June 2009 Birdseye walnut – rare or not so rare? by Greg Reed #7616

I’ve always loved American black walnut—literally thousands of boards walnut (Juglans nigra). It’s easy to over the years. Most dealers don’t mind, work, takes a fine finish, is very as long as you promise to leave the stack attractive and is moderately priced— neat and safe. Sometimes I can find a at least relative to other imported board that has all the figure types I’m woods. Unfortunately it doesn’t looking for on the same board. grow on the Canadian prairies. I have assumed that by now that I would For the small boxes I sometimes have seen every figure to be found, but build, I prefer the straight, plain, in a recent search, I found something quarter-sawn wood which I resaw for I’ve never seen before— a board fully convincing to me. Perhaps some the sides and interior partitions and displaying unmistakable birds eye of the “birds eye walnut” furniture more interesting figured accent wood figure. advertised is actually stained maple. for the lid. Walnut doesn’t My first assumption was that it must be So I’d like to submit a question to disappoint and has some beautiful very rare. An internet search however, IWCS membership: crotch, fiddle back, angel’s wings, revealed that although this figure wasn’t “Is birds eye walnut figure truly rare, or burl, curl and swirl figures. Our unheard of, it was uncommon. There book Guide to Useful Woods of the are there sharp-eyed lumber graders at the was a single piece of veneer for sale on e- sawmills removing these pieces before the World edited by Flynn and Holder, bay that really looked like birds eye lists even more figures that I had ever wood is bundled and shipped my way—as walnut, but several other references to they apparently do for birds eye maple?” heard of including stumpwood, birds eye figure looked a bit suspect— ribbon, mottle and snail. including whole pieces of antique I enclose a photo—the best I was able To find the best boards, I’ve sorted furniture and luxury car dashboards. to take – showing the grain pattern. through dozens of pallet loads of However none of the pictures looked

Cont’ from page 24. W004 All-Mail Auction Award Aspen (Populus spp.), mostly planed, by Jim Flynn, 3975 H typhina), black locust (Robinia good color mix, from the wilds of pseudoacacia), cabbage palmetto Colorado, air dried 5 years, knots, Our Society is more than ever depending on palm (Sabal palmetto), Pacific yew one check, 5¾ x 3 7/8 x 53", 5 lbs. special events to keep our treasury alive. We urge all participants in the All-Mail Auction (Taxus brevifolia), Northern white W005 to consider the bids they offer as a cedar (Thuja occidentalis), Bristle cone pine (Pinus aristata), from “donation”. We are offering a prize to the basswood (Tilia americana), and the wilds of Colorado, dead when member having the largest monetary grapefruit (Citrus paradisi). harvested, rough cut by bandsaw, air amount on their total bids. It will be one of dried 5 years, clear but with one knot, Items W001 - W005 were donated Jim Flynn’s prize books—one that he has 17 x 5 x 1", 3 lbs. by Ron Lira #4053, Oklahoma. considered tops in South American tree Note: Photographs of W001 Items W006 and W007 were donated literature. The description is as follows: by Dave Mouat #7101, California. through W007 are available on the A Field Guide to the Families and Genera of IWCS web site - W006 Woody Plants of Northwest South America www.woodcollectors.org. Giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron (Columbia, Ecuador and Peru). Published by W001 giganteum), carving block, clear slow Alwyn H. Gentry in conjunction with Austrialian silky oak or lacewood growth, 8 x 8 x 12". Conservation International. Washington, (Grevillea robusta), two pieces, W007 DC. The weight of the book is 6.5 pounds rough cut, kiln dried, clear, total Bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva), log and size is 6.5 “ x 10” x 3.25”, with a page size of 9 x 22 x 2", 7lbs. section with spiral and small count of 895. Excellent condition. Soft cover. W002 soft center, very slow growth, 7" long Tragically, Gentry and ornithologist Ted Black walnut (Juglans nigra), x 6" diameter, soft center is less than Parker were killed in an airplane crash on crotch wood, mixture of 1" diameter. Minimum bid of $15.00. August 3, 1993 in Ecuador. They died while heartwood and sapwood with conducting scientific studies as part of feather flame figure, rough cut, air Conservation Internationalist’s Rapid dried 10 years, 2 checks, one 1" Assessment Program (RAP). Their work was diameter knot, 14 x 11x 1", 6 lbs. All-Mail Auction Schedule monumental in scope and importance. Their loss created a vacuum in talent that has W003 • June 25—Cut-off for bidding Apricot (Persea americana), rough never been filled. chain saw cut, air dried 15 years, • June 30— Notify bidders The Wood Collector winning this book is badly warped with checks on one • Sep/Oct 2009—Results in guaranteed to be pleased. Postage will be side but clear, would make several World of Wood prepaid. good samples 19 x 8x¾", 7lbs.

