Forest Merger

Mightiest of American trees is the redwood and greatest master of these trees is Hammond and Little River Redwood Co., Ltd., formed last week in California. It was a merger of the redwood holdings of Hammond Lumber Co. with Little River Redwood Co., control going to the Hammond company. It involved some 9.000,000,000 feet of majestic redwood timber, representing a good half of all redwood trees now available for cutting.

Sequoia sempervirens is the scientific name for redwood. It grows only along a short section of the northern California coast, thriving in the cool, moist air. A relative, but no longer cut commercially, is Sequoia gigantea or "Big Tree." Mature redwoods are also Big Trees--300 ft. high, 30 ft. through the butt.

Because the first redwoods cut were found to be 600 to over 1,000 years old, lumbermen predicted the supply would soon be exhausted. Now they estimate that the present redwood forests are large enough to last 100 years and also have found that new growth starts quickly, reforesting is easy. Since redwoods of only 50 years ago are large enough for commercial use, redwoodmen now believe their supply is perpetual.

Hammond Lumber Co. was formed in 1901 by Andrew Benonie Hammond, who, at the age of 82, is still president of the company. He will head the new redwood company. Before entering the lumber business he contracted for a large section of Northern Pacific's construction, and Edward Henry Harriman became one of Hammond Lumber's first stockholders. Another original holder was Collis Potter Huntington. much of whose stock in the company went through his widow to the Huntington Library in San Marino. Closely held, Hammond Lumber reveals no earnings. Other than redwood, its big interest is Douglas fir.

Hammond and Little River Redwood Co. Ltd. starts business with assets of some $60.000,000. with 3,500 employes and an annual payroll of over $6.500.000. Redwood is a soft, workable wood much like cedar and cypress. It has no resin or pitch, burns slowly, hence is favored by homebuilders. It is hardy, will neither rot nor warp. In addition to sales to U. S. consumers, the new company will push exports, especially to tropical countries. For, unlike most lumber, redwood is not relished by white ants.

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