32 



wood strip, it is the predominant tree, occupying in the 

 Sierra Nevada range a belt whose altitude ranges from 

 3,000 feet in the southern end of the range, to 1,500 feet 

 in its northern end, and extending upward to 8,000 or 

 9,000 feet. The southern portion of the Cascade Range 

 contains a mixed forest, in which 3'ellow pine is a pre- 

 dominant element. It is found in the ranges of south- 

 ern California above an altitude of 5,000 feet. 



In size the tree ranges greatly with localities. In the 

 Black Hills, where it forms pure growth, it is small, 

 while in the Sierra Nevada and coast ranges in southern 

 California, it is a good-sized tree, commonly 3 to 5 feet 

 in diameter, but with individual trees much larger, 

 ranging up to 200 and 250 feet in height, cutting 3 to 5 

 clear logs per tree. 



Most of the logging in this species, as well as in the 

 sugar pine, is done for local consumption and in a small 

 way; consequently, there are few distinctive features 

 associated with it. 



The total supply of yellow pine, which is mainly in 

 Washington, Oregon, and California, is estimated to be 

 about 125 billion feet. Of this, 24,610 million feet, or 

 about one-fifth, was reported as owned by lumbermen. 

 The cut for the census year was a trifle less than a bil- 

 lion feet. 



SUGAR PINE. 



Sugar pine, pinus lambertiana, is found mainly on the 

 western slope of the Sierra Nevada range in a belt rang- 

 ing from 3,000 feet above the sea in the southern portion 

 of the range, to 1,500 feet in the northern part, its upper 

 limit being between 8,000 and 9,000 feet above the sea. 

 It is also found in the northern part of the coast ranges 

 in the same state in considerable quantities, as well as 

 in the southern portion of Oregon. It is never found 

 in pure forests, but always intermingled with other 

 species, the principal of which is yellow pine, which 

 commonly forms from two-thirds to three-fourths of 

 the forest. Some red fir and incense cedar is also com- 

 monly intermingled. 



The sugar pine is a large tree, from 5 to 10 feet in 

 diameter, and 250 feet in height, and a large proportion of 

 it is clear. The wood is fine, greatly resembling in many 

 respects the white pine of the East, and splits easily, for 

 which reason it was in early days largely used for 

 shakes, and much of it was culled from the forest in 

 the mining days for this purpose, involving an enor- 

 mous waste of valuable timber. 



Heretofore it has been cut mainly for local consump- 

 tion, but at present two or three large companies are 

 operating in the Sierra Nevada regions cutting this tim- 

 ber, as well as the other components of the forest in large 

 amount-. 



The stand of sugar pine in California and Oregon is 

 -tiinated at about 25 billion feet, 3,911 million of 

 which was reported as owned by lumbermen. The cut 

 in the census year was 53,558 M feet, B. M. 



RED FIR. 



The red fir, jtm udotsuffd t<t,c!folia, is found quite gen- 

 erally distributed over the Rocky Mountain country, 

 where it forms, however, but a minor component of 

 the forest. Its home is in western Oregon and Wash- 

 ington, west of the Cascade range, whence it extends 

 nearly to the Pacific coast. In altitude it extends from 

 the sea level on Puget Sound and the Columbia River 

 up to from 3,000 to 6,000 feet, dropping with the lati- 

 tude. Under conditions most favorable to its develop- 

 ment it forms pure forest, as in the country bordering 

 upon Puget Sound, and thence southward to the Co- 

 lumbia. In other localities the proportion of fir to 

 other trees differs greatly and in southern Oregon, 

 where it is largety mixed with yellow and sugar pine, 

 the proportion becomes small. The tree is one of the 

 largest on the Pacific coast, being exceeded in size only 

 by the sequoia gigantea, or big tree, and the redwood. 

 The red fir ranges from 200 to 300 feet in height and 

 up to 20 feet in diameter, although the average diameter 

 is much less. Growing in close stand, the clear height 

 is great, six logs being frequently cut from a tree. 

 The stand is heavy, 50,000 feet to the acre on entire 

 townships being not uncommon. The timber is of 

 great strength, and is largely used for dimension timber 

 in bridges, and for other purposes where great strength 

 is required. It is transported east in considerable 

 quantities for this purpose. It is also shipped to Asiatic 

 and Australian ports and to South America. 



The stand of red fir is estimated at about 300 billion 

 feet, of which 23,772 million feet were reported by the 

 lumbermen. The cut of the census year was 1,736 

 million feet. 



REDWOOD. 



Redwood, sequoia, sempervirens, is found only in a 

 narrow strip closely bordering the Pacific coast, from 

 the southern line of Oregon southward through Cali- 

 fornia nearly to San Francisco Bay, with a few com- 

 paratively small patches south of the bay. The strip 

 ranges in width from 5 to 25 miles, never extending 

 inland beyond the influence of the coast fogs. The 

 area of the strip is approximately 2,000 square miles. 

 The characteristics of its habitat are those of extreme 

 moisture, with much rain in the winter season and fogs 

 at all times of the year. 



The forest is nearly pure, practically the only admix- 

 ture consisting of a small percentage of red fir, or, 

 as it is there designated, Oregon pine. The trees are 

 large, with an average diameter of about 5 to 10 feet, 

 while many individuals exceed 20 feet in diameter. In 

 height they range up to 300 feet, from one-half to two- 

 thirds of which is clear lumber. The forest is ex- 

 tremely dense, the average stand being nearly (50,000 

 feet per acre, while many tracts of considerable size 

 carry from 100,000 to 150,000 feet per acre. Indeed, 