May/June 2009 World of Wood 25 Member’s Listings and Requests

Members with wood specimens for sale

Information from this page has been deleted as it is for members interest only

26 World of Wood May/June 2009 Wood Meets

September 12 September 2009 Great Lakes Regional Meeting Tues 16 - Sat 20 June, 2009 Held at the home of Bob and Judy Chastain, 3904 E. IWCS International Annual Meeting SR. 234, Ladoga, Indiana. 47954. Netherlands Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. - E.S.T. The IWCS Annual Meeting will be held at the Demonstrations will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Stayokay Hotel, Soest, Netherlands. See the program, Noon. Fried chicken will be served for lunch. A wood and costs in the Nov/Dec issue of World of Wood on and craft auction will take place after the meal. There pages 26 and 27. will also be something for the ladies to do, if wanted. Please note: During printing the Euro symbol was dropped from the program. All prices quoted on the Call 765-942-2661 for more information. Registration Form are in European Euro’s not US$. Registration is $10.00 per person. Pay at the door. Motels in Crawforsville Payment Options for US or Canadian members Comfort Inn. Phone: 765-361-0665 • Pay directly by Paypal to: Henk Bakker at [email protected]. Be sure they add the 5% for Quality Inn. Phone:765-362-8700 (Newly redone) Paypal costs. Holiday Inn Express. Phone:765-323-4575 - (New) • Pay by wiring a bank transfer to: Nelis Mourik, Audrey Dixon’s Bed & Breakfast. Ysseldijk Noord 31, 2935 BG Ouderkerk a.d. Yssel, Phone: 765-942-1002 (Location Ladoga). The Netherlands. The bank is the Coöperatieve Rabobank Krimpenerwaard U.A., Marathon 9, 3-8 October 2009 2924 XC Krimpen a.d. Yssel, The Netherlands. Account # 3225.55.604 in the name of Rabobank/N. Australasian Regional Annual Meeting Mourik and W. Hurkmans. Mention IWCS Ravenshoe, Queensland, Australia Woodfest 2009 and Package No Some information about the meeting was published in IBAN NL65 RABO 0322 5556 04 the World of Wood on page 24 and 25 of the January/ BIC RABO NL2U February edition 2009 . State these names and numbers or your transfer Further information regarding the full program was may not be alid. Ask your bank what they charge circulated to Australian members in Down Under No for the transfer. Rabobank will charge you 10 Euros 54, February 2009. This edition contains full details only for your payment. You must add these of the program, accommodation, transport, and a charges to what you pay. summary of the pre and post activities. If you require • Pay to Gary Green, but first contact him for a copy of this edition, please email [email protected] details. Gary Green, 9923 N 800 E, Syracuse, IN 46567. Phone: 574-457-5471. Fax: 574-457- 8551 Email: [email protected]. Gary Green will 17-21 February 2010 transfer your dues through Paypal which will Southeast Regional Winter Woodfest entail a 5% charge on your amount. Remember Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center to add this amount when paying. Manley and Elaine Hunt will be hosts of this meeting. Payment from other countries More details in subsequent issues • Pay by wiring a bank transfer. Residents outside theEuropean Union will be charged € 10 for their 15-20 August 2010 payment.Make the payment as per the details listed The 2010 IWCS Annual Meeting above for US and Canadian members. State the Lifeway Ridgecrest Conference Center, names and numbers or your transfer may not be Ridgeway, North Carolina. valid and don’t forget to add the transfer expenses. The Ridgeway Conference Center is located in the Further information on location and program will Blue Ridge Mountains seventeen miles east of be forthcoming. If you should have any suggestions Asheville, NC. The meeting will be hosted by Manley or wishes, please inform and Elaine Hunt. Nelis Mourik, email: [email protected] Future issues of World of Wood will contain more Willem Hurkmans, email: [email protected] information.

