Montana, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah third. In 1907, 139,315,000 

 board feet of Douglas fir were cut in the Rocky Mountains, which 

 constituted 11.5 per cent of the total cut for this region. The per- 

 centage was lowest (0.5 per cent) in Arizona, and, strangely enough, 

 next to the highest (13.2 per cent) in the adjoining Territory of New 

 Mexico. 



According to a recent estimate,'^ there is still standing in Wash- 

 ington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia 

 374,064,102,000 board feet of Douglas fir. Western yellow pine 

 stands second, with 175,586,520,000 board feet. Giant arborvitse is 

 third, redwood fourth, hemlock fifth, and sugar pine sixth. 



The qualities for which Douglas fir is prized vary considerably in 

 different parts of its range. In Washington and Oregon, where it 

 attains its largest dimensions, its size, strength, durability, clearness, 

 and straightness of grain make it an excellent timber for bridge 

 building and general construction. In the Rocky Mountains its 

 durability in contact with the soil adapts it primarily for mine 

 timbers and railroad ties, in which clearness and length are not 

 requisite. So much Douglas fir is used in the rough for these pur- 

 poses that the census figures, which are for lumber cut only, do not 

 indicate the importance of Douglas fir compared Avith other species 

 in the Rocky Mountains. 



HISTORICAL. 



Douglas fir was discovered by Archibald Menzies at Nootka Sound, 

 Vancouver Island, in 1792, during the voyage of Captain Vancouver. 

 It was introduced into Europe by the Scotch botanist, David Douglas, 

 who obtained the seed in the State of Washington and took it to 

 England in 1827. Since that time it has been planted with great 

 success in Scotland and in many parts of continental Europe, where 

 it is highly valued for its rapid growth, hardiness, and the quality 

 of its wood. Up to about 1870 practically all the seed taken to 

 Europe came from the fir forests of the northwestern coast of the 

 United States. Since that date seed has been taken into Europe from 

 Colorado, where Douglas fir Avas found growing on the eastern slopes 

 of the Rocky Mountains by Doctor Parry in 1861. 



Douglas fir was first described in 1803 under the name of Pinus 

 taxifolia by Lambert, who did not know that in 1796 balsam fir 

 {Ahies halsamea) had been given this name by Salisbury. It was 

 later renamed no less than four times by various botanists, some of 

 Avhom assigned it to the genus Pinvs, some to the genus Ahies. In 

 1867 Carriere separated it into a new genus, which he named Pseu- 



« Pacific Lumber Trade Journal, January, 1907. 

 [Cir. 150] 



