Redwood Industry r 1922-1947

By Selwyn tI. Sharp and Ben Wade, California Redwood Association

\-,i hcrr the California l-umlter Nferchar.rt started publicatiorr in 1922, the Redrvood industry had entered the fourth quarter of its first century. A list of mills checked by oldtiurers scveral years ago shovvs that there rvere 25 principal mills sawing Redwood lumber in 1922. Nine of them are still sawing Redwood, Seven under the same ownership. They are Caspar Lumber Company; Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Company; Hammond Lumber Company mill at Samoa; Hammond Lumber Comany plant No. Z (the Bayside mill) at Eureka; Holmes Eureka Lumber Company; Northern Redwood Lumber Company; Santa Cruz l-umber Company; The Pacific Lumber Company; and Union Lumber Company. There have naturally been many changes in the men who manage these companies. Each of ttrem has lost important executives through death since 1922. A few of the ,better known leaders amonfJ these are _f. M. Carson, C. E. DeCamp, A. B. Hammond, L. C. Hammond, J. H. Holmes, C. R. Johnson, George Ley, Peter McNevin and James Tyson. Many of tl"te 1947 leaders r,vere rvith these companies tn 1922 in less responsible positions.

According to the l3ureau of Census, the industry has sawed something more than ten billion feet of Redrvoocl lumber during the 25 year period . In 7922 thev produced 566 million feet. The year in which their estimate vvas highest was 1924 with 604 million feet. The lorvest production, in 1932, was less than 136 million feet. In 1945. production was nearly 444 million feet. Because of the stiile tlre _estimate f<>r 194(t rvill be nruch less. For the periocl f.rom 1922 to 1929, average annual lledwood production u,as 538 million feet. For the follou'ing decade the average l,:ts 303 million feet and in the last seven years, the average has been about 415 million feet.

The latest and the best estimate of standing Redrvoocl timber, published by the United States Forest Service last year, shorvs a total stand of approximately 4l billion fdet of Redwood saw timber, of which approximately 33 billiorr feet is classified as "available." Most of the balance has been leserved for parks or for recreational purposes.

Changes in relation to logging practices and forestry are outstanding during the 25 years covered by The California I-umber Merchant. In 1922 the industry r,r,as at the height of the steam logging period in rvhich heavy yarders ancl skidders cleared the land and left some exceedingly unattrac_ tive scenery. In 1922 the reforestation project of the Redwood industry was getting rvell under rvav. Industry nurseries raised millions of seedlings which rvere planted to reforest the cut-over land. This seemed to be the onlv way to reforest after the clear cut logging of that period. The industrv invested over $250,000 in this experiment without obtaning results cotnmensurate rvith the costs. In the 30's, when the development of heavy tractors made tractor logging feasible, the industrv adopted a method of selective logging and natural reforestation from residual trees u,hich n'crc lclt for tl.re conrl-rined pnrpose of providing seed and permitting accelerated growth in trees of sub-marginal size. The results obtained from selective logging have been satisfactory. Improvement in timber harvesting from the forestry standpoint has been steady in spite of a slowing down of progress due to difficulty in securing enough tractors during and since the war. Simultaneously experiments in artificial seeding and studies of tree grorvth and slash disposal have been in progress. There has been a great change in the attitude of timber holders as to value of cut-over land and the soundness in investment in g.rowing Redwood timber. There has been a similar change in the attitude toward forest fires, rvhich for generatio.rs had been considered relatively harmless to mature Redrvbod stands.

The changes that have occurred in manufacturing are probably no less significant but are less spectacular than the changes in logging methods. Mu,ch of the process of turning logs into lumber remains the same as it u,as in 1922. There have been improvements in machines for better manufacture and improved layout for more efficient work. Additional dry kilns have been constructed and kiln <1esign has been greatly improved. The knowledge of liiln drying problems has increased and results obtained from improved schedules are probably greater than improvemetrts in the kilns themselves. Parenthetically, the indrrstry has embarked within the past three years ul)on a systelnatic study of seasoning problems and their solution. The -\ssociation norv has a full-time dry kiln engineer and an experimental kiln operating in Eureka. Methods of handling lurnber have changed radically with lumber carriers and lift trucks taking over to a large extent. The recent addition of lift trucks revolutionized the methods of piling for air seasoning and layout of seasoning yards at many plants.

The history of Redwood marketing during the period can hardly be sketched briefly. Among the industry-rvide marketing efforts through the California Redwood Association and Redwood Export Company are the follorving highlights.

Dtrring the 20's tl-rere was a relatively extensive advertising and promotion program pointed to the sale of yard grades. Advertising copy was directed primarily to architects and home builders u'ith a positive tie-in to the lumber dealers handling Redrvood. During the 30's there r,vere a series of specialized promotional programs. One of these was intensive promotion of Redwood for structural uses, as a result of rvhich millions of feet of Redwood went into the construction of bridges and other highway structures. There was intensive field work in California with the dealers and their customers in the architectural, agricultural and building trades. Late in the 30's, there was a resumption of advertising to residential and industrial users.