49 



The Wood : The red cedar or jumper wood is one of the 

 most durable of the American woods. It is light and soft with 

 with a fine com- 

 p a c t grain. A 

 freshty cut piece 

 of heartwood has 

 a deep red color 

 which fades on ex- 

 posure. The sap- 

 wood is cream col- 

 ored and is not 

 durable. Fence 

 posts cut from 

 trees of this spe- 

 cies have been 

 used very exten- 

 sively over the 

 country and are 

 still much in de- 

 mand although 

 the scarcity of the 

 timber makes 

 them expensive. 

 Average posts will 

 last from 30 to 35 

 years under Iowa 

 conditions. The 

 trees are also used 

 for poles. In 

 southeastern Unit- 

 ed States the wood 

 has been used ex- 

 tensively for pen- 

 cils. 



Planting'. The value of red cedar for planting lies in its 

 adaptability to unfavorable soil and climatic conditions and 

 also to the durability of the wood but not to its rapidity of 

 growth. 



This tree has been used widely for windbreaks especially 

 in single rows and very desirable for this purpose, however 

 because of its slowness of growth, it does not give good protec- 

 tion for a number of years. For single rows, space the trees 8 

 feet apart. It is generally desirable to plant a fast growing 

 tree along with the red cedar, for giving quick protection, 

 which can be Amoved when the cedars become effective. 



The tree is seldom planted for strictly commercial purposes. 

 A combined woodlot and shelter belt might serve as a source of 

 fence posts. The value of the red cedar for t>namental pur- 



Fig. 13. The red cedar. This tree is desirable 

 both for lawn planting and for the windbreak. It 

 should not be planted near the apple orchard because 

 of a fungus trouble. 



