World of Wood JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOOD COLLECTORS SOCIETY Volume 63, Number 2 March/April 2010 2010—the year of Wood Identification March/April 2010 World of Wood 1 World of Wood Vol. 63, No. 2 ISSN 1068-7300 March/April 2010 The International Wood Collectors Society, founded in 1947, is a non-profit society advancing information on wood. Officers and Trustees Contents President: Garry Roux Vice President :Gary Gronborg The President’s Message. 3 President-elect : Position Vacant. The Moon and Timber Quality . 4 Secretary-Treasurer: Bill & Myrtle Cockrell Publications Chairman: Chuck Holder ...sorting through the off-cuts . 6 Endowment FundChairman: Allen Nemetz Many thanks from Amazonian Peru . 7 Archivist: Dennis Wilson Past President: Art Lee Botanic Gardens of the World. 8 Regional Trustees Winterfest 2010, Lake Yale, Florida . 9 NE USA (2009-2012) Ron DeWitt SE USA (2007-2010) Chris Nothnagle African Trees and Wood . 10 Great Lakes USA (2008-2011) Bob Chastain Central USA (2009-2012) Stan King Registration Form for the IWCS 2010 NW USA (2007-2010): Fred Holder Annual Meeting . 12 SW USA (2008-2011) Les Campbell Registration Form for the Biltmore Canada (2009-2012) Robert Ritchie UK (2009-2012) Terry Sawbridge Mansion Tour . 13 AustralAsia (2007-2010) Ian McLaughlin Exploring... The Cerre System for EuroAfrica (2010-2013) Willem Hurkmans Macrophotography of Wood . 14 Committee Chairpersons Growth Rings: The IWCS Record . 16 All-Mail Auction: Art Brennan Membership: Gary Gronborg A Favorite Wood . 18 New-member Correspondent: Bill Cockrell Snippets from Tasmania’s Timber Past . 21 Wood Import Permit: Alan Curtis Wood Specimen Kit: Dan Keierleber Shrubwoods of the World . 22 Web Master: Erlene Tarleton Member’s Listings and Requests . 24 Website Committee: Chuck Holder Corporate Membership Coordinator: Daryle Layton Collapse in wood . 25 Student Membership Coordinator: Les Campbell Only Management Problems for Craft Sales Coordinator: Allan Schwindt Hiroo Kitaoka . 25 Cracking the Code . 26 Personal information has been removed from this copy of the issue Trees as National Emblems – Revisited 27 Australian Woods No 19 . 28 Regis-tree . 30 Wood Meets. 31 Book Review . .. 32 Editor: Morris Lake World of Wood, published bimonthly by the International Wood Collectors Society, is 22 Julia St, Highgate Hill, Q 4101 devoted to distributing information on collecting wood, correctly identifying and naming AUSTRALIA wood specimens, and using wood in creative crafts. Contributions for publication may be Phone: From overseas: 061 07 3844 1246 educational, scientific, technical or of general interest to members and relevant to the Within Australia: (07) 3844 1246 purposes of the Society. Papers may be refereed by an Editorial Board of technically trained E-mail: [email protected] members. The phrases ‘World of Wood’, ‘ IWCS Wood Data Sheet’ and all materials Associate Editors: contained herein are © Copyright protected by the International Wood Collectors Society. Ken Bassett — Washington, USA. Address requests to reprint material to the editor. Richard Crow — Cornwall, England. World of Wood is published as a benefit to members of the IWCS, a non-profit organization of Alan Curtis — Oregon, USA. botanists, dendrologists, and other scientists, technologists, wood collectors, hobbyists and Ron DeWitt — New York, USA. 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 per Fred Holder — Washington, USA. 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 and Ernie Ives — Suffolk, England. address changes also should be directed to the Secretary-Treasurer. Barry and Danielle James—South Africa. We encourage your membership in our unique international organization. Nelis Mourik—South Holland, Netherlands. Susan Stamm — Wisconsin, USA. Cover photographs. Background; Jean-Claude Cerre’s Macrophotograph of tree of IWCS World wide web site: heaven (Ailanthus altissima) at X15 magnification. Centre: Same species at X 150 http://www.woodcollectors.org 2 World of Wood March/April 2010 The President’s Message from Garry Roux Greetings everyone! Even though the temperature was Dan and Tim for the service you wood lists. cooler than we had hoped for, it sure provided us. Details will beat what we left at home. What in I would also like to welcome our be in the next the world am I talking about? It’s the new trustee for the new EuroAfrican journal. Southeast Regional Meeting we just Region, Willem Hurkmans. Thanks There will returned from, held at Lake Yale, for stepping forward, Willem. also be a feasibility study if we can Florida. Manley and Elaine Hunt did afford going back to a monthly There was discussion on the