<) ESSAY UPON REDWOOD. 



Redwood ranges from two to six pounds. It is safe to say, 

 then, that timber weighing five pounds to the square foot of 

 hoard measure will, at least, last nearly a half century under 

 the most trying circumstances. As we have seen at Fort 

 Ross (now of the property of Meyers & Bennet), recently 

 mentioned in the " Rural Press," the timbers of the stockade, 

 still in the ground, after sixty or seventy years are as sound 

 as ever. 



The same authority notes a picket fence now stand- 

 ing on the premises of J. P. Springer, of Santa Cruz, built 

 in 1841, yet perfectly sound today. These redwood pickets, 

 usually rived three to five inches wide by an inch thick, 

 were driven into damp ground in a very foggy-infested 

 locality. 



Many instances could be mentioned of our own per- 

 sonal knowledge, although only of pioneer experience on this 

 coast. As an instructive example illustrative and confirma- 

 tive of some preceding remarks, is the case published in the 

 "Press," since similar. statements published by us prior ; but all 

 testimony alike will justify the public estimate put upon this 

 timber, when duly selected with regard to quality. The case 

 is that of a corral built thirty years ago from the timber of a 

 single tree. They began cutting and setting stockade posts 

 from the butt of the tree, working upwards. Now, the first 

 posts to rot were from those of the top of the tree, and the 

 succession of decay followed around the corral until the posts 

 from the lower trunk were reached, and these are now sound 

 as ever. 



Our experience and observations some years ago on the 



