ALNUS ORKC.ONA : ITS VALUE AS A FOREST TYPE 987 



Logs as low as 5 inches in diameter are sawed, though the average 

 log will run about 12 inches, but 30-inch logs are not uncommon. 



Alder lumber, mill run, will bring $20 per thousand, f . o. b. Portland, 

 Oregon. With a reasonable amount of care the lumber does not check 

 badly and can be successfully seasoned by air drying, but the best lum- 

 ber is produced by seasoning in a moist, dry kiln direct from the saw. 

 This material works easily either vertical or bastard grain and is fairly 

 strong. 



The uses to which alder lumber are put are confined entirely to in- 

 terior uses, as it will not stand exposure to the weather. It is used 

 largely for core stock in veneering, chair seats, and to some extent 

 forms the entire body of furniture. It is also employed in interior 

 work in furniture, such as shelves, drawers, etc., also in cabinet work. 

 Alder will take a good mahogany finish and can be used for an imita- 

 tion mahogany in place of maple or birch. It is also used to some 

 extent for wood split-pulleys and for piling. 



The alder bark is astringent and has been used to a slight extent for 

 tanning purposes. 



CONCLUSIONS 



Although the Oregon alder has been commonly considered a weed 

 tree and in many respects undesirable, this study has shown that it has 

 been and is yet of great value to the Siuslaw National Forest. Its 

 function as a nurse crop to the more valuable Douglas fir is making 

 possible the restoration of the valuable timber which once covered this 

 region. It is revivifying the depleted soil, making possible the pros- 

 perous communities scattered along the coast. Its presence has made 

 impossible the extensive fires which formerly devastated this region. 

 Lastly, its value as a commercial product is being realized, and it may 

 be expected that in the near future it will develop an industry of con- 

 siderable extent. 



