SD 428 .M9 P"? Copy 1 MOUNT RAIXIEI! FOREST RESERVE, WASHINGTON' FRED G. PLL'MMER 21 GEOL, PT .3 6 *** ^1 CONTENTS. Page. Boundaries 37 < reneral description 88 Climate 89 Aral lie lands and s< ► i l formations 91 Coal indications 93 Minerals and mining claims 94 Mineral springs 94 Evidences of recent volcanic activity 96 ( a\ is 9g Mi mntain parks 97 Tree species 98 Range of tree species _ 106 Rate of growth of timber trees 106 Defects and diseases of timber trees 109 Estimates of timber m White River watershed Ill Puyallup River watershed 112 Nisqually River watershed 113 CQwlitz River watershed 114 ( 'is] .us River watershed _ 115 Leu is River watershed 116 Washougal River watershed 117 Ri .rk ( 'reek watershed 117 Wind River watershed 118 Little White Salmon River watershed 119 White Salmon River watershed 120 Klickitat River watershed 121 Atamiiii River watershed 122 Tied hi River watershed 123 Naches River watershed _ _ 124 Yakima River watershed 125 Summary of estimates 126 Commercial uses of timber 127 Markets and prices 128 Underbrush 130 Forest litter _ 132 Humus 132 Fires 133 Extent and location 133 Causes 134 Restocking of burned areas 236 Timberless areas 137 Timber cutting in the reserve 138 Logging conditions 139 Settlement and improvements 140 Grazing 140 83 I LL USTRATIONS Page. Plate XXXIII. Map of Mount Rainier Forest Reserve, showing classification of lands In atlas XXXIV. A, Mount Rainier ami Longmire Springs. IS, Mount Rainier. 88 XXXV. A, Narada Falls, Paradise Park. B, lee caves 90 XXXVI. .1, Tatoosh Range, Mount St. Helens in distance. B, Small lake near Indian race track, second growth of mountain fir and hemlock ill' XXXVII. Map of Mount Rainier Forest Reserve, showing distribution of red or yellow fir !i4 XXXVIII. A, Tauga pattoniana. II, Finns ponderosa. C, Firms monti- <■<>!, i. D, PseudoWiga taxifolia 96 XXXIX. Map ui Mount Rainier Forest Reserve, showing distribution of hemlock 98 XL. A, Larva occidentalis. IS, Picea engelmanni. < '. Abies lasio- carpa. I>, Firms albicaulis loo XLI. Diagram showing range and development of timber tree species 102 XLII. Map of Mount Rainier Forest Reserve, showing distribution ni red cedar lot XLIII. A, Pines and red firs. B, Red fir in Cowlitz bottom 110 XLIV. .1, Maple grove. IS, Yellow fir 12A feet in diameter 130 XLV. A, Fir, maple, and ash trees. B, Mount II 1 with moun- tain fir 132 XXVI. Map of Mount Rainier Forest Reserve, showing distribution of yellow pine 134 XLVII. A, Mount Rainier from Goat Mountain. B, Burn, with second growth 136 XLVIII. A, Summit of range in southern part of reserve, looking west. B, Headwaters of Tieton River from Goat Mountain 138 XLIX. A, Mount Adams. B, Cispus Range from Goaf Mountain .. 140 L. .1, Recent cinder cone on north slope of Mount Adams. B, Mount Adams, with mountain fir in foreground 142 85 MOUNT RAINIER FOREST RESERVE WASHINGTON. By Fred G. Plummer. BOUND ABIES. By proclamation of the President made February 22, 1897, the Mount Rainier Forest Reserve was established with the following boundaries: Beginning at the southeast corner of township four (4) north, range (9) east, Wil- lamette base and meridian, Washington; thence northerly along the range line between ranges nine (9) and ten (10) east, subject to the proper offset on the first (1st) standard parallel north, to the northwest come* of township six (6) north, rangi ten (10) east; thence easterly along the township line to the northeast corner of said township; thence northerly along the range line to the northwest corner of township seven (7) north, range eleven ill i east; thence easterly along the town- ship line between townships seven (7} and eight (8) north to the northeast corner of township seven (7) north, range twelve (12) east; thence northerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed range line between ranges twelve (12) and thirteen (13) east, subject to the proper offset on the se nd (2nd) standard parallel north, to the northwest corner of township eleven (11) north, range thirteen (13) east; thence easterlj along the surveyed and unsurveyed township line between townships eleven (11) and twelve (12) north to the southwest comer of township twelve (12) north, range fifteen (15) east; thence northerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed range line between ranges fourteen (14) and tifteen (15) east, subject to the proper