170 HARDY CONIFEROUS TREES. 



Pseudotsugfa Doug^lasii. — Age from 25 years to 

 45 years ; cubic contents of latter 57 feet ; soil gravelly. 

 Timber, when young, soft, and liable to insect attacks and 

 sudden decay; when older, of a desirable yellow colour, 

 hard and firm, and susceptible of a high polish. It gets 

 darker with age, hard and brittle, and difficult to work. 

 For fencing - posts, boarding, and boat masts outdoors, 

 and in temporary work where not exposed to the 

 weather, I have used the timber extensively, and in every 

 case the result has been quite satisfactory. I do not, how- 

 ever, consider the timber equal in lasting properties to that 

 of three other conifers, whose merits, as regards quantity of 

 timber produced and fitness for culture in this country, place 

 them higher in the rank of such as are suited for economic 

 planting. The production of timber by the Douglas fir is 

 ahead of that of any other coniferous tree in this country of 

 which I have kept a record, viz., 240 feet in fifty years, or 

 nearly 5 feet per year for half a century. 



Sequoia gfigfantea. — Age 33 years ; cubic contents 

 73 feet ; soil loam or gravel, sheltered. Timber very 

 beautiful, the ground-work being yellow, marked with deep 

 red bands longitudinally. It is light in proportion to the 

 bulk, compact, and works readily. I had the butt of the 

 above specimen cut into 2-inch thick boarding, for the pur- 

 pose of hut-making for charcoal burners, and was, with every- 

 one else who saw them, astonished at the deep, rich colouring 

 and shading of the wood. The lasting qualities are not 

 very remarkable, although the timber darkens with age, 

 and the outdoor experiments were not very encouraging. 

 For indoor work of various descriptions the wood is well 

 adapted. 



S, sempervirens. — Age unknown ; cubic contents 52 

 feet ; soil alluvial deposit ; sheltered valley. Timber of ex- 

 cellent quality, of a pleasing brick-red colour, very finely and 

 closely grained, and susceptible of a high polish. It cleaves 

 into long lengths, and is unusually free from knots and 

 general timber defects. Not used to any extent out of doors. 