May/June 2009 World of Wood 27 Australian woods No 15 by Morris Lake #7634 Agathis robusta Kauri pine Derivation: Agathis from the Greek of the stand in dry marginal agathis=a ball of thread, alluding to rainforest types on the edge of the shape of the female cone, the rainforest zone. robusta from the Latin There are a large number of robustus=stout, strong in growth. associated rainforest tree Family: Araucariaceae family species. In the north these contains three genera, Agathis, included; hickory ash Araucaria and the recently (Flindersia ifflaiana), silver ash discovered Wollemia, with only eight (Flindersia schottiana), brown species in Australia. For 175 million tulip oak (Argyrodendron years Agathis ancestors have thrived polyandrum), mararie on the continent, as fossil evidence (Pseudoweinmannia of the Jurassic period shows. It had lachnocarpa), flame tree a widespread distribution in a (Brachychiton acerifolium) stony period when Australia and backhousia (Backhousia Antartica were still joined and hughesii), cadagha (Corymbia before the time of the Angiosperms. torelliana), candle nut (Aleurites They form the basis of most of our moluccana) and silver coal measures. malletwood (Rhodamnia Distribution: Kauri are found in costata). In its southern-most two distinct locations. In southern range common associates are Queensland between Tewantin and silver ash, mararie, flame tree, Maryborough, including Fraser iron wood (Backhousia An emergent kauri on the Atherton Tableland. Island and in northern Queensland myrtifolia), Bennet’s ash between the Herbert River and Big (Flindersia bennetiana) and Tableland and near Cooktown. It brown malletwood (Rhodamnia grows from near sea level to 900 m. trinerva). The mean annual rainfall is 1100- 1800 mm, falling mostly during the summer months. The tree: A tall tree reaching 50 m in height and 1.8 m in diameter. It is the tallest tree species in Queensland. The cylindrical trunk is not buttressed and is usually straight with little taper. The bark is smooth to slightly flaky and orange- brown, brown, or grey-brown. The leaves are oblong to ovate, alternate, Female cone with released scales and smooth and waxy, shiny above and winged seeds. dull beneath. The male flowers, or strobili are slender, cylindrical shaped, borne on the same tree on short leafy twigs. The female cone when mature are round green balls containing 340-440 winded seeds. Habit : It grows as an emergent over a few rainforest types. The plant spends energy growing towards the sun with a minimum of leaves, it then forms a spreading crown and forms a dominant part Male strobili.

28 World of Wood May/June 2009 Wood of Agathis robusta The wood is a uniform creamy-white to pale buff in colour, lightened by a delicate sheen, sapwood narrow and not very distinct.

Characteristics The texture is fine and even with a straight grain and has the quality of toughness. It is usually slightly darker than hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) and the presence of flecks in the rays as seen on the radial surface distinguishes Untreated specimen of Queensland kauri. it from both hoop pine and bunya pine Uses (Araucaria bidwillii). The timber is the most attractive of the Australian It has generally been used for coniferous woods plywood, furniture, joinery, It is easy to cut, work and nail, but some flooring, panelling, framing, compression wood may be present. It shelving, boat planking, glues well and can be stained and patternmaking, vats, kitchen polished. Air dry density at 12% utensils, butter churns and boxes, moisture is 480kg/m3. Shrinkage is cooperage, broom handles, buoys around 2% radial and 3.5% tangential. It and floats, battery separators, dries quickly with little degrade but turnery and violin bellies. needs protection against blue-stain. It is generally recognised that kauri is History not sufficiently durable for external use, The original kauri used was however, modifications to a lower floor mainly from the southern stands, area at St Andrew’s Anglican Church, which were largely depleted by South Brisbane, gives me reason to 1920 and the species is now almost believe that this wood does have some of extinct in southeast Queensland. the resilient properties common to The northern stands have likewise others of these ancient species. On almost been depleted, with the taking up this floor for modernisation, exception of those remaining in the kauri floor joists which had been laid World Heritage areas and Parks. directly on to a light bitumen covering, The largest tree recorded in the 130 year old Queensland kauri flooring. proved to be in perfect order after 130 southern stand was Bell’s Kauri at years, and all were reused, as was 60% Kin Kin which before it was blown of the kauri flooring, some of which was over in the 1920s measured 22 feet found and the average was around replaced because it was worn and could 8 inches (7 m) in girth, with a clear 12-14 feet (3.7-4.3 m) girth. not be resurfaced. bowl for 78 feet (24 m). It had a Most of the big trees have been centre girth of 19 feet 1 inch (5.9 m) felled, but according to John so there was very little taper in the Beasley (Plants of Tropical North trunk. Of the trees that were Queensland, 2006), some harvested in the early part of the impressive specimens still remain 20th century, barrel girths of 20-30 on Smith’s Track near Cairns. feet (6.2-9.2 m) were occasionally The fact that they are such stately trees, with the magnificence of the barrel trunk and the distinctive Farmers Cherry butter churn No 61748. Made by crown, has meant that they are a Edward Cherry and Sons, Gisbourne, Victoria. In popular tree to plant in park areas 1860 the farmers model churns were made from and in recent years have been used NZ kauri and sold around 1,000 per year. Later extensively for street planting in churns like this one made around 1900 used broad avenue situations in Queensland kauri. Brisbane.

