AUTO TOUR 



83 



tional Forest. National forests and na- 

 tional parks differ in that national for- 

 ests, under the U. S. Department of Ag- 

 riculture, manage forests for such eco- 

 nomic and recreational uses as lumber- 

 ing, grazing, hunting and resorts, while 

 national parks, under the U. S. Depart- 



ment of the Interior, are responsible for 

 preserving their lands as primitive wil- 

 derness areas and game sanctuaries for 

 the enjoyment of all people for all time. 

 (For a guide to points of interest along 

 the road between Yosemite National 

 Park and Fresno, see page 108.) 



MARIPOSA GROVE OF GIANT SEQUOIAS 



(Total driving distance 4.5 miles) 



B GIANT SEQUOIAS. The giant 

 I sequoias (Sequoia gigantea) , popu- 

 larly known as "Big Trees," are 

 probably the largest and oldest living 

 things in the world. Although they are 

 related to the coast redwood (Sequoia 

 sempervirens) , there is a striking dif- 

 ference in general appearance and fol- 

 iage. The giant sequoias are more mas- 

 sive, while the coast redwoods are taller. 

 The bark of the giant sequoias is a 

 golden brown while that of its relative is 

 darker. The burls of redwood souvenirs 

 seen in gift shops are from the coast 

 redwood; burls do not grow on giant se- 

 quoias. Flowering of giant sequoias takes 

 place from February to April, the pol- 

 len being carried by the wind. In con- 

 trast to the great size of these trees, 

 their cones are only lVi" to 2 5 /i" in 

 length. Both male and female cones 

 grow on the same tree. After maturing 

 for two years on the tree, the female 

 cone may drop from 150 to 300 seeds. 

 Cones, however, may remain unopened on 

 the trees for as long as 20 years. Usual 

 methods of determining age of trees with 

 boring instruments are not possible in 

 the giant sequoias because of their great 

 size. Accurate age dating in sequoias may 

 be done only by counting the annual 

 rings in fallen trees. Some sequoias have 

 been estimated to be as much as 4000 

 years old. The wood contains no resin 

 ducts but has a high percentage of tannin 

 This chemical gives the red appearance to 

 the bark and heartwood and turns black 



Grizzly Giant 



on exposed ends of fallen trees, giving 

 them the appearance of being burned. 

 Tannin resists insect and fungus attack, 

 the great enemies of many other trees 

 and thus aid longevity of the sequoias. 

 Since sequoia wood is very brittle, light, 

 and weak, with up to 80% waste for 

 large trees when felled, it has little value 

 as lumber although on occasion it has 

 received some limited use as grape 

 stakes. (For more information we 

 recommend "A Guide to the Yosemite 



