Delphinidin

The use of wood by humans for fuel, shelter, weapons, and other purposes dates back into antiquity, and present uses are so numerous that it would be impossible to list in a work of this type more than the most important ones. Before discussing the economic importance of wood, let’s take a brief look at its properties.

In a living tree, up to 50% of the weight of the wood comes from the water content. Before the wood can be used, seasoning reduces the moisture content to 10% or less, either by air-drying it in ventilated piles or stacks or by drying it in special ovens known as kilns. The seasoning has to be done gradually and under carefully controlled conditions, or the timber may warp and split along the rays, making it unfit for most uses. The dry part of wood is composed of 60% to 75% cellulose and about 15% to 25% lignin, an organic substance that makes the walls of xylem cells tough and hard. Other substances present in smaller amounts include resins, gums, oils, dyes, tannins, and starch. The proportions and amounts of these and other substances determine how various woods will be used.