The west shore., April 01, 1880, Page 99, Image 3

April, 1880.
THE WEST SHORE.
99
utility in the various industries where
timber ami lumber become important
and indispensable factors.
Inthe"Yo Semite Hook," a work
prepared under the auspices of the Cal
ifornia Stats Geologist, and published
by order of the Legislature, there is pre
sented a "Table of the Measurements
of Height and Circumference of Trees
in the Calaveras Grove." The girth
of these trees is taken at a distance of
six feet from the ground. The table
gives the name and measurement of
thirty-OM trees, the average height of
which, in round numbers, is two bun
died and sixty-nine feet, and the aver
age circumference forty-one feet ; an
swering to an average diameter of
thirteen feet. These figures being as
sumed as correct, or approximately so,
it turns out that the mean ratio between
diameter and height will range from
twenty to twenty-one. Now it is a
patent fact that the greater this ratio
between diameter and height, the more
valuable is the tree for lumbering pur
poses. The reason of this is clearly ap
parent to every mechanic, and the gen
eial reader stands 111 no need 01 an
explanation from us. Extreme cases
of course, either way, will cause a wide
deviation from the results above stated
1' or example, the specimen which the
earlier tourists christened " Keystone
State," standing in the same grove-
said to be the tallest individual of vege
table growth on the American con
tinent, so far, at least, as discovery has
made known. This tree is three hun
dred and twenty-live feet in height, and
fourteen feet in diameter above the
"swell" of the roots, giving a ratio of
twenty-three. The u General lack-
son," three hundred and nineteen feet
in height and twelve feel in diameter,
gives a ratio of twenty-six. The
" Mother of the Forest," three hundred,
and fifteen feet in height and twenty-
one leet in diameter, gives a ratio 01
only fifteen; while the "Dr. Kane,"
two hundred and seventy-one lid in
height and sixteen feet in diameter, af
fords a corresponding ratio so low as
eleven.
Let us sec now what is true of some
of our own monarchs of the forest.
Wc have, with our own hands, care
fully measured the heights and dianic
ters of a great many Washington Ter
ritory firs. Many of these beautiful
specimens stand three hundred feet
.'. . .1 1 i. 1 .1 1..
high, Uieir narix given uhu ui.ui.km
matted crowns supported by taper foreign markets, is made from logs
shafts of no more than from six to eight which are less than five feet in di-
feet in diameter ; thus, far exceeding amctcr.
the famous Sequoia Giganiea in point What has been said of the Sequoia
of lightness and symmetry of outline. Giganin, of California, might be said,
In these investigations, we have dis- in many respects, of the noted rcd-
mlcd all trees below two hundred feet woods of that State, the Sequoia Sew-
ih height ; the greater number of those I ftrvirttu, In the same forest belt,
measured might, in fact, be included thousands of these trees may he found
between two hundred and twenty-live from seven to twelve feet in diameter.
mil three hundred feet. From some And hence, on the score of convenience
lozen or more prostrate and standing and ultimate profit, the smaller sizes
trees, measured in various parts of the "lone are selected and felled for legiti-
ey of Pllget Sound, we have deduced mate lumbering purposes.
an average height of two hundred and W would not, for a moment., doubt
forty feet, with a mean diameter of that trees of the most gigantic growth
seven feet. Here, then, are the data in all lands have their respective uses.
for obtaining a fraction over thirty Nay, it were dishonoring the Creator
four as a mean ratio between diameter of all things to think and speak other-
and height. Hut lumbermen do not wise. Hut we Ihiuk quite enough has
like to attack ovorarrown timber of anv been said to show that the timber of
sort; and hence, we think it is safe to our own immediate part of the Pacific
conclude that the great majority of lirs Coast is pre-eminently adapted to all
utilized for lumberim' nnrnoses. in the varied wants ol builders and wood-
. - n , , , 1
Washington Territory, will furnish working mechanics.
ratios all the way from thirty to fortv, As has been stated, the mciihurcmcnU
while in extreme cases they run as high of the girth and altitude of trees along
as fifty. Let it be understood that the this part ol the Loast, have been made
mean height of two hundred and forts '1 under our immediate supci vision, While
feel, announced above, does not relate w e have seen much of the magnificence
to the eon if era as they are met with in-1 of forest growth in the mountain fast
discriminated in our forests, but only "esses of Fastens California, wc have
such specimens as sve have personally depended wholly upon official reports
singled out and measured; and in all for the details of measurement as to the
can -, we selec ted the tallest and most individual specimens referred to in this
Defied trees. article.
It may not be amiss to explain, here,
to the uninitiated, what we mean by
the term "ratio" as used in this article,
In a mathematical sense, ratio is the
quotient arising from dividing one
quantity by another. Lhus, the ratio
between live and tenuis expressed l
lividing ten by live, giving Iwo a the
required ratio. Now suppose sve inea
urc a fir and And it to be tsvo hundred
and sixteen feet high and six feet in
diameter. Dividing the greater di
tnensions by the leea, we have a quo
tient of thirty-six ; this quotient, then,
is the ratio in question. Without fur
tbei ado, it w ill be readilj seen why it
is that a large ratio implies a corres
pondingly large commercial value
since it is plain that a greater number
of "cuts" of a given length and avail
ability can be taken from a long, tajx'r
trunk, than from one of a thick, stumpy
growth.
In fact, the best quality of rough and her little girl, "you don't suppose I
drced lumber shipped from Oregon o for my pleasure, do you ?" " T
and Pttget Bound mill to home and whow'plcatuie i it for, mamma r"
A 1 rtniu youiiK woman nnninil lUiuiti,
BUpptt down un a ilro " of I mi i ,
Hhn ihrlokod and ) my il !
Ami mure tUn uhu plod
Tbia Ih'IiiniH tu Um riaMfaagM saaaak.
A tl SS lrni!K to nUt lior,
Ami ili'knl uji Imr mull Mill writUir,
" Dul yuii (all, ma'am f" Im I 1 '.
1 1 . fOS Hunk," IbS iil""l,
" I .ut down loi Ihn (un r.l II, initio! r"
Srw 1 hi IIWW
Ttwia who A yimiiif man In Alatkit
Who lli.niiflit liu would Ilka lu Mk it
Young woman to wml .
In tho faco h grow roil,
Hi. ilaesMNi n"' khssv shassU deva hr
And Um mat tl.niK hu know, U wa nut lit tkt
ittoot,
Aud a ntd.y 1.11." bout turo a liolo In Mm wal
1 if tl.o uU ol dm man lu Alatka.
" Messed arc the peacemakers," said
the small boy when he dioppnl a cotlls
porcelain ornament.
"If I punish you," said mamma to
1 .10
Then