=Hardness and strength= are qualities of great value in building. _Live oak_ is used in ships. _Red oak_, _rock maple_, and _yellow pine_ are used for floors. The best flooring is sawn with the straight edges of the annual rings upward; tangential sawn flooring may splinter. _Chestnut_ is common in some parts of the country, being used for ceiling and inexpensive finishing and furniture. _Locust_ and _bois d’arc_ (osage orange) are used for hubs of wheels; bois d’arc makes a remarkably durable pavement for streets. _Ebony_ is a tropical wood used for flutes, black piano keys, and fancy articles. _Ash_ is straight and elastic; it is used for handles for light implements. _Hickory_ is very strong as well as elastic, and is superior to ash for handles, spokes, and other uses where strength is wanted. Hickory is never sawn into lumber, but is split or turned. The “second growth,” which sprouts from stumps, is most useful, as it splits readily. Fast-growing hickory in rich land is most valuable. The supply of useful hickory is being rapidly exhausted. =Softness= _is often important_. _White pine_ and _sweet gum_ because of their softness and lightness are useful in box-making. “_Georgia_” or _southern pine_ is harder and stronger than white pine; it is much used for floors, ceilings, and some kinds of cabinet work. _White pine_ is used for window-sash, doors, and moulding, and cheaper grades are used for flooring. _Hemlock_ is the prevailing lumber in the east for the framework and clapboarding of buildings. _Redwood_ and _Douglas spruce_ are common building materials on the Pacific coast. _Cypress_ is soft and resists decay and is superior to white pine for sash, doors, and posts on the outside of houses. _Cedar_ is readily carved and has a unique use in the making of chests for clothes, as its odour repels moths and other insects. _Willow_ is useful for baskets and light furniture. _Basswood_ or _linden_ is used for light ceiling and sometimes for cheap floors. _Whitewood_ (incorrectly called poplar) is employed for wagon bodies and often for house finishing. It often resembles curly maple. [Illustration: FIG. 86.—THE MAKING OF ORDINARY BOARDS, AND ONE WAY OF MAKING “QUARTERED” BOARDS.]