LEADING COMMERCIAL SPECIES 43 



true firs, aspens, and others have been of more recent recognition 

 and acceptance on our markets. It is apparent from the above that 

 one species, namely, Douglas fir, comprises nearly one-third of all the 

 saw timber in the country, and nearly one-half of all the western 

 softwoods. Oak is the leading hardwood species available in the 

 American forests. 



About 25 species (or groups of species as southern pine and the 

 true firs) comprise 93.6% of the total stand of saw timber. Three 

 species of softwood, namely, Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and south- 

 ern yellow pine, compose 54% of the total standing timber of the 

 country. A brief description of the leading species is as follows: 



1. Western Softwoods. Douglas fir is the most important tree 

 from the viewpoint of standing timber, representing 31.8% of the 

 remaining timber of the country. The center of production is Wash- 

 ington, but most of the standing timber of this species is found in 

 Oregon. About 80% of the standing Douglas fir is found in the two 

 states of Oregon and Washington, which produce about 95% of all 

 the Douglas fir. This species, recently superseding in quantity south- 

 ern pine, is the most important present source of construction lumber 

 and timber. It reached its peak production of 10,411,000,000 b.f. in 

 1926. It is shipped widely to both domestic and foreign markets. 

 Large volumes are shipped to the Atlantic seaboard, via the Panama 

 Canal, and to southern California. This tree grows both in pure 

 stands as well as in mixed stands with western hemlock, western red 

 cedar, and sometimes with Sitka spruce, the true firs, and others. 

 It occurs over large areas west of the Cascade Mountains in the two 

 states of Oregon and Washington and in British Columbia, and is 

 widely distributed over most of the Rocky Mountain and Pacific 

 Coast States. 



Average stands over large areas are found containing from 30 to 

 60 m.b.f. per acre, and with an average of about 40 m.b.f. on extended 

 areas within the commercial region in Washington and Oregon. Some 

 stands are found with from 200 to 400 m.b.f. on single acres. Indi- 

 vidual trees have been found to produce up to 50 m.b.f. 



Ponderosa pine is the most widely distributed pine in North Amer- 

 ica. It comprises 16.1% of all the remaining saw timber and has 

 advanced rapidly in lumber production during the past several dec- 

 ades. Seventy per cent of this species is found in the three Pacific 

 Coast States. It reaches its largest size both in diameter and height 

 in California, but is produced chiefly in Oregon. These two states 

 produce more than 60% of this species. It is the third most important 