offsets on the third (3rd) and fourth (4th i standard parallels north, to the point, for the northeast comer of township eighteen (18) north, range fourteen (14) east; thenre westerly along the unsurveyed and surveyed township line between townships eighteen I 18 I and nineteen (19) north to the southwest corner of township nineteen (19) north, range seven i7ieast; thence southerly along the surveyed and unsurveyed range line between ranges six (6) and seven (7) east, subject to the proper offsets on the township line between townships seventeen (17) and eighteen (18) north, and on the fourth (4th), third (3rd), and second (2nd) standard parallels north, to the point for the northeast, corner of township five (5) north, range six (6) cast; thence westerly along the unsurveyed township line between townships live (5) and six (t>) north to the southeast corner of township six (6) north, range four (4) east; thence southerly along the unsurveyed range line between ranges four (4J ami five (5 I east, subject to the proper offset on the first (1st) standard parallel north to the point for the southwest corner of township four (4) north, range live (5 ) east; thence easterly along the unsurveyed and surveyed township line between townships three (3) and four (4) north to the southeast corner of township four (4) north, range nine (9) east, the place of beginning. 87 OS FOREST RESERVES. Excepting from the force and effect of this proclamation all lands which may have been prior to the date hereof embraced in any legal entry or covered by any lawful filing 'inly of record in the proper United States land office, or upon which any valid settlement has been made pursuant to law, and the statutory period within which to make entry or filing of record has not expired, and all mining claims duly located and held according to the laws of the United States and rules and regulations not in conflict therewith: Provided, That this exception shall not continue to apply to any particular tract of land unless the entryman, settler, or claimant continues to comply with the law under which the entry, tiling, settlement, or location was made. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. The tract tints reserved includes the Cascade Range in the southern part of Washington. The Government hind surveys which partly hound and fix the location of the reserve have in western Washington been made from the Willamette meridian and in eastern Washington from the Columbia guide meridian. The sum of the discrepancies between them falls in the unsurveyed mountainous region partly cov- ered by the reserve, and for this and other reasons the area of the reserve is 2,146,600 acres, and not 2,234,880 acres, as would he implied by the above description if all the townships were of full size. Of this total area 890,440 acres, or 41.4 per cent, lies on the eastern slope, and L, 256,160 acres, or 58.6 per cent, on the western slope of the mountains. These two slopes, which will he often referred to in this report, pre- sent widely divergent conditions in climate and flora, hut they share a hold topography in common. The line dividing these slopes, or the line separating the eastern drainage from the western, has a general direction of N. ."> E. Its detailed meanderings within the reserve are delineated on the map. PI. XXXIII. All of the eastern slope and the greater portion of the western drain into Columbia River, the tributary streams being the Cowlitz, Cispus, Lewis. Washougal, Rock. Wind. Little White Salmon, White Salmon. Klickitat. Atanum. Tieton, Naches, and Yakima rivers. The total watershed area of these streams is 1,794,600 acres, or 83.6 per cent of the reserve The remainder, 352,000 acres, or 16.4 per cent, is drained into Puget Sound, the tributary streams being the White. Puyallup, and Nisqually rivers. Within the reserve are four mountain peaks or domes of unusual magnitude: Mount Rainier, 14,526 feet: Mount Adams. L2,470 feet; Goat Mountain. 8,500 feet, and Mount Aix. 7,623 feet. Of these Mount Rainier and Mount Aix are not on the summit line, but like Mount St. Helens, Mount Stewart, and Mount Baker, all in Washington, stand on one side or the other of the range. The glaciers and perpetual snow fields of Mount Rainier have a total area of 32,500 acres, ami are therefore an important item in the estima- U S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY ■.TV-FIRST ANNUAL REPC RT PARTV F L. XXXIV Jg KfilflLillft /!»» " ^?DPIfei t.i~. '-' E&& i^i *fr- ■■ _ n ■J» J. MOUNT RAINIER AND LONGMIRE SPRINGS. B. MOUNT RAINIER. plummee.] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 89 tion of areas without timber. The glaciers of Mount Adams cover only 2,300 acres, and those of Goat Mountain are insignificant. In unusual summer seasons, such as that of 1899, small areas of high altitude, protected from the warm chinook winds, may remain snow covered, but the perpetual snow fields and glaciers within the reserve arc limited to Mount Rainier and Mount Adams. Probably an excep- tionally warm season would leave no ice or snow on Goat Mountain. The routes of travel in the reserve are few. Most of the trails shown upon the map arc hardly deserving of the name, but indicate blazed lines where better progress can be made than by taking a course through the timber and brush. The Indian's policy was to go only where his pony could take him, and the idea of cutting and logging out a trail was repugnant to him; therefore his lines of travel were along the sparsely timbered ridges, where feed was generally plenty, when' game abounded, or where huckleberries grew. Later came the prospectors and sheepmen, and in some places they did considerable work. Since the advent of settlers in the valleys <»f the Nisqually, Cowlitz. Wind, and Little White Salmon, wagon roads have been built ami the larger streams bridged. Since 1896 stages have run from Tacoma to Long- mires Springs during July, August, and September of each year to accommodate the tourist travel en route to Paradise Park. Twelve miles of this stage road is inside of the reserve and was constructed on a county survey prior to the proclamation of the reservation. Public sentiment strongly favors the opening of this scenic region by better lines of travel than the poor wagon road and pack trails. The Yellow- stone and Yoseniite will have a strong competitor when this is done. The setting aside of nine townships around Mount Rainier as a national park was an act which met with universal approval. CLIMATE. Accurate meteorological data are not obtainable regarding that por- tion of the Cascade Mountains within the boundaries of the reserve, as the Weather Bureau has never had an observer in that area. Dur- ing the examination a large amount of fragmentary information was collected from settlers, prospectors, and trappers, and by personal observation. This has been used, with many interpolations, in the preparation of the accompanying maps. The bold topography of the reserve is the cause of wide diversi- ties in climatic conditions, some of which are general and affect large areas, while others affect only small areas. The rain-bearing clouds arc brought by southwest winds from the Pacific Ocean, and find easy access to the Cascade Range through breaks in the Coast Range. The mountains along the coast, owing to their position and height, are great rain producers for their own areas, but the range is not 90 Fl >RKST RESERVES. continuous and the gaps in it are low. Important at ig the gaps, as affecting the region under consideration, are those made by < J-rays Har- bor. Willipa Bay, Columbia River, Tillamook Bay, and Yaquina Bay. The ( Jascade Range, running north and south, parallel -with the coast, presents a more continuous barrier to the rain-bearing clouds, the only break or gap being that through which Columbia River flows. The winters in the mountains are long rather than severe. Doubt- less upon such elevations as Mount Rainier, .Mount Adams, or Goat Mountain the prevailing conditions during the winter are of extreme se\ erity. A strong contrast is presented between the corn and tobacco fields of the Cow lit/ Valley and the ice fields and glaciers of Mount Rainier, and yet among these same glaciers in the mountain parks a profusion of wild flowers and gras^e~ result-, from the mild and delightful cli- mate that prevails during the short summer season. It is always a matter of surprise to the tourists that they may camp in summer gar- dens surrounded by arctic scenery on such a grand scale, but this camping season is limited to .Inly. August, and September. During L886, L887, and 1888 the engineer department of the North- ern Pacific Railway kepi a weather record at Stampede Pass tunnel, and from those observations the