May/June 2009 World of Wood 29 Regis-tree New members of the International Wood Collectors Society

Information from this page has been deleted as it is for members interest only.

Key to Members’ Interests 1 Wood collecting- casual or serious interest in acquiring wood specimens; interested in field collecting; interested in collecting crafted wood items; other. 2 Wood/wood technology - dendrology; study of trees; timber research; wood identification; wood anatomy; microtomy; other. 3 Wood supplier - willing to trade or supply wood for specimens or craft purposes. 4 Woodworking projects - boxes; canes; games; toys; puzzles; clocks; jewellery; craft items; models; miniatures; musical instruments; furniture; cabinetry; other. 5 Woodworking techniques - carving, marquetry; intarsia; pyrography; spindle or bowl turning; ornamental turning; other. 6 Other wood, wood crafting, or wood related interests. 7 Teaching, writing, instruction - would write articles for IWCS or demonstrate/present at IWCS meetings; other.

30 World of Wood May/June 2009 Corrections, 2009 IWCS Directory By: Chuck Holder; Chair, IWCS Publications

Information from this page has been deleted as it is for members interest only.

May/June 2009 World of Wood 31 More strange things Down Under by Morris Lake #7634

Following Lindsay Dunstan’s report trees were simply friends that on finding a couple of gum trees that had branches or part of their were really good mates, the anatomy that rubbed together phenomenon seems to be popping as the breeze drifted through up all over the place. Well, perhaps their branches. Sometimes not all over the place, but just down one or both members of this the road a bit from where Lindsay acuaintance could get ‘rubbed was. up the wrong way’, causing a For the March meeting the bit of friction, bleeding, and Queensland members gathered on squealing in the middle of Mt Tambourine, a coastal highlands rough nights. The second rainforest area only a few kilometres type of matey trees actually from the Gold Coast in south east grew together, as the Queensland. cambium layers joined and they shared each others Well you wouldn’t read about it, but victuals, you might even our guide for the day, Raymond say— they were blood Curtis, when he found out that we brothers—or even sisters for were interested in ‘matey trees’, that matter. Anyway we took remarked that he knew of a couple our happy snaps and wished himself and they were just down the them well and then came road a bit. Well, we couldn’t contain home. ourselves and headed off to see them for ourselves. Ken Jackson was also Hoo Roo! with us and he reminded us that he had a ‘dried arrangement’ of something similar which was beside A couple of real Aussie the tank stand at his place. Well, mates pictured above. before long ‘matey trees’ were On the left is a appearing everywhere, so I snapped possible sister sister a couple for your interest. relationship. Yeah, rigy didge! Ken Jackson brought to our attention the fact that there were two types of ‘matey trees’; those that simply had a ‘friendly acquaintance’, and those that had a ‘genuine relationship’. So we asked him to explain. The matey

NON-PROFIT International Wood Collectors Society ORGANISATION c/o Bill & Myrt Cockrell U.S. Postage PAID 2300 West Rangeline Road Greencastle, IN Greencastle, IN 46123-7875 Permit No. 24

32 World of Wood May/June 2009