582 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



A few years later the northern gentleman, who vnider- enclosures, formerly called homes. The whole intent and 



stood timber values, sold his " worthless swamp " for $75 ])urpose of this campaign of ]uiljlicity on behalf of cypress 



an acre and the disgruntled man who originallv had told was to educate the public to the advantages to be gained 



with gusto how he had " soaked the smart alec from the by the intelligent use of cypress in beautifying, adorning 



North " brought suit but failed to recover. Twenty years and im]jroving their homes. The beauty of garden 

 ago cypress timber was 



valued at 50 cents and 

 up to possibly $5 per 

 acre. Now the stump- 

 age is worth about $10 

 per thousand feet and 

 some of the swamps are 

 covered solidly with cy- 

 press and will produce 

 20,000 or more feet to 

 the acre. The increase 

 in timber values coujjled 

 with the heavy cost 

 of logging and manu- 

 facturing necessitated 

 t h e a d o p t i o n o f 

 intelligent methods of 

 marketing. 



A demand sufficientK 

 broad to take the prod- 

 uct at a profitable price 

 was demanded by tin 

 producer. The only wa\ 

 to assure that demand 

 was to retain estaldished 

 trade and create a con- 

 fidence in cypress that 

 would increase the call 

 for it for jiew uses. It 

 was relatively easy to 



benches and trellises, 

 the comfort and satis- 

 faction derived from 

 sleei)ing porches and 

 pergolas, the idea of 

 making a beautiful home 

 ;is well as one that was 

 comfortable, were in- 

 timately an<l indelibly 

 linked in the public mind 

 with the use of cypress. 

 The next step in the 

 development of a perma- 

 nent market w-as the 

 suggested use of cypress 

 in farm luiildings. Plans 

 of all maimer of farm 

 structures, residences, 

 barns. im])lement-sheds, 

 hog-houses, poultry- 

 houses, s h e e p-p ens, 

 greenhouses, gates, 

 fences, and other build- 

 ing equipment for the 

 farm, were distributed to 

 those interested. This 

 was one of the first 

 serious attempts made to 

 interest the farmer in 

 better buildings, and as- 



E.\KLV Ei;VPTI.\.\ (V PRESS UUdR 



mentally arrive at that conclusion. It was a dift'erent and sociated with the idea of the proper class of buildings was 

 more difficult matter to work out the problem encountered, that of using wood that would be economical because of 

 Those in charge of the work resorted to the first princi- its durability. At the proper time came the idea of a 

 pies of merchandising, viz.: "It is easy to sell what cy])ress silo, made according to jjlans that permitted of 

 people want.'' The real problem was to make them want the use of regular retail yard stock. Cypress was recom- 

 cypress. Admittedly it was imi)ossible to interest the mended because of its durability, that is, its ability to 



withstand the effects of alternate wetness and dryness, 

 and because cypress is not adversely aiTected by the acids 



public by advising its component members to 1)U\' cypress 

 boards. However, the idea of buying a few cypress 

 strijjs with which to make a trellis for a flowering vine 

 to clamber over an<l increase the lieauty of the ])remises 



aroused instant atten- 

 tion and brought imme- 

 diate response. 



There followed sug- 

 , gestions for pergolas, 

 trellises, s 1 e e [5 i n g 

 ■' porches, arbors, gar- 

 , (1-n benches and simi- 

 lar necessities and con- 

 \eniences. Then came 

 delinite, tangible sug- 

 gestions for l)unt;:dows, 

 neat, comfortable, at- 



^^"^ °WATERPiPE^^^^^ tractive homes instead 



Laid in 1798. Removed in 1514. of stilT, Conventional 



in the silage. 



This was a step along the upward jiath in farm liuild- 

 ing and in the work of developing a market for the 

 ])roducts of the cypress mills. A final touch was given 

 when [jlans and instructions were issued for the con- 

 struction of homemade furniture and knick-knacks, 

 humidors, clothespresses, travs, and similar articles. Such 

 articles, it was recom- 

 mended, were to be 

 gi\en the famed "sugi," 

 or Japanese drift-wood 

 finish, using a blow- 

 torch to char the soft 

 l)(]rfions of the wood 

 and a wire brush to 

 finish the work. Inter- 



A SUGI-FINISHED 



estnig thousands m the cypress humidor 



