Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-12
CEDAR GROWING SCARCER
Little of It Left To Grow In The
Adirondacks.
The Small Trees Cut for Many Pur.
poscs--Ccdar DOnts Not Common
Eark in Demand and Much Lu,u.
Der Killed by Its Removal
odd Camp Carpets.

Cedar OF large size Is very scarce in tho
Adirondacks, and is getting scarcer part /
~ because the young cedars are ruthless
~ wasted. The small cedars, from two or
three inches in diameter upward, have so
many local uses and the native Adlron-
da cker hns so long had the habit Of taking
any tree that he wants. whether from pri-
vate or public. that few cedars are left
to grow to full maturity. Now and then
you sec "a cedar In a protected place that
has grown 10 n diameter of eighteen In
chcs or even two and a half feet but n
cedar above n foot in diameter is suffi-
GENTLY rare in many parts Of tie Adiron-
dacks to be nm object almost Of curiosity.
The destruction OF small cedars on public
land goes on year after year almost tn
checked.
Cedar is favorite timber with the RAJ
tive not onlv because it lasts so amazing
~ for such things az fence posts and
tent poles but also because IT works" 80
beautifully and Is so decorative. A man
skilled with tbs axe can split good season.
ell cedar into long strips of almost any
thickness that look as II they had been
sawn and planed. With good knife the
process may 0c continued until a stick
ten feet long and foot in diameter ~
reduced almost to ribbons. Before any
OF her tool has touched the wood II has an
almost satiuv surface Boiled for few
hours II becomes NJ near plastic ~ wood
can we'll be. In that condition It can be
woven into baskets or bent into the most
beautiful and effective knees for light
canoes. It Is better for this last purpose
than cypress. though the latter is also
used
Time was when the beauty and the pill
ancy of tho cedar and the case with which
It can be worried made It n favorite for
the building OF the beautiful Adirondack
boats the panks of which are In places
only an eighth OF an inch thick. n recent
years. however. pine has been used in-
stead Of cedar for this purpose partly
because pine is cheaper and partly be-
cause cedar when the protecting surface
or paint or shellac IS removed ~ accident
absorhs water. refuses to dry out efrectu~
ally except after long seasoning In tho
sun or over a fire, and eventually be-
comes water-logged. Pine lacks much Of
the beauty Of the cedar and some Of It's
more utiltarian virtues. but the boat
builders seldom make cedar boats except
at the order Of some old fashioned custo-
rner.
All sorts Of small ornamental articles
amateur cabinet makers and carpenters
81 the Adrondacks. No wood Is better
for the rustic furniture that guides and
local carpenters make for use IN perman-
ent camps, Bedsteads. tables. chairs. desks
and the like Of cedar with the bark on
will last with proper care for half a life
time. Cedar also lasts wonderfully well
for ornamental porch ratings and the
Adirondack carpenters handle 1t with the
utmost skill and nicely.
The bark of the cedar fs r7Ithlessly and
wastefully used for decoration. A stand
Ing tree foot or more In diameter will
he harked for ten feet in order that wood
boxes. desks. tables and the like may
have a rustic" covering The result is un-
mstakably beautiful and the seams oe
the bark are so nicely fitted that they ara
almost invisible. but the destruction Of
timber is shocking to think of.
There is a Canadian cedar that furrish-
es the most beautiful and delightful car
pet for a rough camp. Good sized trees
are harkel as they stand. and the bark
Is laid flat while It Is still fresh and plant
Pieces rs much as ten feet long and six
or seven feet wide may thus be used.
The result .s a carpet Of mats. large and
small beautiful and appropriate In color
and texture. end rot unpleasant 70 tho
feet. On parts OF the floor that are not
much used the moss that often grows on
the bark will remain unspoied As a
rough camp Is apt to be used only a few
weeks In the season the carpet Of cedar
bark remains fresh and beautiful for tho
whole time II has in addition to its
beauty the virtue of a delicious odor.