Question

Spring wood (early wood) differs with autumn wood (late wood) in

• A. Size of vessels and tracheids
• B. Thickness of cell wall
• C. Amount of wood
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is D All of the above

In temperate softwoods, there often is a marked difference between latewood (autumn wood) and earlywood (spring wood). The latewood will be denser than that formed early in the season. When examined under a microscope the cells of dense latewood are seen to be very thick-walled and with very small cell cavities, while those formed first in the season have thin walls and large cell cavities. The strength is in the walls, not the cavities. Hence, the greater the proportion of latewood the greater the density and strength. In choosing a piece of pine where strength or stiffness is the important consideration, the principal thing to observe is the comparative amounts of earlywood and latewood. The width of ring is not nearly so important as the proportion and nature of the latewood in the ring. Size of vessels and trachieds are more in spring wood. Thus, option D is correct.