use of a great job hosting the 169 members. World of Wood. email as a means of doing business The meeting was a huge success for for the organization—whether it In this issue, you will find the the organization. I believe everyone was allowed by the constitution. In registration form for the 2010 that attended had a good time and reviewing the Constitution and the annual meeting. It is only a little had the opportunity to obtain unique Roles and Responsibilities of IWCS, over four months away! Please wood. It was also a huge financial I have found that this issue has been send in your registration promptly. success. The drawing for the Fred addressed in Policy Number PO-03, It helps everyone hosting this Yaxley Jr. goblet was held and the dated December 9, 2002 and it is meeting make their plans for the winner was Dan & Romaleta James. I allowed. The board also approved attendees. also presented three presidential that we will set aside one page in Call a new member and talk with awards for extraordinary service to the World of Wood for members’ them—you never know, you might IWCS. Bob & Judy find a new friend. Make it a Chastain, Manley & Elaine new beginning for you and Hunt, and Terry & Pauline them. Sawbridge received these awards. Thank you guys for Hope to see you soon, all you do for this Garry. organization. This meeting might have had more first time attendees than any meeting I have been to. It made me feel good to see so many President Garry Roux new faces. Thanks to all of presenting Manley and Elaine you! Hunt of Florida a certificate of A board meeting was held appreciation for their great and the appointments of contributions to the IWCS. Allen Nemetz for Chairman of the Endowment Fund and Greg Reed as a committee member were approved. They are replacing Dan IWCS First EuroAfrican Region Trustee James (Chairman) and Tim Deahl (Committee member). Thank you Willem Hurkmans, # 8761-L, of the Netherlands has been elected as the first Trustee of the recently formed IWCS EuroAfrican A note for contributors Region. Willem is a Life member of IWCS and an Associate Editor of World of Wood writing a series of articles on Botanic Gardens of Please submit articles as you complete them. I can then place them the World. In 2009, along with other Dutch members of IWCS, he into future editions so each edition hosted the IWCS Annual meeting held in the Netherlands. Willem will present a balance of topics. If attended Utrecht University where he majored in plant systematics possible I will advise when they will appear. and evolution. He is also a member of Nehosoc, the Dutch Wood Last minute changes before: Collectors Society. IWCS thanks Willem for his willingness to act as 1 May for the May/June 2010 Trustee for the new Region, and for all his other work for and contributions to the Society. His term as trustee will go from March E-mail copy to: 1, 2010 through September 30, 2013. [email protected] March/April 2010 World of Wood 3 The Moon and Timber Quality by Jose-Miguel Elosegui and Morris Lake #7634 Throughout history the moon has Crops and animals were grown and played a significant role in many utilised according to nature’s cycles, aspects of life on earth. It has a or farmers adapted special activities direct influence on the earth’s water as they related to such things as masses with the moon controlling harvesting hay and crops, cattle the tides—which of course effects rearing and forestry. the rhythm of all life in and on the The disappearance of animal sea—from the spawning of coral traction, the proliferation of all- polyps to the largest creatures, the terrain vehicles, tractors, all sorts of whales, both in a direct or indirect machinery as well as the emergence way. of forestry roads which cut into It’s not surprising therefore, that nature’s pathways, have farmers have observed the moon’s transformed lifestyle in many influence on plants and farm ways—so much so that today, animals as well, and having made youngsters have no idea whatsoever these observations have adjusted of these traditional ways and their practices accordingly, using skills—more importantly, they do these natural cycles to their benefit. not realise their importantance. In modern times however, we are The moon has four quarters lasting witnessing big changes of lifestyle, approximately 29.5 days. In the first A very old and ‘pollarded’ oak cut by changes felt especially in rural two quarters—from new moon to shepherds to feed animals on the common. setting. Practices that have lasted full moon—the moon is ‘waxing’, or for centuries are being ignored or growing visibly. For the third and forest trees, the preparation of are disappearing altogether.