No caffeine in this coffee

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low demand, the Kentucky coffeetree is nonetheless. a beautiful hardwood species.

It is often sold in combination with miscellaneous hardwoods, yet the coffeetree wood has little or no commercial importance. However, it has the strength and durability to qualify for use in railroad ties and fence posts and has a grain pattern similar to that of ash, red elm and honeylocust. It is beautiful enough to be used in veneer for wall paneling and furniture.

The heartwood, a rich light brown, is lightly tinged with red. The sapwood is thin and lighter in color.

Coarse grained, heavy and strong, but not hard, the wood weighs 43 pounds a cubic foot after drying. It polishes well and finishes to a high luster. These qualities alone make it useful for furniture cabinetry, veneer and wall paneling as well as construction material.

One of the Gymnocladus dioicus species, the tree usually grows as a solitary specimen mixed in with cottonwood, hackberry, honeylocust, black ash, sweetgum, tupelo, oak, or hickory depending upon the location. It is found throughout the central and Ap- palachian regions as well as in an area roughly bordered by Michigan, Maryland, Alabama, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

The tree is characterized by having male and female flowers occuring on separate trees. This is reflected in the specific name of dioicus which is Greek for two houses. Another unique characteristic accounts for the genus name Gymnocladus which means naked branch. In the fdl the tree loses

Story at a Glance

Kentucky coffeetree has limit. ed commercial value...wood suitable for ties, posts, veneer, furniture...grows alone rather than in slands...found only in U.S. and China.

its compound-leaf stems as well as its leaves. Southern mountain people call it the stump tree. In Canada, French Canadians call it chicot or dead tree.

The only species of this hardwood family growing in the Western Hemisphere, the tree is also known as the American coffeebean, coffeenut, Kentucky mahogany, mahogany bean and nickertree. Only one other such species exists today, Gymnocladus chinensis which is found in central China. Because of fossil leaves 50 to 70 million years old found in Europe, it is believed to have grown on that continent in the past.

The tree, although of little importance and little known today, was used by Kentucky and Tennessee pioneers to provide a substitute for coffee. Pod beans from the female tree were roasted and ground for use in hot drinks when coffee was not available. By today's taste standards, it was a poor substitute.

Coffeetrees grow to heights of 4080 ft. with a diameter of 2-3 feet. They survive on well drained to dry soil for at least a hundred years. Clear boles of 50 ft. to 75 ft. often develop on trees grown in forests although boles on those growing in open spaces usually reach only l0 to 12 feet.

Home Project Helps

"Great Plans," a series of brochures by Osmose, designed to help home handymen and do-it-yourselfers, is free by calline 1-(800)-522-WOOD.

Vinyl On The Side

"What Homeowners Want to Know About Solid Vinyl Siding " is available free by sending a self addressed, stamped envelope to the Vinyl Siding Institute, 355 Lexington Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017.

See That Shingle Shake

Product information on shake shingles is free from The Celotex Corp., Roofing Products Div., P.O. Box2?,602, Tampa, Ft.33622.

Wall Fashions

The 32-p. "1985 Paneling Products Catalog" is free from Georgia-Pacific Corp., Dept. NR, P.O. Box 48408, Atlanta, Ga. 30362.

Windows For A Sloping Roof

A 24-p., full-color booklet desoibing roof windows and skylights for the sloped roof, including blinds and awnings, is free from Velux-America, Inc., P.O. Box 3208, Greenwood, S.C. 29648.

Restore a Floor

"Instructions for Refinishing Wood Floors," an informative, six-panel brochure is free from The Flecto Co., Inc., 1000 45th St., Oakland, Ca. 94608.

Surface Notes

A product brochure and technical literature for an acrylic-based stucco surfacing system is free from Simplex Products Div., P.O. Box 10, Adrian, Mi.49221.

