GRAY PINE. 87 



not because it made a better fire than the pine, but because it was 

 easier to cut. The fibers of gray pine are interlaced and bound 

 together, the wood is split with great difficulty, and chopping is a 

 slow process. For that reason the early woodcutters preferred oak 

 until it became scarce. The pine could be had in poles and logs of 

 greater length and of more shapely form than oak, and was preferred 

 for fencing, corrals, and sheds. As long as placer mining prevailed 

 little timber was needed, but when quartz mines began to be opened, 

 props and frames were in demand. Gray pine at once rose to a 

 place of importance, because in many instances it was more plentiful 

 than any other timber. Tunnels were braced and roofed with it. 

 The wood quickly decays, but commonly that was not a serious 

 drawback, for a mine was often worked out in a few months, or 

 within that space of time the prospector would discover that it was 

 unprofitable and abandon it. Another important use of this wood 

 for mining purposes came with the introduction of the steam engine 

 to take the place of the arrastra, or stone drag, of early days. The 

 engine demanded fuel, and though all kinds went to the furnace, gray 

 pine was often most plentiful, and therefore most important. In 

 many mining districts it was stripped clean for miles. Not infre- 

 quently it was carried on the backs of burros, with peculiarly con- 

 structed pack saddles, over narrow trails where sleds and wheeled 

 vehicles could not be taken. In two ways the pine was economical 

 for steam engines in remote mines it was light in weight and made 

 more heat than an equal weight of oak. 



Fence posts of this pine were frequently set when other woods were 

 not convenient, but it was poor material. A mass of fungus would 

 appear at the surface of the ground within three or four months 

 after rain had dampened the wood, and in a very short time the post 

 would rot off. Split posts gave no better service than round. An 

 average of cost and term of service for posts of three woods, in the 

 San Joaquin Valley, Cal., gives for redwood 25 cents each, with from 

 20 to 25 years' service ; incense cedar, 20 cents and from 15 to 20 years' 

 service ; gray pine, 10 cents and from 1 to 2 years' service. 



The wood of this pine was long preferred for ox yokes in the 

 lumber regions of California. Plow beams were once, and still occa- 

 sionally are, made of it; and it gives satisfaction for wagon bolsters 

 in local shops and factories. 



MANUFACTURE AND PRODUCTS. 



Efforts up to this time to give gray pine posts preservative treat- 

 ment to retard decay have not produced satisfactory results. The 

 oleo-resin of this wood does not permit creosote to enter deeply or 

 easily, and more experimenting seems necessary before a cheap 'and 

 effective process of treatment can be put in practice to make the wood 

 available for fence posts. 