following table has been compiled: . I . rage tempi ratun ami mo.ivfall ]><■;■ acre to prepare it for the plow, and by reason of the severe winters and short summers it would be of doubtful value. Bordering the Klickitat and the Lower Fish Lake Stream in Ts. 8 and '.i X.. R. L2 E., there is an area of about 10,000 acres of bench land supporting a growth of yellow pine {Pinus ponderosa) and pine grass ( ( 'alamagrostis suhsdorfii). When cleared it would be fair land under irrigation. ( )n the headwaters of the main Klickitat River are a series of meadows which will aggregate about sun acres. The level bottom and low benches of fair land bordering these meadows may be classed as arable land and will add L,200 acres to the above, making a total of 2,000 acres. These bottoms are divided transversely by several low ridges both in appearance and formation strongly suggestive of ter- minal moraines of an ancient glacier. No stria' were noted. Conrad Meadows, on the South Fork of Tieton River, contain about lnil acres which should he drained. At the head of Tani.um Lake on Bumping River is about 500 acres of bottom land with a growth of young fir, hemlock, cedar, and light underbrush. Small areas of this bottom are timberless and grassed. Other small and unimportant areas of arable land are Goose Prairie on Bumping River and Pleasant Valley on American River, and also a few benches and small lake beds on the Naches and Tieton rivers. A. TATOOSH RANGE; MOUNT ST. HELENS IN DISTANCE. B. SMALL LAKE NEAR INDIAN RACE TRACK; SECOND GROWTH OF MOUNTAIN FIR AND HEMLOCK. pummer] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 93 Near the headwaters of many of the .smaller streams are small mead- ows, but their elevation and exposure forbid their use for agricul- tural purposes. The surface soils other than above detailed are entitled to only brief mention. The hold topography of the area prohibits the accumulation of deep or rich soils. The underlying ledges, talus, and gravels are covered with sand, resulting from decomposition, and over many areas with scoria. This scoria is both of interest and value. Some samples were taken from an undisturbed hank on a hill in the SE. I of SE. 1 of sec. Is. T. 12 N., R. 7E.,and gave a weight of 19.55 pounds avoirdupois per cubic foot. After being screened a cubic foot of the sand, whose grains ranged in size from one-half to one-eighth inch in diameter, weighed 43 pounds. The same screening after being dried weighed 37.4 pounds. This sand follows the surface of the country, and in the higher ele- vations is often exj)osed, and over small areas has been recently eroded. Its color is a dull straw, sometimes deep brown. It is very coarse, gritty, and free from loam and other foreign matters, and is never waterworn. It is always loose, never compact. When exposed to air by the plow it undergoes a slow slaking process, and is regarded as remarkably fertile soil. In Cowlitz Valley John Blankenship says his field of sand changed very much by working, as it decomposed, turned yellow, and made good soil, which lie has used for growing artichokes. His flower garden blooms freely, but the plants are not thrifty. Scoria sand taken from his well was thrown over the surface of the ground, and showed its fertility by the growth of weeds which followed. All of the evidence presented by the scoria sand points to the prob- ability of its being the result of a recent volcanic eruption, but to name the volcano or to fix the date will require more extended examination. COAX, INDICATIONS. The Columbia River lava (Miocene) has overcapped and almost com- pletely buried the coal-bearing strata (Eocene) within the reserve. Rarely has erosion uncovered the upper measures, which are found badly faulted and broken, and in several cases metamorphosed by heat. Eocene sandstone and fossil-bearing shales were recognized near the southwest corner of sec. is.T. 17 N.. R. 8 E.; also on Goat Creek. Coal ( reek, and Sweetwater Creek on the Nisqually watershed. The t'< issils are the leaves of alders, maple, and willow and resemble those found in the roof rocks of the Roslyn coal mine in eastern Washington and in other coal mines on the west side of the range. Coal float was found at these localities. Fossil leaves are also reported from the Wind River watershed, near Lookout Mountain. 