56 FOREST TREES OF CALIFORNIA. 



hundred or more feet high by four or five feet in diameter — 

 but as they nearly always divide, as indicated, into a few 

 erect pseudo leaders, as well as large somewhat spreading 

 branches, and these often continued not far above reach from 

 the ground, the grain-fibres become irregular from this cause 

 alone ; besides being intrinsically wonderfully tough and 

 withey, wood white, light, and soft — reputed our best timber 

 for ox-yokes especially, and ox-bows also occasionally, but 

 for this latter purpose laurel, ash, larch, willow-root, or East- 

 ern hickory, etc., are better ; it is also appropriated to saddle- 

 trees, on account of its great tenacitj 7 and lightness. 



Notwithstanding its numerous uses, lumbermen do not 

 consider it "timber" in the appropriated commercial sense, 

 although here and there a sawlog or two may be obtained 

 from a single tree, and which makes real good inside stuff for 

 ceilings and the like, but is soon perishable when exposed to 

 the weather, save only the pitchy knots; but for oven and 

 kiln-fuel, where well distributed heat is requisite, it is worth 

 two hundred to three hundred per cent, more than the best 

 of common firewood. For pottery purposes, also, it is far 

 preferable to the intense heat of manzanita. Yields an abun- 

 dance of excellent turpentine and a superior oil; if bark- 

 girdled before cutting, would pitch well and be valuable for 

 making tar. These trees, however, are seldom if ever seen 

 in dense groves, but sparsely distributed over extensive 

 areas — well on to one thousand miles of the lighter hilly 

 lands of California and Oregon — they also inhabit some of 

 the most utterly sterile, rough, and rocky soils imaginable, 

 and even these lands first peopled with trees w T ould thus 

 serve to sustain a pretty large population ; the nuts, even, 

 might become an important article of commerce and source 

 of national wealth. The central, continental, and Pacific 

 pine-nut crop, properly harvested, would far exceed the 

 wheat crop of California, Few are wont to duly estimate its 

 value for human sustenance alone, apart from animal sus- 

 tentation. Speaking of the nut crop in general, of course we 

 include also all the pines, as Coulteri, Torreyi, monophylla, 

 Parry ana, albicantis, flealis, Lambertiana, etc. ; indeed, it would 

 not at all surprise me if one species alone of the list could be 

 selected that would exceed our entire boasted wheat crop. 

 It is really remarkable how few of these seed suffice for ver} T 

 long and fatiguing journeys. Viewed from the native stand- 

 point, is it any wonder the Indian will exchange your chippy 

 baker's breadstuff for his delicious "pinon" and acorn 

 "pone?" This very nutty, rich, and delicious diet they are 

 apt to feed upon too exclusively, continuously or inordi- 

 nately, and in such cases the great excess of oil lays them 

 liable to boils and the like, as in our own similar childhood's 

 experience and maturer observation. Coveting a change of 



