The Ginderella tree of the Northwest

By Sid Simmons president Simmons Hardwood Lumber Co. Los Angeles, Ca.

\ I IEST Coast red alder, the CinV V derella wood.

To relate the saga of West Coast red alder, one must go back to the early 1920s when the first efforts were made to manufacture alder into lumber for our domestic markets.

At the beginning, little was known of its fine qualities, only that it was a fine textured hardwood; and could substitute at that time for such woods as gum, soft maple, poplar and nlagnolia, which were used then for furniture and other cabinet uses.

The going was tough for the beginning producer. Prices of Southern hardwood as described above were very low.

The difficulties with which the manufacturers of alder lumber were faced were many. For many years alder had been considered a weed tree that had to be removed to enable the manufacturers of Douglas fir, white fir, spruce and hemlock to log their timber as cheaply as possible.

The custom was to cut the alder, allow it to rot in the forest or burn it off. This procedure also proved beneficial to the conifer producers, as alder has a high concentrate of nitrates in its raw state and when allowed to rot into the soil, it helps to fertilize the other timber.

Alder was to be found in any place where water is abundant, such as along streams and rivers, but since that time the areas where the conifers were logged completely, alder began to thrive and grow into larger and more practical timber for lumber manufacturing: some trees attaining heights up to 60 feet.

In the beginning the operators with portable sawmills were the only ones whose effort really started the upward trend of the use of this fine wood. When the Southern hardwoods became more expensive it waS then that alder was substituted because of its low cost. The problem from the start was the education of the sawyer on the recovery of the best of the alder logs: to get a grade comparable with competitive products. It was an uphill struggle. But through the continued efforts of many mills who could see the future value in alder, finally a grading rule was established with NHLA that set a standard for all manufacturers. This enabled the buyer and user to become aware of the value of well manufactured lumber.

Today it finds many uses. The better grades are used in manufacturing fine furniture, excellent kitdhen cabinets and novelties, as well as turning squares and other places where close grain wood is required. The lower grades are used for upholstered furniture, frames primarily, and hardwood pallets. One of the greatest assets that this versatile wood has to offer is its stability and easy working, and the very fine honey color that has become a part of the process of improved kiln drying has made it extremely popular. Initially, the small sawmill operator found great difficulty in making a

Story at a Glance

A look at the early development of red alder, how the courage and initiative of Western lumbermen converted a "weed tree" into a popular and profitable commercial specie.

profit, particularly as most of his logging was done with small portable sawmills, taken into the woods. The problem of getting the lumber into the kilns in time so they could retain the natural color, was great.

But as time went on and this knowledge improved, so did his manufacturing methods. Today a first class hardwood mill does not burn an atom of its waste, for alder has proven to be very valuable as a pulp source for the paper manufacturers as does the sawdust and the bark, which is highly desirable in making certain types of glue.

From a lowly weed tree grew an industry which today employs upward of 8000 people directly and many more indirectly. It has benefited the states of Oregon and Washington as well as Northern California as the income from state-owned landshas jumped by leaps and bounds.

When one considers that from practically no value, the standing timber in alder logs averages upward of $90 per thousand feet when sold at the present market, once again one must attribute the greatness of America to the efforts and trials of many small businessmen. These men gambled their time and money to bring to the market place another product that will serve the nation for many years.

It is important to remember that alder reproduces itself and matures in 30 to 38 years. Then it is ripe for harvesting, which makes it a very valuable and constant source of use for all those who have found its true value.

As we approach the bicentennial year of this nation, let us be grateful for the free enterprise that has made us, for all our troubles, the enw of the rest of the world.

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1975 edition of specification standards covering all building material and industrial products of the Celotex building materials division of Jim Walter Corporation is available.

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Cedar Buyerc'Guide

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Management Educalion

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