330 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



the natural grain is so great that it is now common 

 practice to finish the wood in its natural state. The deco- 

 rative effects of the natural wood are richly varied ; the 

 shades of color which may be selected range from deep 



A 1I(.>USI'; IN A KKUWOOD LOG 



This house is hollowed from a single redwood log at Eureka, California. 

 It takes hundreds of years to "erect" this type of residence. The 

 house has two rooms, each 10 feet square with ceilings 14 feet high. 



mahogany to light cherry. Redwood produces excellent 

 imitations of rosewood and mahogany. It carves beauti- 

 fully and is much used for this purpose. An increasing 

 amount of furniture is made fro.n redwood, either from 

 the plain wood or from wood with curly or wavy grain. 

 Stumps and burls supplv beautifully figured wood and 

 the furniture made from it commands prices equal to 

 Circassian walnut or English oak. It is also eniplmed 



in making novelties such as napkin rings, pin trays, 

 match safes and can crooks. 



The special feature of redwood that appeals to the 

 wood-worker, in addition to the ease with which it is 

 worked, is that absolutely clear and uniform boards of 

 great width (boards 10 feet wide have been sawed) 

 mav be obtained in practically any desired length for 

 panels, doors, tables, counter tops and the like. When 

 it is considered that the redwood is highly fire resistent 

 and neither warps, shrinks nor swells to an appreciable 

 e.xtent, it is easy to explain the popularity of this unique 

 wood. The fire resisting qualities of redwood are well 

 attested. No forest fire, no matter how severe has ever 

 destroyed a redwood forest or killed a sound mature red- 



A GAXG OF REDWOOD LUMBERMEN 



Posed at the foot of a tree which they are ready to cut down. This 

 tree is typical of the best of the redwoods in the northern California 

 coast forests. 



STIEE STAEWART AND STRONG 



Although the base of this redwood is eaten out by fire and rot until 

 it is hollow the tree is so sturdy that it will likely remain stand- 

 ins for scores of years. 



wood tree. In the Great San Francisco fire of 1!10G this 

 characteristic was put to a most severe test, as houses 

 enclosetl with redwood siding and covered with redwood 

 shingles were saved. Although redwood will burn, it 

 burns more slowly than any other wood, and when satu- 

 rated with water, scarcely at all. 



Railroads use redwood for ties and many other pur- 

 poses. The ties resist decay, but are deeply cut by the 

 rails, under heavy traffic, unless protected by tie plates, 

 and the wood holds spikes poorly. Redwood is also used 

 in culverts, trestles and bridges. The roofs, sides and in- 

 teriors of cars are sometimes made of redwood because 



