10 WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES OP CALIFORNIA. 



belt. It is found in the northern mountains of the State, and south- 

 ward to the San Joaquin River; occurring in the coast ranges to the 

 Santa Lucia Mountains. About 40 per cent of the Douglas fir cut in 

 California comes from the redwood belt. Of the 24 billion feet of live 

 saw timber of this species, growing in the National Forests within the 

 State, 19 billion occur in the Coast ranges and the remainder in the 

 Sierra. 



The height that the tree attains commonly varies between 150 and 180 

 feet, and the diameter between 3 and 6 feet. 



The wood is strong and hard, not very heavy, and fairly durable. 

 The grain is straight, but varies from very fine to very coarse. Its 

 great strength gives it a value for bridge timbers and heavy construction 

 work, and its durability renders it useful for railroad ties, mine 

 props, etc. Very little Douglas fir lumber is shipped, as most of it is 

 consumed locally. 



The Sierra Douglas fir is generally sound, but low in its content of 

 clear lumber. The bole is comparatively short and tapering, and this, 

 combined with an ill-pruned trunk, results in a high proportion of 

 knotty lumber. 



A full discussion of Douglas fir, covering its properties and uses, is 

 to be found in Forest Service Bulletin No. 88. 



SUGAR PINE. 



Sugar pine, in 1910, ranked twenty-fifth in the amount of lumber 

 produced in the United States. It is cut only in two states, Oregon and 

 California; and in 1910 the latter produced 98.4 per cent of the 

 total cut. 



The range of the species in California extends from the northern to 

 the southern border in the Sierra, and on the Coast ranges south to 

 Lake County. The total stand of live saw timber on the National 

 Forests within this region is about 14 billion feet, with about 7 billion 

 additional in private holdings. 



The height that the tree attains commonly varies between 160 and 

 180 feet, and the diameter between 4 and 7 feet. 



The wood is very light, soft and not strong; the grain coarse and 

 straight. . It is generally very resinous, with large and conspicuous 

 resin ducts. The heartwood is light brown in color, while the sapwood 

 is yellowish white. When finished the wood has a satiny luster, that 

 renders it excellent for interior finishing. 



Sugar pine, in contact with the soil, shows moderately durable quali- 

 ties, although this might prove less apparent in a climate not so dry as 

 that of California. In brief, sugar pine closely resembles the eastern 

 white pine in its physical characteristics. It is, however, generally 

 considered more brittle than the latter ; and its large, conspicuous resin 

 ducts are somewhat of a detraction. 



