Alaska Woods. 197 



with small boats. The principal objection to using this wood for 

 such purposes is its softness and weakness which render the 

 boat hulls liable to injury and destruction if run on reefs or 

 boulders on the beach. 



Red Cedar is well known to be good timber for poles or posts 

 on account of its durability in contact with the ground and the 

 light weight of its wood. There is a moderately large quantity 

 of this species on the islands and mainland of the southern half 

 of the Tongass Forest that would be suitable for poles, and in 

 the event that economic conditions become favorable for ship- 

 ment of such material to the States the best stands of young tim- 

 ber will be especially valuable- 

 Red Cedar is much used for floats to which small boats are 

 tied, or for transporting logging outfits on water since it lasts 

 well in water and is very buoyant. 



Yellow Cypress. This species occurs scatteringly throughout 

 a large portion of the Tongass Forest and on the islands and 

 mainland about Prince William Sound within the Chugach 

 Forest. It occurs in largest quantities on the Tongass Forest 

 and in this particular region it is expected to become important 

 in the lumbering industry. It usually occurs in single trees scat- 

 tered throughout the forest, there being occasionally bodies of 

 one hundred thousand board feet or more. Mature trees usually 

 range from 2 to 4 feet with a height of about 80 feet, the wood 

 is rather light in weight, hard, fairly strong, brittle, has a fine 

 even grain, and is susceptible of a beautiful polish. Many trees 

 grow only to a diameter of about 10 inches and have a very 

 crooked trunk. In spite of its tendency to grow in irregular 

 form it is easily split. The oily nature of the wood prevents it 

 from holding paint well. Practically all of the small quantity 

 of this species cut in Alaska is used locally for cabinet work and 

 in the building of small boats. 



The close even grain present in wood of this species together 

 with its easy working qualities and susceptibility of a high polish, 

 renders it a very good wood for cabinet work. Its chief fault 

 when used for this purpose is its tendency to split, which, how- 

 ever, is not a serious objection in that splitting may be prevented 

 through careful workmanship. 



Yellow Cypress is especially adapted for furniture since wood 

 for this purpose must have qualities similar to those required 



