REDWOOD LUMBERING. 59 



rains and fogs are lighter, the timber will not average more 

 than two or three feet in diameter, and the lumber manufac- 

 tured is generally hard and flinty; but farther north the trees 

 increase in size, the character of the wood changes, until in 

 Humboldt County is found, probably, the finest belt of timber 

 in the world ; trees twelve to eighteen feet in diameter, and 

 from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty feet high 

 being no rare occurrence. In this section there are large 

 tracts that have been estimated to have 250,000 feet to the 

 acre, and single acres could be selected that would double or 

 treble that amount, and the lumber is of the finest, softest 

 quality, equal to the best eastern white pine. I speak of 

 these large trees, but would not give the idea that that is the 

 prevailing size. While such trees are not rare, the average 

 size of saw logs is from six to eight feet in diameter, and the 

 most of the mills on Humboldt Bay are built with reference 

 to handling logs of that size. Throughout the redwood belt 

 there is but little other timber. Some little pine, fir and 

 spruce is cut, but no great amount of either. 



" As but few of your readers are familiar with redwood 

 lumber, it may not be out of place to give here some of its 

 characteristics and qualities that make it one of the most val- 

 uable of the forest productions. As the name indicates, it is 

 of a dark reddish color. It is soft, coarse grained, and very 

 brittle. The grain usually runs very straight, and it splits 

 readily, it being no difficult matter to split out a board one 

 inch thick, eight to ten inches wide, and ten to fifteen feet 

 long. When dry, it is much lighter than pine, spruce or fir, 

 but of the logs cut from a newly fallen tree, the butt log thrown 



