Solved: Digger Pine

[Tillaway]

Charlie got it, now what is it good for?

[Tom]

I know.....I know.....   It's a pine cone.  

[Tom]

I've never seen one before but have been told that they create Bi-i-ig pine cones and are from your area; is it a Sugar Pine?  

[Tillaway]

Sorry Tom, I wish it was a Sugar Pine.

[CHARLIE]

I can't see the bark, but from where I sit, I think it's a Digger Pine or also called Gray Pine or Grayleaf Pine. (Pinus sabiniana Douglas).  What did I win?

[woodman]

   Tillaway even if i ran out of the sears catalog. That pine cone never.

[Tom]

Charlie, I'm impressed.
Woodman, I'm with you.

I had to cheat and go to the internet.

These excerpts are from: http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_1/pinus/sabiniana.htm

Digger pine (Pinus sabiniana), also called bull pine or gray pine, has limited commercial use today, but it once was important to California Indians, who used its seeds and parts of cones, bark, and buds as food supplements, and its twigs, needles, cones, and resin in basket and drum construction

Currently, the tree's primary value is as a source of railroad tie material, with secondary values for box shook, pallet stock, and chips.

Normal heptane, an alkane hydrocarbon of rare occurrence in woody tissues, is the principal constituent of Digger pine wood turpentine and constitutes about 3 percent of needle and twig oil .

[Tillaway]

I know a guy that uses to saw these things.  Thay have some much twist and tension in them if you try to cut a board off of them it practically jump off the cant and walk across the yard.   They do make good ties though.

They changed the name to Gray Pine to be more politically correct.  Digger is now considered derogatory towards the local Indian population.  They were called Digger Indians because they were always seen digging around for roots and things.