Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1885-10-30

forming pools whic
high noon even in he
dryest season. WherC
been cut away, with no
regrowth, springs have
streams have failed.
The name is one of I'll
obvious, Saxon christenir
every spectator understands
ment he sees the color of tn
Its hues show all varieties
from the most delicate pink
finest cedar to the deepest and d
est shades of the richest mahoga
In some cases its reddish-browns riy
those of black walnut, while unde
long exposure to the weather it takes
on blackness equal to that of ebony.
In texture and appearance the wood
is occasionally waved, curled, iecked,
veined, notified, twisted and inter
woven in the most varied, intricate
and beautiful manner. Indeed, some
specimens show all these varieties of
formation combined. Its knots, roots
and burls furnish veneers as exquisite
ly beautiful as those of the most
costly imported woods. If they came
from some distant foreign land, fairly,
staggering under some polysyllabic,
unpronounceable name, our cabinet
makers, artists in carving, and their
wealthy patrons would esteem them
almost priceless. Its grain and densi-
ty vary from those of the softest pine
to those of the densest beech. When
wet or unseasoned the wood is often
enormously heavy. Specimens have
been known to sink instantly. The
thickness of the bark varies from four
to twelve inches. It's texture resem-
bles that OF the famous Sequoias, or
big trees, which are but a gigantic
species of the Redwood.
In height the California Redwood
allows but two other vegetable
growths to look down upon it, Those
are its lofty relative above alluded to
and the Australian Eucalyptus. 1t
has been known to reach 800 feet;
quite often $50; very commonly 200 to
225. In diameter specimens reaching
twenty feet have been authenticity
measured, Thousands Of trees now
standing in the newly opened Iona
Prieta and others districts grit from
thirty to forty feet. The logs from these
trees are often so large that they have to
be blasted into halves and even quarters
before the wJod-teams and sawmills
can handle them. One tree yielded
seventeen logs each twelve feet long.
and the upper one six feet through at
the smaller end. 1t is true that these
stories may seem incredibly 'big" to
the Eastern reader, but the trees them
selves are very much bigger. as the in
credulous may easily satisfy them
selves by visiting the localities already |
named.
Twenty-Five thousand feet of lum-
Der from a single tree is very common.
In the foggier and moister northern
counties the average from each tree is
fully one half greater.
For posts, sills, ties, fumes, aque-
ducts and sewers the wood is the best
known. 1t is also admirably adapted
to the inside finish of halls, dining
rooms, billiard-Iooms, MUSHROOMS,
libraries, churches, cars and steam
ships, as well as for many forms of
cabinet-making.
When exposed to the weather with
out paint or oil, it turns nearly black.
It has also the remarkable quality Of
shrinking endwise, and. what is still
more remarkable in the same log diff
ferent years growths sometimes
shrink un-equally. Sparks and Gin
ders of burning redwood, falling upon
fat or sloping surfaces, even shingle
roofs, go out at once. Shingles of it
ignite with great difficulty from sparks
Of other wood. Itseems to be natural
ly freproof in the midst of exposure
which would quickly kindle other
woods
The beautiful redwood is already an
nually supplying a constantly increas-
ing demand in our Eastern cities,
while a new and wealthy syndicate is
millions Of feet to Europe
To her already vast income from the
great staples, wheat, wine and wool,
the Golden State now adds a new
source of wealth in the regular and in
creasing export Of the valuable and
beautiful timber and lumber Of this
queen of the vegetable kingdom, the
California Redwood.-Sa Francisco
Call