254 CONIFEROUS TREES 



PsEUDOTSUGA DouGLASii. — Age from 55 to 85 

 years ; cubic contents of latter, 107 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 sus- 

 ceptible of a high polish. It gets darker with age, 

 hard, 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, however, 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 gigantea. — Age, 53 years ; cubic 

 contents, 93 feet ; soil, loam or gravel, sheltered. 

 Timber very beautiful, the groundwork 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 

 purpose of hut-making for charcoal burners, and 

 was, with every one else who saw it, astonished 

 at the deep, rich colouring and shading of the 

 wood. The lasting qualities are not very remark- 

 able, although the timber darkens with age, and 

 the outdoor experiments were not very encourag- 



