Pre-Fabricated Products

From Forest to Farm

Max E. Cool< Agricultural Engineer, Ihe Pacific Lumber Compuny

Nature has given us in Redwood timber one of the most durable of commercial woods for exterior use-in most instances the ideal lumber for the great agricultural market.

Man has made substantial progress in preparing and grading this specialized lumber for use in structures on the farm. He has gone further in making available to the retail lumberman's rural customer, design and plan for a proper fabrication of Redwood lumber, with a desire to have that customer secure the maximum of service from Redwood structures.

These two factors if properly coordinated, with all recommendations rigidly adhered to, would asstlre that service from Redwood that the farmer has a right to expect. Experience has shown, however, that lack of tontrol of recommendation has been a rveak link in the chain of the "Forest to Farm" movement of Redwood lumber-produced to render a service that in too many instances it fails to deliver due to errors in grade and fabrication.

The farmer buys his Qaterpillar tractor and secures a 10O7o service. The service that Ford has rendered the rural customer is universal. These products contain the most perfect materials that can be found to render the duty they are called on to perform. They are fabricated under scientific factory conditions to an engineered design which permits of a consumer guarantee of service.

The farmer may be an expert on soils and the methods to employ in managing them to secure crop successes, but few could be found that rvould claim the craftsmanship to produce a Ford, even if he r,r,'ere given the right material and tools to work with.

For years we have accepted the theory that given the boards and a plan most any farmer by the hammer and saw method could make the various farm structures common to agricultural uses. To a degree this is true but in the last analysis, at a great expense of time, money and service. The farmer, however, has had no alternative. Industry has made the proper raw material available to him, and with it a correct plan for its fabrication; but there industry stopped-he had to produce his own product.

The Pacific Lumber Company believes that its organization, together with its dealer distribution, shoulders a joint responsibility in this factor of service to the rural market. A weak link in the movement of Palco Redwood lumber to this rural market has been the control of recommendation in grade and engineered fabrication' They propose to strengthen this link.

The rural customer wants service-he has a right to demand service as a proper measure of his dollar purchase. This purchase, however, through lack of consumer education, is mainly influenced by price in accepting a low grade material that ignores the proven recommendation. The dealer, faced with competition, has little on which to build a sales picture-when he has stated the background of his judgment on grade there is nothing left-selling a board as a piece of raw material permits little romance in the way of a sales argument.

In the last analysis the rural customer doesn't want the low grade material. He isn't buying the lumber at all-