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The Tell-Tale Heart:Some Tall Tales of Heart Pine
The Tell-Tale Heart:Some Tall Tales of Heart Pine
Alex C. Wiedenhoeft, Botanist
Center for Wood Anatomy Research, Forest Products
Laboratory
Alex C. Wiedenhoeft, Botanist
Center for Wood Anatomy Research, Forest Products
Laboratory
Or…Or…
Heart pine? Prove it.Heart pine? Prove it.
Or…Or…
Heart pine? Define it, then prove it.
Heart pine? Define it, then prove it.
Or…Or…
Toward a scientifically (and legally) defensible definition of
heart pine
Toward a scientifically (and legally) defensible definition of
heart pine
Why do we need a defensible definition?
Why do we need a defensible definition?
• Customer disputes• Science says that some of the
operating definitions are notdefensible
• Pre-emptive self-regulation can be a marketing tool
• Customer disputes• Science says that some of the
operating definitions are notdefensible
• Pre-emptive self-regulation can be a marketing tool
Edgar Allen Poe:The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allen Poe:The Tell-Tale Heart
• A man murders his neighbor and conceals the body beneath a wood floor
• He flaunts the perfection of his concealment by speaking with the police in the very room where the corpse is hidden
• A paroxysm of guilt, spurred by the imagined sound of the victim’s beating heart, drives him to confess
• A man murders his neighbor and conceals the body beneath a wood floor
• He flaunts the perfection of his concealment by speaking with the police in the very room where the corpse is hidden
• A paroxysm of guilt, spurred by the imagined sound of the victim’s beating heart, drives him to confess
The Tell-Tale Heart and Heart Pine
The Tell-Tale Heart and Heart Pine
• A man murders his neighbor and conceals the body beneath a wood floor
• He flaunts the perfection of his concealment by speaking with the police in the very room where the corpse is hidden
• A paroxysm of guilt, spurred by the imagined sound of the victim’s beating heart, drives him to confess
• A man murders his neighbor and conceals the body beneath a wood floor
• He flaunts the perfection of his concealment by speaking with the police in the very room where the corpse is hidden
• A paroxysm of guilt, spurred by the imagined sound of the victim’s beating heart, drives him to confess
• Proposed sale of so-called heart pine
• Positive identification impossible
• Confession not likely, but when asked I will have to play the role of confessor
• Proposed sale of so-called heart pine
• Positive identification impossible
• Confession not likely, but when asked I will have to play the role of confessor
Edgar Allen Poe:Not A Cheerful Fellow
Edgar Allen Poe:Not A Cheerful Fellow
• A parable for Heart Pine purveyors?• A parable for Heart Pine purveyors?
OverviewOverview
• Wood identification • In general• Of deconstructed materials
• “Heart Pine”• Definitions• Identification
• Wood identification • In general• Of deconstructed materials
• “Heart Pine”• Definitions• Identification
Wood Identification (ID)
Wood Identification (ID)
• Scientific wood identification depends on recognition of patterns of cells, mostly under the microscope
• Generally accurate at the generic rather than specific level (e.g. Betula - birch, rather than B. nigra- river birch)
• Scientific wood identification depends on recognition of patterns of cells, mostly under the microscope
• Generally accurate at the generic rather than specific level (e.g. Betula - birch, rather than B. nigra- river birch)
Informal wood identification systems
Informal wood identification systems
• Scratch and Sniff
• Boy Scout Wood ID: Pine or Oak • My less confident version as a
neophyte: “Pine vs. probably not pine”
• Single Trait Utilization Protocol ID• Usually perpetrated over the phone…
• Scratch and Sniff
• Boy Scout Wood ID: Pine or Oak • My less confident version as a
neophyte: “Pine vs. probably not pine”
• Single Trait Utilization Protocol ID• Usually perpetrated over the phone…
Formal wood identification systems
Formal wood identification systems• Reference Wood Collection• University Course• Books: Bruce Hoadley -
Identifying Wood; Panshin & deZeeuw - Textbook of Wood Technology; and lesser texts
• Computer programs: InsideWood, Delta, CSIROID, Guess
• Others too numerous and of little use to list
• Reference Wood Collection• University Course• Books: Bruce Hoadley -
Identifying Wood; Panshin & deZeeuw - Textbook of Wood Technology; and lesser texts
• Computer programs: InsideWood, Delta, CSIROID, Guess
• Others too numerous and of little use to list
Pattern recognition and identification
Pattern recognition and identification
• Human identification• Twins
• Careful observation• Specific characters
• Trial, error• Pattern recognition
• Automatic use of characters
• Acquaintances• Bird identification• Wood identification• All depend on pattern
recognition
• Human identification• Twins
• Careful observation• Specific characters
• Trial, error• Pattern recognition
• Automatic use of characters
• Acquaintances• Bird identification• Wood identification• All depend on pattern
recognition
Scientific Wood IDScientific Wood ID
• Correlative observation• Look with a lens• Relate that to the microscope
• Find and understand technical, microscopic anatomical characters
