Douglas Fir: The Finest Tree God Ever Grew

By A. R. McCullough, of the McCullough-Fagan LUr. Co.

Qouglas Fir, namecl after David l)ouglas, botanist, reached its best,development on the pacific -Coast from the head of the Sheena River in British Columbia southward t-lr_gugh the states of Oregon and Washington to centrai California. It is the morf i-portant lumSer tree of the North American continent and is known by a great ""ri"iy of names, such as Oregon Pine, Washington Fir, R.d pii, etc., but the name Douglas Fir was adop-ied by tiie United States Forest Service- some years ago. 'It is ihe .tr""t..ri soft wood in the world.

It is estimated that Douglas Fir cornprises 25 per cent of the remaining stand of timber in the ^United States and in British Columbia it is estimated to comprise one-third of the total lumber supply of Canada.

Universal Wood

Douglas Fir is very properly callecl the universal lvood, especially on the Pacific Coast. As an example of the differentuse_s_itis put to we cite the fact that practically every home in Washington, Oregon and California is built-almosi entirely of Douglas Fir. Practically every American wooden vessel .plying on the Pacific Ocean is built of Douglas Fir. Freight cars built on the Pacific Coast are madl of Do-uglas Fir and large quantities of Douglas Fir are ship- ped East to be manufactured into freight cars.

Just stop and examine any house under course of con- struction. The heavy joists are Douglas Fir; the studding is l)ouglas Fir; the flooring is Douglis Fir; so is the finisii !n the kitchen; the finish in the dining-room and the fin_ ish in the living-room and bedroom, also the doors: even the lath are Douglas Fir.

It is used. for paving blocks, rvooden piping, silos and tanks and rvhen you see a large building tinder construction and -stop to rvatch the pile-driver at rvork, just remember that those long straight timbers that are so nece.sary for the foundation are made of Douglas Fir. In fact, the uses of Douglas Fir are so many thai it s,ould be impossible to enumerate them all.

During the rvriter's experience in the lumber business.

D. of

Robe*ron, hel.

Douglas Fir has play-ed a very important part in four verr- great events. Re-building of San Francisco, the World;s War, the trVorld's Fair at San Francisco and the rehabilitation of Japan.

Over-Production

Probably the greatest problem the manufacturers have had to face for years is over-production. This is not a neuproblem as over twenty years ago there rvas the old .,boneyald:' at San Francisco where ldmber rvas placed in storage lvaiting for prices to advance.

This- same problem presents itself year after year an<l today is still unsolved. Over-production is the chief cause of the rapid fluctuations in Douglas Fir market. It is verr. seldom that prices remain stationary for sixty days in sudcession. Just about the time we figure ihe market is firmly established, something alwavs-'happens and it is necessary to start all over again.

Following is a sample of price changes during.1923. On account of lack of space, mention is made of only two itenrs. Car Department

January lst, ceiling, $10.m over; April lst, g15.00 over; July lst, $12.00 over; October 1st, $6.00 over; December 3!st, $ list. Commons, January lst, $1.00 over; April lst. $5.00 over; July lst, $3.00 over; October lst, g2.00 over; December 31st, $ list.

Yoq will notice that ceiling shorvs a spread of $15.0{) and commons $5.00 per month. This shouldnot be.

Prices Randoms San ?edro Cargo Department

_ JEnuary, $29,00; March, $33.50 i June, 928.00; July, g24.00; September, $30.00; November, $23.00; December, $25.00.

Is it any wonder we wholesalers look so harrassed ?

-If it were possible to devise some way rvhereby the mauufacturers would have authentic information as lo the possible demand from the various sections. so that the proper relations between SUPPLY and DEMAND could -lre

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We wish to announce to the retail &tahlishcd 1888 Geo. R. Haclctt, V. P. & G. M. trade of california that we are in position to quote on parcels