Western Hemlock

And These Statement Still Hold Good

Reprinted from Gulf Cqast Lumberman, September l, 1919

One of the great American woods that occup'ies a peculiar position, and one entirely unfair to itself, is Western Hemlock.

The minute one hears the name "Hemlock," he is inclined to think of the species of Hemlock, that prevails from Pennsylvania to Minnesota, and whiih is called just plain Hemlock. And those who have handled this breed of Hemlock are inclined to shy away when someone attempts to tell the,m about Western Hemlock, believing automatically that they are the same breed of dog.

The suggestion that the name of Northern Hemlock casts an aspersion over the fame of Western Hemlock, may not greatly please those gentlemen of the north who make and'market Northern Hemlock, as that product has come to play quite an important role in the building game in the north, yet we will have to chance the,ir displeasure. As Capt. J. B. White said one time at a S,outhern Pine Association, when he was arguing that the southern piners should increase their appropriation for advertising their product: "Why gentlemen, up in Pennsylvania they are actually spending 25 cents a thousand for advertising Hemlock, and I left that state th,irty years ago to get away from that awful Ffemlock."

'Io the man who has used southern pine or ,cypress or fir for general building purposes, ordinary Hemlock does not stack up very well. But northern Hemlock and western Helnlock are no more alike to all practical purposes than are northern Hemlock and fir. Western Hemlock rnakes m,ost attractive appearing, white, bright lumber, particularly free from defects and discolorations, and easy to work into most attractive and practical finish, boards, flooring, ceiling, sid,ing, and ordinary dimension. It is whiter than even the western fir or short leaf pine lumber, and being entirely free from any form ,or quality of pitch, takes paint better than almost any other American wood, and has no serious drawbacks for general building purposes that anyone knows of.

Yet it is NOT a well known wood, and it has been mighty badly advertised. It is a wood that has suffered and still suffers for want of truthful publi'city. The we-stern folks made varied attempts to escape its inherited reputation by changing the name to variotts other names, but this did not work because under the assumed names it was entirely unknown and therefore ttnsaleable, and they always come backto the name of Ilemlock.

What the coast people have got to clo, and what they OUGHT to do with the least possible loss of time, is to tell the building trade and the consuming public what their western HEMLOCK reallv IS.