The enemies of the redwood are few, and it suffers from them less than other tree "The wind,' remarks Fisher, "can scarcely uproot it, insects seem to do it little harm, and fungi sel dom affect it. Even fire, the great enemy of all trees, though it may occasionally kill whole stands of young redwood growth, is unable to penetrate the fireproof sheathing of shaggy bark with which the old trees protect themselves.* A large area of redwood forest in Santa Cruz County has been reserved as a national forest park.
Reproduction.—The redwood forest consists of a mixture of trees of widely varying type, and keeps itself stocked by reproduction under its own shade. Seeds grow up very seldom, the seed itself seeming to have little vitality and the opportunities for its germination being rarely present, because it demands plentiful light. Hence new growth is almost exclusively by suckers, which supported and nourished by full-grown roots and stems, thrive under shade in which seedlings would wither. They thus survive and grow slowly, with little or no sun, until an old tree falls, lets in the light and they shoot up in rings about the stump into strong young trees. In 30 years, under favorable con ditions, trees will result 16 inches in diameter and 80 feet high; and it is certain that it will be profitable to hold cut-over redwood lands for future crops. This second-growth timber has not the density and fine quality of the original, but is useful for many purposes, and large quantities have already been utilized Quality of the Wood.—Redwood is fitted for many uses. In color it shades from light cherry to dark mahogany; its grain is usually straight, fine and even; its weight is light; its con sistency firm, yet soft. It is easily worked, takes a beautiful polish and is the most durable of the coniferous woods of California. It re sists decay so well that trees which have lain 500 years in the forest have been sent to the mill and sawed into lumber. It has no resin, and resists fire, a fact which has recommended it as material for house-building, especially in San Francisco. Insects seldom injure it, be cause of an acid element its lumber contains. In sea water, however, the marine teredo eats off redwood piling as readily as other timber. Redwood is used for all kinds of finishing and construction for shingles, railroad ties, electric light poles, paving blocks, tanks and pipe staves. As a tie its average life under heavy
traffic, is six to eight years; as shingles it will last as long as 40 years. The chief difficulty in working redwood lies in the seasoning process, to dry it thoroughly being a slow and difficult process.
The cutting of redwood for market began about 1850, and has steadily in creased since with the market demand and growth of means of transportation. Its use is mainly confined to the State, and the greatest demand is from the southern counties. Occa sional cargoes are sent across the Pacific, but it rarely sent East, on account of the expense of transportation. It has never been a business giving extravagant profits. Several hundred thousand acres have already been cut over. A large part of this area has been completely cleared and cultivated or used for pasture but much remains as wild brush, believed to be use less; but it is now known that ordinarily a profitable second growth will arise, so that the anticipated extinction of the tree is no longer to be feared.
Felling one of these enormous trees is an operation requiring great experience and skill on the part of the woodsman, who must cause the vast trunk to fall precisely where he in tends it to lie, and must take care that it is not split or broken by the concussion, to pre vent which a bed is smoothed and prepared for it. A platform is first erected surrounding the trunk from six to eight feet above the ground. With a long saw in the hands of two men an undercut is made through the trunk, not quite to the centre, and from the opposite side a crosscut is sawed, ending a foot or two above the undercut and leaving a section of solid wood between. When the exact place where the tree is to fall is selected, the choppers ascend the platform and with axes hew out an angular-shaped piece having the undercut as a base. When this cut is made the second or crosscut is wedged till the tree topples over and falls to the ground, the solid section of the trunk, not pierced by the cuts, supporting the tree till the centre of gravity is passed, and then the mighty frame falls on its prepared bed almost intact.