I said I didn't disagree, nor did I agree. I merely asked you to provide factual data to support the blanket statement you made. I provided a link for you that will explain in general terms everything you need to know. And just because I asked you to prove it doesn't mean I was being aggressive. I'm merely being concise, not offensive. I believe good info can only be exchanged if the folks having the conversation are well informed and have sources to support their position. Opinion is a different animal altogether, and asking for provenance quickly eliminates opinion from a factual conversation. So I apologize if I came off as attacking you. I was merely asking in a direct way for you to credit your statement.
Early wood is the spurt of growth in the spring, after a mostly dormant winter. The growth is rapid at first, slowing as time passes & moisture becomes less available until it reaches winter again. The slow growth in summer and into winter is the late wood. The cells created during early wood growth are large, thin walled, and fragile, whereas the late wood cells are smaller and thicker walled. This means the late wood section of a growth ring is stronger, more dense. The wood becomes darker as the season goes, being lightest in spring and darkest in winter. Winter is indicated by the thin lines we know as grain lines, but really is only the winding down & transition between late wood and summer wood again.
What does that mean? In laments terms it means longer growing seasons, specifically extended summers, produces the strongest, heaviest wood. That's the science of it. My own personal experiences mirror the science. I log & mill a lot of my own maple. I cut in MI, WI, OH, KY, & WV. I typically cut in OH and WI. Without a doubt, the region makes the least of difference. In fact, I haven't noticed where any region produces better wood than any other. What I have found is that the specific tract, immediate habitat, dictates everything. Thus far, the places that have given me the best wood are dry, well drained slopes in the shade of larger trees, regardless of region. Wood from these areas tend to be heavy, stiff, hard, with nearly indistinct grain lines. In other words, it mimics the science. Further yet, it's relevant to fast and slow growth, so I conclude that growth rate plays minimal role by itself. Most important is quality of grain, not number of grains. That's why I neither agreed nor disagreed with you. A high grain count could be good, or it could be bad. It really depends on other things.
