70 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Copyright photograph by Darius Kinsey. 



A VIEW IN" THE WOODS SHOWING THE LOADING OF A DOUGLAS FIR LOG ON CARS 



The mammoth size of Douglas fir necessitates powerful machinery for harvesting the logs. This exceptional picture shows the "yarding j n " f 

 the log from the woods, the loading of the logs on railway cars, and a virgin stand of Douglas fir in the background. The logs are drawn in 

 a distance of approximately 1,000 feet from either side of the track. 



pine, red fir, yellow fir, Puget Sound pine, and Douglas 

 Spruce. In foreign countries, especially those of the 

 ' 'rient and the United Kingdom, it is best known, per- 

 haps, as Oregon pine. The names red fir and yellow fir 

 originate from the characteristic color of the wood when 

 grown under certain conditions of soil and in certain 

 localities. There are other trade names of very sectional 

 use, but these arc little used today. Again, this species 

 has lieen confused as to name with certain inferior spe- 

 cies, but today the name in most common use and its 

 proper name is Douglas tir. 



SUPPLY AM) CUT 



The rather general belief that the timber supply of 

 this country will soon be exhausted is seen to be of poor 

 foundation when one is apprised of the fact that at the 

 present rate of cutting there is enough of this wood in 

 the Pacific Northwest to last approximately another 150 

 years, and as Douglas fir can be grown to commercial 

 size in from fifty to seventy-five years under the cli- 

 matic and soil conditions there found, it is quite manifest 



that the ninth and tenth generations from now will still 

 be enjoying a bounteous supply of this excellent wood. 



The normal, annual cut of Douglas fir is approxi- 

 mately five and one-half billion. This production is 

 represented principally by Oregon and Washington mills, 

 though California, Idaho, and Montana collectively con- 

 tribute two hundred million feet of this total. British 

 Columbia, too, is a very large producer of Douglas fir, 

 and has extensive arears of this timber; but its produc- 

 tion is not considered in the foregoing figures. 



GROWTH AND SIZE 



Douglas fir reaches its maximum growth and size and 

 is found in heaviest stands on the western slope of the 

 Cascade Mountain Range in Oregon, Washington, and 

 l'.ritish Columbia, where the mild winters and generous 

 rainfall contribute ideal growing conditions. 



It is found generally admixed with western hemlock, 

 western red cedar, and in some localities with western 

 spruce. Rarely is it found in pure stands, and when so 

 found the areas are quite limited. 



