RED ALDER OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST O 
290,000 board feet, but not that used for fuel by ranchers and in 
the small settlements. 
As some of the lumber produced in Washington was consumed in 
Oregon, and some of the logs produced in Washington were sawed in 
Oregon, it is not possible to determine the 1923 production definitely 
as between the two States. It is estimated, however, that Oregon 
produced 3,559,000 board feet (lumber tally) of red alder logs (in- 
cluding veneer logs) and 4,598,000 feet of lumber, and that Washing- 
ton produced 9,897,000 feet of logs and 8,568,000 feet of lumber. 
As has been intimated practically the entire cut of alder is uti- 
lized by the secondary wood-using industries of Oregon and Wash- 
ington, chiefly furniture factories. In 1923 about 30 per cent of 
the logs were sawed by the wood-using factories, the remainder by 
small operators who sell their lumber output in the open market. 
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fig. i.— typical alder logs as delivered to a Washington chair 
FACTORY 
PROPERTIES OF RED ALDER WOOD 
GENERAL description 
A cross section of the trunk of an alder tree shows no plainly 
visible distinction between heartwood and sapwood, for both are 
nearly white and of high moisture content. Shortly after being cut 
the wood turns to a light, reddish brown, or sometimes when sawed 
in the fall to a light golden yellow. When fully seasoned the surface 
of alder lumber is pale saffron in color. This is in no sense unde- 
sirable ; in fact, as the bulk of the wood is stained to imitate walnut 
or mahogany, it is an advantage. The outer inch or two of the 
trunk of merchantable trees is composed of slowly grown or narrow- 
ringed wood, but lumber sawed from this rim does not differ in gen- 
eral appearance from that cut nearer the heart. 
