Wood Identification - Sassafras not persimmon

A land surveyor sent me a piece of a rotten stump that was thought to be from an old persimmon tree that was cited on a boundary map.

Microscopic examination revealed that the wood rays were up to 5 seriate (five cells wide). This rules out persimmon, which only has 1-2 seriate rays. My opinion is that it is sassafras.

Cat safe wood coatings

A homeowner wrote about what to apply to his deck to water proof it without risk of harm to his cat.

There is no risk to his cat (or to anyone) with any water-repellent coating. An evaluation of some available clear coatings for wood is available.

Air Drying Times for Poplar

An email asking about how long to air dry poplar boards for a fence to prevent subsequent warping.

The air-drying time of green yellow poplar lumber depends on a lot of factors, including the temperature, humidity, air flow and thickness. But, if we can assume good drying conditions and 1-inch boards, then about 3 months should suffice. Longer is better and can't hurt if the wood is kept dry.

Poplar is a very decay-susceptible wood and I wouldn't recommend it for a fence. Better to use pressure-treated pine or a naturally durable species (cedar, cypress, white oak).