Cargo Liability

"Negotiating Terms of Cargo Liability in Transportation Contracts," a one hour cassette tape with accompanying manuscripts, is $135 from the National Freight Claim Council, 2200 Mill Road, Alexandria, Ya. 22314

How To Order Lighting

A slide rule guide for lighting specifiers is free from The Marketing Dept., Halo Lighting, 400 Busse Rd., Elk Grove Village, Il. 60007.

ln Forest Terms

The second edition of "Terms of the Trade," including more than 4,600terms, about 700 abbreviations, and almost 200 illustrations on the forest industry, is $34.95 from Random Lengths Lumber and Plywood Market Reporting Service, P.O. Box 867, Eugene, Or.97440.

Ride On

"ACWT 700 Tractor Rider" specification sheet is free from the Industrial Truck Dv., Allis-Chalmers Corp., 21800 S. Cicero Ave., Matteson, Il. 6O143.

For Prompt Service

On all New Literature stories write directly to the name and address shown in each item. Please mention that you saw it in The Merchant Magazine. Many thanks!

Entrance Requirements

An 8-p., full-color brochure on doors is free from the Simpson Door Co., 900 Fourth Ave., Seattle, Wa. 98164.

Builders Hardware

A 68-p. builders hardware catalog is free from the Customer Service Dept., McKinney Manufacturing Co., 820 Davis St., Scranton, Pa. 18505.

Vinyl Hang Up

An illustrated, 18-p., 4+olor brochure on vinyl wallcoverings (FPD-84DP-3018), is free from BFGoodrich, Wallcovering Products, Inquiry Handling Dept., P.O. Box 57, Dublin, Oh.43017.

Beautiful View

A colorful l2-p. brochure of decorative windows and louvers is free from Webb Manufacturing, P.O. Box 707, Conneaut, Oh. 44O30.

Remedy For Tired Tires

Bulletin nn52{ describing presson tires for cushion-tire lift trucks is free from Yale Inquiry Center, Dept. 512, Yale Materials Handling Corp., P.O. Box 12936, Philadelphia, Pa. 19108.

Let's Get Organized

A new 8-p. full+olor catalog on consumer storage/organizer products is free from Akro-Mills, P.O. Box 989,Akron, oh. 44309.

Custom Hoods

"Broan Custom Range Hoods," a fullcolor 8-p. catalog, is free from Broan Mfg. Co., Inc.,926 W. State St., Hartford, Wi. 53027.

Wood Panel Details

The "Product and Application Data" reference binder for building materials dealers and retailers is $7.50, plus shipping from the American Plywood Association, P.O. Box ll7fi), Tacoma, Wa98411.

Housing Mfrs. Redbook

The "Red Book of Housing Manufacturers," listing home manufacturers, mobile home manufacturers, industrialized home builders and manufacturers of building components and systems, is $14O, national edition; $48, regional edition. from CMR Associates, ll-A Village Green, Crofton, Md.2lll4.

Plastic Big In Building Construction

A survey of 573 companies exhibiting at the forthcoming 1985 National Plastics ExpositionNPE'85reveals that 4090 of the 412 respondents will be featuring new products, materials, services and/ or processing technology specifically addressed to the building/construction industry.

Building/construction applications represent the second largest market for plastics, consuming about 2l9o of the total plastics sold annually. In 1984, plastics' use by the building/construction industry reached 9.3 billion pounds, a peak for the industry, and a significant increase over the 8.5 billion pounds consumed in building/construction applications in 1983.

The show is held June 17-21, at Chicago's McCormick Place and McCormick Place West.

Buyers Opt For 15 Year Mortgages

Higher monthly payments for less time are becoming more attractive to today's homebuyer, according to a Mortgage Bankers Association of America's survey of 12 major mortgage companies.

While the bulk of applications (730/o) are for 3Gyr., fixed rate mortgages, the survey revealed a considerable increase in l5-yr., fixed rate mortgages, now l29o of all applications. Although monthly payments are more, overall interest is less, thus saving dollars. The survey also showed l39o of the applicants chose adjustable-rate mortgages.