Redwood Association Activities For 1949

Extracts from the talk given by Sherman A. Blsho p, General Manager o[ the Calilornia Redwood Association, at the Northern California Lumber Merchants Association Convention in Yosemite National Park, April 11 and 12,1949.

The Seasoning Committee of the member mills has just completed a two-year program on the air drying and kiin drying of redwood. With their experimental kiln and intensive research in the air yards, they have perfected a method of drying redwood that not only greatly accelerates the drying period but reduces downfall and produces a better finished product. This new seasoning procedure will make it possible for member mills to take better care of the ever increasing demand for seasoned redwood.

Considerable emphasis is being placed on the development of uses for the lower grades of redwood, particularly, No. 3 Common. It is believed that the lower grades can be used to good advantage where the qualities and characteristics of the higher grades are not essential. The salesmen of member mills, as rvell as the entire Association staff stand ready to assist the dealers in this program.

The Association is completing a 3O minute color film, with sound, entitled "Sempervirens'1. This film touches lightly on production and stresses the uses for redwood in industry, in the home and on the farm. Further, the film covers the important subject of improved forest practices which guarantee a sustained yield. This film will be available to dealers, architects, builders and other groups interested in the subject of redwood and its uses.

The Association's new Farm Division calls for more contacts in the field with farm bureaus, schools and other prospective outlets for the use of redwood. It is the intent to tie in the u'ork of the Farm Division with the local

W. B. Wickersham, sion, Los Angeles, has his 40th class reunion in the east about three panied him.

Pope & Talbot, Inc., Lumber Divileft for Lafayette, Ind., to attend at Purdue University. He will be weeks. Mrs. Wickersham acccom- dealers and the Association rn,ill rvelcome any suggestiorts. This year calls for an accelerated pace on literature production and a good many pamphlets are now being planned for dealer distribution. A new one is just ofi the press on the use of lorver grades of redwood in shopping centers. Many new Data Sheets are being assembled and will be distributed through the dealers in the normal way. The Association lvelcomes any suggestions as to the type of l)ata Sheets and pamphlets that should be printed for clealer use.

The constant and ever-increasing demand for more data and information on redwood has necessitated the increase of the Association's staff. We feel that inquiries from the trade must be taken care of promptly and the larger staff is prepared to serve this need.

It is the Association's intent to have their grading inspectors become more active in the field. Heretofore, all graders' time was spent at the mills' Now it is planned to have the inspectors in the field on different occasions, so that they may learn and understand the dealer's viewpoint'

The Research Committee, made up of the member mills, is doing a tremendous amount of research in logging, sarvmilling, grading, seasoning and by-products. Great strides have been made at this early date and this important committee can make real contributions to the trade in general, r,vhich can only result in one thing ultimately-a bettei' oroduct for the consumer.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Chernis have returned from a vacation trip to New York and Washington, stopping enroute to visit relatives in Houston, Texas. Mr. Chernis is with the Atlas Lumber Co., Los Angeles.