200 DOUGLAS FIR 



may be found two hundred and fifty and, occasionally, three 

 hundred feet in height, with a diameter ranging from six 

 to twelve feet, and it is claimed up to fifteen feet, yet in high 

 and exposed situations it may not reach ten feet in height. 

 The average of trees chosen for lumber is far below the 

 great dimensions named, but seldom is a tree cut of smaller 

 diameter than two feet. It is a strong, vigorous grower 

 under favorable conditions, and generally dominant, sup- 

 pressing all other trees which may attempt to become near 

 neighbors. Large areas may be seen where it is in nearly 

 pure stands and where a large number may be found to the 

 acre. One standing in a grove of mature Douglas Fir in its 

 best development may find his range of vision limited to 

 a very small area by the naked stems of the trees. Aside 

 from the Redwood, no other tree has been known to produce 

 so great a yield to the acre. Where standing in a vigorous 

 forest, it has a straight, slightly tapering stem, which may 

 frequently be seen clean of limbs for two thirds of the 

 tree's height ; but it is not unusual for it to have small and 

 inconsequential limbs along its stem towards the top. 



It is quite variable in character through climatic and 

 local conditions. Trees growing on high elevations, and es- 

 pecially on the eastern slopes of the Cascade and Sierra 

 Nevada ranges and the Rocky Mountains, are inferior to 

 those along the western slope of the Cascade and Sierra 

 Nevada or on the Coast Range. They are not only smaller, 

 but the lumber cut from them is not of as good a quality. 



In some respects the wood resembles that of the Larches 

 and some of the softer Yellow Pines, but with less resin 

 than the latter. It is undoubtedly the strongest of the soft- 

 wood conifers ; and, weight for weight, is nearly as strong 

 as that of the Oaks. The heartwood ranges in color from 

 red to yellow, with nearly white sapwood, varying in thick-, 

 ness. It is claimed that the red and yellow are* different 

 species or, at all events, different varieties. This is undoubt- 

 edly an error. It is possible that the difference in color may 

 arise from age, rapidity of growth, or conditions of soil and 



