38 TIMBER 
Restricted to definite localities called groves it 
grows at an extreme altitude of 7,500 ft. in regions 
where the average rainfall is 45 in. to 60 in. per annum, 
and where the snow lies from 2 ft. to 10 ft. deep during 
three to six months in the year. 
As has been remarked, timber of this species has 
never been exported, the wood, besides being even 
more brittle than red-wood, is less readily worked. 
A few notes relating to some of these Big Tree Groves, 
which are a great attraction to visitors to California and 
which, probably, rank high among the many wonderful 
sights to be seen in the United States, may perhaps be 
interesting. 
In the Calaveras County, the grove bearing this 
name contains 101 trees, besides several fallen ones. 
Thirty trees in this collection, from actual measure- 
ment, range from 9 ft. to 19 ft. 6in. in diameter at 6 ft. 
from the ground, and rise to a height of 237 ft. to 325 ft. 
One of the fallen trunks has been hollowed out by fire, 
and so huge is the tree that a mounted horseman can 
ride through this aperture. 
The Tuolumne Grove is situated at an altitude of 
5,800 ft. There are thirty trees in this stand, and an 
opening has been cut through one, under which the 
Yosemite stage-coach passes. 
A third group—Mariposa Grove—contains the largest 
tree that is known; it measures 93 ft. 7 in. in circum- 
ference at the ground and 64 ft. 3 in. at 11 ft. above. 
The estimate of the ages of some of these giants of 
the forest shows that many seasons have passed over 
their heads. A count of the rays has demonstrated 
that the adult trees have a growth of between 400 and 
1,500 years, but one patriarch has been discovered 
whose annual rings show that 4,000 birthdays must be 
credited to him. 
