8O ESSAY UPON REDWOOD. 



The numerous branches are small and very short, rela- 

 tive to the huge size of the body ; in age they become quite 

 insignificant, as it were mere appendages, so intently devoted 

 is this Redwood Cedar to the all-absorbing timber-producing 

 purpose of its great sylvan tower; this enables them to close 

 their ranks, and crowd the land with an immense amount of 

 t'mber/^r acre, in some rare cases from i to 3,000,000 feet 

 millions absolutely unparallcd, save by its great Sequoian 

 kin of the Sierra. This species, therefore, is only second to 

 the Giant Washington Cedar of world renowned fame; and 

 like that, too, the redwood attains to thousands of years of 

 age ! and what is even more marvelous, the monstrous stumps 

 after the tree is cut down and one would suppose utterly 

 destroyed even at the extrcmest age and size, still they 

 maintain their original vitality, for they forthwith shoot up 

 unnumbered saplings of great vigor, and exceeding rapidity 

 of growth; only continued repetition at brief intervals will 

 kill them. It is this sprouting from the stump and parent 

 roots, like the olive, that forms those social circles within the 

 usual area of 30 to 46 feet or so; when thus renewing their 

 youth in such close proximity, two or more may unite to form 

 one large tree. Realizing types of loving fables, and lasting 



friendship both of classic and legendary lore these, though 

 not apposite to our purpose, yet 



" Oft we hear their soothing voice 

 Low whispering through the shade." 



From this it will be seen that the timber-supplying ca- 

 pacity of a redwood forest, under judicious care, is so pro- 



