Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-03-03
THE GIGANTIC REoWooDs
Along the Pacific COast-The Redwood
..Beu"-Grain Of the Wood.

Along the Pacific Coast-The Redwood
"Ben"-Grain Of the Wood.
[Nendocino Cor y. o. Times Democrat
All tourists in California must, either per
force or per fashion, visit the big trees o.
Calaveras, but these gigantic redwools give
but faint and imperfect idea Of the forests
Of California There are several different
varieties, all OK wIich thrive under different
conditions. The big Trees have fourished
above the chiefs Of their congeners in other
sections Of the state, although the sea-fogs
never reach thsm, and they stand far above
the sea Level
Along the coast AMI notably in Mendocin)
county those thrive best which grow nearest
the sea lsvel and above all, those which in
the dense Pacific fogs receive q daily
fog bath for at least nine months of the
year. This is due not alone to tbs vivifying
influence Of the moisture upon the foliage
but also to the fact that their leaves possess
a peculiar power Of condensing the vapor
which, dripping from them 70 the ground,
answers every purposs Of irrigation Indeed,
these trees are called self-irrigatorS These
trees do not grow t. any great height above
the sea level at any place. Passing up the
coast from the lower Inns Of Sonoma county
Ia point about sixty miles north Of San Fran
cisco, the traveller comes suddenly and un-
announced upon the redwood belt
Strange to say, there are no struggling
trees standing like sentries in advance of the
main army, but they present at once a
solid phaianx. The first ranks stand Just at
the brow of the hill, and while the south
side Is as barren those We have just
passei, on the no'.h side the forest is as
heavy As it is in the very heart of the belt
II ceases in a like abrup: manner, in the val
ley Of Smiths river, few miles south of the
boundary line between California and Ore
gon, though few clumps are found over the
Oregon line.
When the redwood grows in swamps and
other moist places, there sometimes forms on
its outside a remarkable excrescence, callei
redwood fungus" This appears in the
shape OF a huge knot or wart on the tree,
and is growth of the bark, not having any
distinct grain When cut into slabs this
knot shows a Ipott!ei, dsep red color, fiil.
with little 3Dirds eyes, remarkably bea1ti-
full. and bearing high polish. In the north
ern redwcods, one frequently sees punches OF
ferns and trailing plant, growing on the %
knots, the fallen leaves lodging ON the pro-
tuberance having in time create
soil Thes. littls air gardens ars
very beautiful. Sometimes a redwood
tree will take twist or curl when
young, which increases with its growth. AMI
in in du, tims forms "curly REDWOOD ex-
hibiting, when saw,d, succession OF spiral
whorls in the grain. Re lwood is very ds,ir-
able in the ground. bu. doe, not enlure at
mospheric expoSlr. nearly so well ~ some
other varieties of wool. 1t will not bear a
neavy strain. being qaite brittle, hen is.
not adaptei to ship-5ul ling or other pur-
poses whers lightnesS an ,tr.n It'll is de fred
This feature is quit po.,nt factor in the
rapid exhaustion OF til, 70 lw1ol supply, a,
these trees tower to sl,h an immens, height
and have 50 large diameter tina. when on,
is felled it not only frequent!Y cruiies others
in its fall, but large portions g. Is own bull,
are shivered into waste wool