94 FOREST RESERVES. I >avis coal prospect on Summit Creek has been worked to a stnaJl extent to determine its value. A vein 6 feet wide is claimed, which crosses Summit Creek, and is exposed on both sides < if the canyon. The improvements consist of two small cabins, a shaft about b> feet deep, and two tunnels. Coal veins exist in sees. 1.", and 14. T. L2 N., R. 8 E., and s prospecting has Keen done, hut the work has been abandoned. Two miles north of Packwood Lake several small coal veins have been prospected. On the headwaters of Cispus River, in T. 1<» N., R. 10 E.. several eoal veins have been prospected, but no real development work has been done. Traces of coal have been found underlying the basalt at Steamboat Mountain. MINER AI.S VXD MINING CLAIMS. i lie ( lolumbia River lava is not a favorable formation for the deposi- tion of the precious metals iii paying quantities, although waters slightly charged with minerals have deposited gold, silver, lead, iron, and silica alone' cleavage planes in the high country rock, which is mainly diabase capped with lava. On the surface where these infiltrations occur the original sulphide deposit has been oxidized and concentrated, so that by panning some color of flour gold can he obtained. Below the line of oxidation, at a depth of about 30 feet, the mineral deposit changes to low-grade iron pyrites, which requires smelting and is not of sufficient value to make it profitable to mine. These veins do not show any characteristics of true fissure or contact fissure veins, there being no ribbon structure of the vein matter or striation of the walls, but merely an impregnation of the country rocks, which would indicate that they are merely gash veins which wiil in all probability terminate at a slight depth. The placer ground on Moore Creek, at the base of Gold Hill, is said to give colors to every pan, but inasmuch as several parties have operated it in years past and have given it up it can not be very profitable. The .Medina Mining Company is buildinga 5 stamp mill on the west side of Silver Creek to test the free or oxidized ore. On the opposite side of the gulch the Florence Company is running a crosscut tunnel easterly in diabase rock for the purpose of tapping some ore veins that crop on the slope of the mountain above. If the company is successful iii this it may prove that the veins at this point have depth and are not gash veins in the cleavage of the country rock. MINERAL SPRINGS. James Lone-mire patented 20 acres of land lying in sees. 29 and 32, T. L5 X., R. 8 E., as a mineral claim. He erected an inn, barn, two bath houses, one storehouse, and two small shacks. U S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY LEGEND Less than 10 percent of the forest TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT PART V PL. XXXVII About 25percent of the forest About 50percent of the forest About 75 percent of the forest MOUNT RAINIER FOREST RESERVE WASHINGTON Showing distribution of red oryellowflr ( Pseudotsugataxifolia) Prepared under the direction of Henry Gannett Geographer incharge BY FRED.G.PLUMMER 1899 10 15 MILES plummer.] MOUNT RAINIEK RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 95 Within the limits of this claim are about twenty mineral springs having temperatures from 50 to 90 F. A sample of one of the springs was sent to G. A. Mariner, of Chicago, for analysis, who reported as follows: Analysis of water from sees. ?9andS2, '/'. 15 N., R. 8 E. [Analyst: G. A. Mariner.] ' rrams. Silica 0.080410 Calcium carbonate 1. 07721 K I Magnesium carbonate 617780 Iron oxide 060500 Sodium sulphate 090251 Sodium chloride 1.463600 Potassium chloride Trace. Sodium carbonate 063195 Si "Hum silicate 062326 Hydrogen sulphide Trace. Total solids in one liter 3.515262 These springs are steady in their flow and have shown do signs of failing. On the north side of Summit Creek in the Cowlitz watershed is a mineral spring claimed by David Longmire. It was located September 5, L897, as a red mineral paint spring claim. The spring is i feet in diameter and is LOO feet from Summit Creek. The amount of flow is about 1 cubic foot per minute. It tastes like soda water strongly impregnated with iron. The temperature is about 40 c and the water is very refreshing. The pack animals drank it with relish. A similar spring is reported on the right bank of Bumping River, ."