302 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



June 



the top of the tree. Many trees have comes from trees which have grown in 

 burls on the trunk 10 feet long, and the bottoms or "flats" under favorable 

 some carry curious protuberances, called conditions. "Flinty" timber is more 

 ' ' hanging necks. ' ' These deformities apt to be found on the slopes, and the 

 are caused, in most cases, by the efforts tree's vitality is so great and it endures 

 of the tree to heal its hurts. so many vicissitudes, all of which leave 



The tree requires apparently only that their record, that the grain of the wood 

 the soil be moist, and the best specimens bears a direct relation to the eventful- 

 are found where a canyon or arroyo as- ness of its life. These differing condi- 

 sures considerable seepage or where tions of the lumber give rise to such 

 creek bottoms afford an abundant sup- varying statements as are quoted in the 

 ply of water. The moisture of the soil first part of this article, 

 affects the development of the Red wood, The Redwood forest itself is of the 

 but the moisture of the air affects its selection type, and contains trees of a 

 range and regulates its distribution, for wide range of age in a single mixture, 



but, contrary to the 

 usual selection for 

 est, the large, mature 

 trees outnumber the 

 small ones. Sucker 

 and seedling share in 

 the reproduction, but 

 unequally, in a ratio 

 of about 100 to i. 

 The germination 

 quality of the seed is 

 poor ; so also are the 

 opportunities for 

 germinating, as the 

 seed requires consid- 

 erable light, and the 

 suckers crowd the 

 seedlings out, even 

 when germination 

 takes place. In some 

 places of the forest a 

 ray of sunlight never 

 penetrates. The 

 crown of the Red- 

 wood is, neverthe- 



the tree is found only where the heavy less, almost as thin and open as that 

 fogs from the Pacific sweep inland to of the Larch, and in a mixed stand 

 the crests of the western slopes of the the Redwood's branches die off more 

 Coast Range, and east of the coast rapidly than those of its companions, 

 mountains none are found except such and the crown bends eagerly to those 

 few scattering and lonely sentinels as places where the light enters the forest 

 that one which stands on the Stanford canopy ; yet the young trees, suckers 

 University estate, and gave the name from mature roots, grow under shade 

 'Palo Alto," or "high stick," to the that would kill seedlings and survive 



REDWOOD SPROUTS 6 TO 8 YEARS OLD, CRESCENT CITY. 



university town. Eastern and southern 

 slopes, where the sun is hot and the sea 

 mists strike only occasionally, show few 

 Redwoods, and these are short and 

 limby. 



year after year until they get more 

 light, perhaps from the felling of the 

 parent tree, when they shoot up with 

 vigor. In some places the new growth 

 grows in clumps as white as potato 



As stated above, the quality of the sprouts in a dark cellar. Under any 

 wood varies. The softest and best conditions the shoots of one season's 



