72 USES OF COMMERCIAL WOODS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



be had, was ideal timber for that purpose. Splitting was not neces- 

 sary, for poles of suitable size were abundant. It would have been 

 difficult to split the timber, for the multitudes of small knots pin the 

 wood together like so many nails. The frontiersman built his fences 

 and his sheds, stables, and sometimes his cabin of this wood. If it 

 could be had at all it was usually plentiful, and many of the early 

 settlers from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific made their start in 

 the new country by drawing liberally upon the lodgepole forests for 

 ranch timbers and for fuel. This was especially the case in the stock 

 districts among the mountains, for lodgepole pine is a mountain 

 tree. In the valleys and near the base of the hills other species, such 

 as willow, cottonwood, alder, and western yellow pine were more 

 convenient. 



MINE TIMBERS AND FENCE POSTS. 



The early miners made large use of lodgepole pine timbers in their 

 operations. As mine props it was cheap, substantial, and convenient. 

 It is the chief timber employed for props, lagging, shafts, and stulls 

 in Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, and Wyoming. The Rocky 

 Mountain region contains many great forests of trees large enough 

 for flumes and sluice boxes. However, the chief difficulty in cutting 

 lodgepole for mine purposes is the large proportion of pieces too 

 small for use. This is not so much the case where green timber is 

 cut, for there the small trees may be left. A large proportion of this 

 wood for mining purposes, however, is now cut from stands killed 

 by fire from 10 to 25 years ago. In these operations only timber large 

 enough for mine use is taken, while much that would ordinarily serve 

 well for fence posts is left in the woods. 



The National Forests contain much fire-killed lodgepole pine. In 

 seeking to dispose of it the Government has tested its qualities in 

 numerous ways, and it has been shown that the strength of the tim- 

 ber is not impaired as long as it remains sound, which may be for 

 many years. The wood is so thoroughly dried out that it is in ex- 

 cellent condition for receiving preservative treatment. This opens 

 a field for it for telephone poles and fence posts. The butts can be 

 treated, and durable poles and posts made of what otherwise would 

 be a comparatively quick-decaying timber. Since these products are 

 required in great quantities in the Rocky Mountain region, a consid- 

 erable market for the fire-killed poles has already appeared. 



MANUFACTURE AND PRODUCTS. 



Lodgepole pine is not listed separately in statistics of lumber cut, 

 and it is not possible to determine what the annual cut is. It is 

 known, however, that much lumber is sawed from this species in the 

 Rocky Mountain region, particularly in Colorado, Wyoming, Mon- 

 tana, and Idaho. Its chief market is the newly established agricul- 



