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The California State Board of Forestry has published bulletin 3, 

 devoted to the timber resources of the state, and particularly to 

 the uses of woods by various industries in California. A footnote 

 says that the statistics on which the bulletin is based were collected 

 by C. Stowell Smith of the United States Forest Service, and cover 

 one year, ending August 1, 1911. 



The bulletin contains 114 pages, and is filled with valuable in- 

 formation, but unfortunately the editing was not well done, and the 

 reader may encounter some difficulty in finding what he is looking 

 for. However, if he is patient he will probably find it, for the report 

 contains a little of nearly everything connected with the utilization 

 of wood in the state. The greatest defect consists in not bringing 

 together in one place the uses of a particular wood, so that an 

 inquirer who is interested in that wood may get at one time all 

 there is on the subject. Instead, it is necessary to go through the 

 whole bulletin, picliing out the desired information, a little here and 

 a little there. The publication contains no index to the woods, by 

 which they can be quickly found, but the industries are indexed. 

 In one instance a single wood appears as though it were two woods, 

 by giving it two names. It is listed first as "genisaro" (genesero), 

 and as such is carried through the report, and under the name 

 prima vera it is carried through the report a second time, making it 

 appear that they are different woods. The error doubtless crept in 

 through an oversight. 



The defects in the bulletin are very small compared with its 

 merits. It is a valuable publication, and contains information never 

 before brought together. It shows much research and investigation. 

 It is the first report of the kind ever issued for California. In scope 

 and design it is similar to the state wood-using reports which the 

 Forest Service has been publishing during the past three or four 

 years. 



California is not usually regarded as a hardwood state. It is not 

 a large producer, but it consumes enough to make it of interest to 

 hardwood dealers in the East. Some of the hardwoods used in the 



state were as follows: 



Feet. 



Eastern white oak 2.5,624,001 



Oregon oak 2,005,000 



.Japanese or Siberian oak 1,386.615 



Eastern red oak 93,500 



Eastern maple 1,017,9.50 



Oregon maple 20.500 



Eastern ash 701,698 



Siberian ash 18.000 



Oregon ash 14,600 



Hickory 619,401 



Elm 160.040 



Black Cottonwood (western) 5,011,175 



Birch (eastern) 1.493,873 



.\merican mahogany 1.136,537 



Philippine mahogany 33,792 



African mahogany 33,620 



Yellow poplar 565,158 



Prima vera 286,818 



Red gum 237,258 



Beech 160.000 



Australian ironbark (Eucalyptus) 152,000 



Black walnut 112.916 



Teak SQ.795 



Cal. blue gum (Eucalyptus) 55,350 



Eastern cottonwood 49,225 



Locust 45,000 



Basswood 27,995 



California sycamore 17,000 



Australian blue gum (Eucalyptus) 13,000 



Orange 8,450 



Circassian walnut 8,000 



Black cherry 7.575 



English willow 5>470 



California laurel 5,200 



Manzanita (California) ' 2,000 



Mountain mahogany (California) 1,000 



Blue myrtle (California) 1.000 



Chestnut 1.000 



—32— 



Australian mahogany (Eucalyptus) 1,000 



Camphorwood 1,000 



Osage orange 50 



Boxwood (sawdust) By weight 



Eosewood By weight 



.Japanese By weight 



Lignumvita; By weight 



Ebony By weight 



It will be noted that four of the woods listed in the above table 

 are eucalytpus, but there are three species of it. The California 

 blue gum and the Australian blue gum are the same, except that 

 one is a planted tree in California, and the other a wild tree of 

 Australia. 



A good deal has been said of late concerning the value of 

 eucalyptus grown in California. Promoters who have land for sale 

 and who are interested in disposing of it for planting this tree, 

 insist that the wood is first class and that fortunes await the- 

 planters of blue gum. Other persons have combatted that claim, 

 and insist that thus far the eucalyptus grflwn in California has had 

 little value because of the wood's inferior physical qualities. The- 

 contribution which the California State Board of Forestry, in the 

 Imlletin, makes to the discussion is of interest. The purpose whiclv 

 the board has is certainly not to belittle any of California's re- 

 sources, but to give them the best report possible. It may be- 

 assumed, therefore, that eucalyptus was given the best recommenda- 

 tion, consistent with tru.th, that was possible. The first use reported 

 for it was in the repair of furniture (page 49 of the report). After 

 saying that the wood is strong and finishes well, this is added: 

 "One firm reports having manufactured 1,000 feet of blue gum 

 into furniture. It was found that it was too heavy; the gunt 

 destroyed the glue joints; it was diflBcult to nail, and warped after 

 finishing. This firm plans to experiment again. ' ' 



The next reported use for it was as driving blocks in oil-welf 

 work, where dry logs from eight to twelve inches in diameter were 

 employed. No statement is made as to its success or failure. 



The third and last use reported for it was in vehicle manufac- 

 turing where it was tried for axle beds, bolsters, poles, reaches, 

 shafts, bars. . This comment follows: "One manufacturer reports 

 having made felloes for a set of wagon wheels out of this material, 

 wliich gave good service the first summer, but which rotted to pieces- 

 in contact with the ground when stored under a shed for the win- 

 ter. Another manufacturer reports its use to be satisfactory while 

 moisture is retained, but it becomes very brittle when thoroughly 

 dry." 



The uses of different species of eucalyptus from Australia were 

 apparently satisfactory, as no adverse report occurs in the bulletin. 



The values of some of the hardwoods employed by manufac- 

 turers in California are of interest. The figures represent the 

 average cost per thousand board feet delivered at the factory: 



Plain white oak ,$ 76.15- 



Quarter-sawed white oak 89.21 



Oregon oak 48.13 



Japanese or Siberian oak, plain 91.09 



Japanese oak, quartered 111.46 



Red oak 58.85^ 



Black cottonwood 23.51 



Common cottonwood 96.48- 



Birch 79.85 



.American mahogany 178.53 



Eastern maple 80.67 



Oregon maple 58.83- 



Eastern ash 93.47 



Siberian ash 82.78 



Oregon ash 44.93 



Hickory < 101.23 



Yellow poplar 98.39 



Red gum 79.5.3 



Elm 50.85 



Beech 100.00 



Black walnut 157.69 



California blue gum (Eucalyptus) 88.06 



.\ustialian blue gum (Eucalyptus) 105.85. 