• Compare to reference specimens
• This is how scientific wood identification is done
• Correlative observation• Look with a lens• Relate that to the microscope
• Find and understand technical, microscopic anatomical characters
• Compare to reference specimens
• This is how scientific wood identification is done
Macroscopic viewMacroscopic view
Macroscopic viewMacroscopic view
Correlative ObservationCorrelative Observation
This is the same wood (red oak, Quercus sp.), at three different magnifications
Wood ID of Deconstructed Materials
Wood ID of Deconstructed Materials
• Common construction species• Mostly softwoods
• Not easy to ID correctly without microscope
• Relatively few hardwoods• Generally easy with a hand lens
• Assumption of antiquity not always sound
• Color, smell, general appearance inconstant
• Common construction species• Mostly softwoods
• Not easy to ID correctly without microscope
• Relatively few hardwoods• Generally easy with a hand lens
• Assumption of antiquity not always sound
• Color, smell, general appearance inconstant
Wood ID of Deconstructed Materials
(cont’d)
Wood ID of Deconstructed Materials
(cont’d)• Geographic location not always
indicative of origin of wood:• Proximity to waterways• Built after completion of Trans-
continental railroad• Dubious historical records -
renovations, additions
• Geographic location not always indicative of origin of wood:• Proximity to waterways• Built after completion of Trans-
continental railroad• Dubious historical records -
renovations, additions
Components of a definition for heart pine
Components of a definition for heart pine
• Species identification• Heartwood vs. sapwood• Maturity of tree (‘old growth’)• Time since harvest (‘antique’)
• Species identification• Heartwood vs. sapwood• Maturity of tree (‘old growth’)• Time since harvest (‘antique’)
Species identification and scientific names
Species identification and scientific names
• All pines are in the genus Pinus• Longleaf pine, and only longleaf
pine, is Pinus palustris - this is the species name
• Longleaf pine belongs to the southern yellow pine group, based on its identifiable wood anatomy
• I would record it as Pinus sp., southern yellow pine group
• All pines are in the genus Pinus• Longleaf pine, and only longleaf
pine, is Pinus palustris - this is the species name
• Longleaf pine belongs to the southern yellow pine group, based on its identifiable wood anatomy
• I would record it as Pinus sp., southern yellow pine group
Heartwood vs. sapwoodHeartwood vs. sapwood
• Differences:• Extractives• Relative
position in tree• Not always
measurable
• Anatomically equivalent
• Differences:• Extractives• Relative
position in tree• Not always
measurable
• Anatomically equivalent
Maturity of tree and time since harvest
Maturity of tree and time since harvest
• ‘Old growth’• Mature• Diameter • Rings per inch• Recently-cut
mature tree• Antique vs.
antiqued?
• ‘Old growth’• Mature• Diameter • Rings per inch• Recently-cut
mature tree• Antique vs.
antiqued?
Conventional wisdom in identifying longleaf
Conventional wisdom in identifying longleaf
• Density (Basic specific gravity)• Longleaf (0.49) 0.54 (0.59)• Pond (0.46) 0.51 (0.56)• Loblolly (0.42) 0.47 (0.52)• Pitch (0.42) 0.47 (0.52)• Shortleaf (0.42) 0.47 (0.52)
• Overlap renders the character useless
• Density (Basic specific gravity)• Longleaf (0.49) 0.54 (0.59)• Pond (0.46) 0.51 (0.56)• Loblolly (0.42) 0.47 (0.52)• Pitch (0.42) 0.47 (0.52)• Shortleaf (0.42) 0.47 (0.52)
• Overlap renders the character useless
Some definitions of Heart Pine
Some definitions of Heart Pine
1) Any softwood2) The heartwood of any
softwood3) Any pine4) The heartwood of any pine 5) Any southern yellow pine6) The heartwood of any
southern yellow pine
1) Any softwood2) The heartwood of any
softwood3) Any pine4) The heartwood of any pine 5) Any southern yellow pine6) The heartwood of any
southern yellow pine
Some definitions of Heart Pine
cont’d
Some definitions of Heart Pine
cont’d7. Any longleaf pine8. The heartwood of longleaf pine9. Any antique southern yellow pine10. The heartwood of any antique
southern yellow pine*11. Any antique longleaf pine12. The heartwood of antique
longleaf pine
7. Any longleaf pine8. The heartwood of longleaf pine9. Any antique southern yellow pine10. The heartwood of any antique
southern yellow pine*11. Any antique longleaf pine12. The heartwood of antique
longleaf pine
Take-home message:Take-home message:
• Longleaf pine is not scientifically separable from the other southern yellow pines
• This means that no one can prove that they have longleaf pine, only that they have a southern yellow pine
• Longleaf pine is not scientifically separable from the other southern yellow pines
• This means that no one can prove that they have longleaf pine, only that they have a southern yellow pine
Take-home message:Take-home message:
• Thus, an operating definition, to be scientifically and legally defensible, would ideally incorporate what can be proved
• Anything else will leave purveyors of heart pine open to potential disputes
• Thus, an operating definition, to be scientifically and legally defensible, would ideally incorporate what can be proved
• Anything else will leave purveyors of heart pine open to potential disputes
Questions and Discussion
Questions and Discussion
