AIJBERT A. KETJIJEY A Medford Gorporation Representative

C. J. Wcrren Opens Lumber Sales Ollice

C. J. Warren, formerly president of Southwest Lumber Mills, Inc., at McNary and Flagstafr, Arizona, has opened a wholesale lumber and commission sales ofifice in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The new firm is known as C. J. Warren Lumber Company.

Warren left Southwest Mills last spring after having served in various executive capacities for more than 15 years.

Kenneth Gutman, formerly manager of the Southwest sawmills at Flagstaff and McNary, is associated with Warren in the new enterprise.

Supply ol Cement Fcr Short otr Demcrnd

Cement continues to be one of the scarcest of vital building materials, and that statement covers the entire country. The building boom just asks for more cement than is available, and the result in some parts of the country is a very serious gray market. The Wall Street Journal reports that in Florida, for example, the price being paid for cement on the gray market is often three times the mill price.

The U. S. Commerce Department estimates this year's national production of cement at 212 million barrels, r,vhich is being gobbled up at top speed. It is estimated that the present unfilled demand is for anywhere from 2 to 10 million barrels. Yet production is 30 million barrels higher tlran it was at the peak of the last war, 1942, and much of the demand at that time was from the Government. Today the demand is chiefly domestic.

'Douglas Fir, A Brief Technicat Essay

Douglas Fir of the Western Pine region, structural member of the Associated Woods family, is found in nearly every sector of the vast, 12-state area. Total Douglas Fir sau'timber stand in the region is estimated at 101.5 billion board feet. Annual iumber production averages approximately one billion feet, greatest of any of the Associated Species.

In the Pine region, Douglas Fir trees are found at elevations of 1500 to 7000 feet and grolv to maximum diameters of seven feet arrd heights of 200 feet. They grow only infrequently in pure stands; generally they are intermingled with all three Western Pine sDecies and the six other Associated Woods.

The u'ood of Douglas Fir is straight-grained, moderatelv l-reavy and normally dense. Although classed as resinous, the amount of resin is limited. The saprn'ood ring is almost pure white and very narrow. Heartrvood is orange-red and the color contrast between springrvood and summerwood is quite distinct.

In lumber form, Douglas Fir weighs 31 pounds per cubic foot and has a specific gravity of .44 at 12 per cent moisture content. Pound for pound, Douglas Fir is one of the strongest of the softlvoods. Its load-bearing capacity equals many mild steels and, of course, it is considerably lighter in 'iveight, fitting it for many structural purposes in heavy construction.

A moderately heavy rvood, Douglas Fir will shrink more in drying than most \\roods of lighter weight. Volumetric shrinkage rvhen dried from a green state to 12-15 per .cent moisture content is 5.4 per cent, compared to the softwood range of 3.4-6.6 per cent.

Douglas Fir ranks approximately midrvay among all commercial softwoods in nail-holding ability. Safe resistance to rvithdrawal of eight-penny nails driven perpendicular to the grain into seasoned stock is 28 pounds per lineal

Los Angeles qnd Fresno Counties Top Agricultural Producers

Earlier in this year the California State Department of Agriculture credits Fresno County, California, r,vith $172,614,000 in cash farm income for last year.

Now Roy M. Hagen, Chairman of the Agricultural Comrnittee of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, has released figures shorving that Los Angeles Countv cash farm income for last year totalled $177,104,000. He further states that despite the inroads of residential and industrial development 'ivhich has taken over great areas of former agricultural and orchard lands, this county has produced more cash farm income than any other county in the entire nation, ever since 1910.

Further figures released by Mr. Hagen show that farmers in 12 Southern California counties received a total cash farm income last year ol $977,117,000, an amount equalled by only seven entire states in the union.

inch; resistance in other softwoods ranges from 17 to 39 pounds.

The rvood works steadily with machine tools and, if tools are in good condition, easily by hand. For a successful, lasting paint finish on Douglas Fir, it should have a moisture content from l2 to 15 per cent, or as close to the prevailing humidity as possible. Care should be exercised in selection of a priming coat. White lead or aluminum paint is recommended.

Douglas Fir sapwood can be treated with preservatives very readily. Heartr,l'ood, due to its density, does not easily absorb preservatives but depth of penetration secured is suflicient fo most practical purposes.

Douglas Fir of the Western Pine region has an exceptionally long use life, even under conditions favoring decay; heartrvood is rated in the upper brackets by the Forest Products Laboratory for durability under decay-fostering conditions. In glue-ability it is rated in Group 2, next to the top.

Combining raw strength with delightful grain configuration, Douglas Fir can be used for the heaviest of structural rvork to fine finish purposes and for the many utility uses in betrveen. But it's in the heavy construction field that it stands supreme. For warehouse and factory trussed roo{s, for bridges and trestles, for beams, posts, studs, stringers, joists, rafters and decking and for the many miscellaneous railroad uses, Douglas Fir of the Western Pine region is one of the nation's top wood spe.cies.

For residential construction, Douglas Fir is applied as framing, sheathing, siding and for interior trim, cabinetwork and paneling. It is a popular wood for farm use where toughness and strength are primary requirements. The same properties lead to widespread utilization for industrial purposes and crating.

From \\restern Pine region mills, Douglas Fir is generally available in mixed cars together with an assortment of the Western Pines and other Associated Woods to furnish dealers rvith rvell-rounded inventories of woods for every PurPose.

Geo. A. Swilt Long Beach Ycrrd Leqsed to Pccilic Plywood Co.

Announcement is made by Geo. A. Swift that effective September 3, 1950, the lumber business conducted by him at 2827 East 14th Street, Long Beach, Calif., will cease to operate as such.

Mr. Srvift has leased the property to The pacific plyboard Co., which will conduct a lumber and plywood business at this location.

The Big Bear Lake yard will continue to be operated during the season by Mr. Swift, who lives in Long Beach at 910 Terraine Avenue.

Appointed Olfice Mcncger

Ferd Loelkes, who has been with Door bers, Inc., Los Angeles, for the past two appointed office manager. The company's ber is ANgelus 9-8188.

& Plywood Jobyears, has been telephone num-