> miles below Tannum Lake. A mineral spring is located on the north side of Cowlitz River in sec. 3'2. T. 13 N., R. 9 E. The waters issue from several fissures of the rock in place and flow into the river, which is only lo feet distant. The spring is below the level of high water, and its waters are strongly impregnated with sulphur and iron, and have a temperature of about 100" F. In sec. 34, T. 14 N., R. 14 E., on the south side of Tieton River, are mineral springs having a flow of about 0.25 cubic foot per minute. One has a temperature of 105 : F. The others are cold. The Klickitat soda springs in the north half of sec. 23, T. 11 N. , R. 12 E.. are probably the finest soda springs in the reserve, although they have not so great a flow as the Longmire Springs, nor are they as well situated for use. The main spring issues from a rock crevice on the south side of Klickitat River, below the high-water line. To make the water accessible the stock herders have built a wing dam which exposes the bubbling spring. Its flow is about 1 cubic foot per 96 FOREST RESERVES. minute, and is steady. The water is clear and sparkling, with an agreeable taste resembling vichy. It is a strong appetizer, and acts quickly and vigorously upon the kidneys. <)n the north side of the river, and just above high-water mark, are two barely perceptible springs, one warm and the other cold. Two other springs issue in the bed of the si ream, and can l>e located by the bubbles of gas which rise to the surface. In sec. ">t;, T. 9 \.. 15. 12 E., is a fine soda spring, which has long been known and used by the Indians. Its waters are (dear and cold and carry iron, as is shown l>\ the vr<\ formation about it. Its flow is 0.25 cubic foot per minute. Near this spring are three yellow pines {Pinvs ponderosa) of less than 18 inches diameter, which have been affected by the spring. Their foliage is of a light-brown color, is xrry scanty, and droops. Numerous small soda and iron springs are found along the Clear- water Fork of the Klickitat River in the box canyons. EVIDENCES <>I RECENT VOLCANIC ACTIVITY. ( )n the .-lopes of Mount Adams are many evidences of recent vol- canic activity, and important among these are cinder cones and bombs. The cinder cones are miniature volcanoes in form. One, situated about :'> miles northeast of the summit of Mount Adams, at an eleva- tion of 7,000 feet, is worthy of special mention, [ts height is about 500 feet and the crater at its summit has a diameter of L75 feet and a depth of 7."> feet. The cinders which form its mass and the flora growing upon it are unique and interesting. The lava, scoria, and pumice are often of brilliant colors red. orange, and yellow predominating. Some of the pumice is of finer texture than that in use commercially, and the volcanic glass is found in all shades, from black to clear, transparent globules. On the northern side of Goat Peak an area of over L, 000 acres is completely covered with scoria and cinders, and this area is timberless. If a crater exists it was covered with snow at the lime of the examination. The bombs found on the lower slopes of Mount Adams are spherical masses of homogenous lava, and lie in piles upon the former lava Hows. They are id' all sizes up to 20 feet in diameter, and in every case have been fractured and their hard, glassy formation exposed. Frequently the fracture planes show a rind of several inches depth from the original spherical surface toward the center. CAVES. At the headwaters of the White Salmon and Little White Salmon rivers are large areas of partly exposed lava In-ds. Where a soil has formed it appears to lie good, but of no depth, and the timber which it immmmii .MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. !•" supports is scrubby and of small size. A line of caves may be traced along this formation for a distance of lu miles inside of the l'eserve and as far again outside. In some cases the caverns appear to exist by reason of the sinking of the flooring, which is of basalt, but quite as frequently they lake the form of gigantic bubbles, the roof stratum being buckled up and broken, permitting an entrance to the interior. Often these caverns are continuous for a considerable distance under- ground, the passages widening in the vicinity of the surface opening. In one of these caves, situated in sec. 25, T. 6 N.. R. 9 10., ice remains during the entire year, and it lias merited the local name of the " Ice Cave." [t is about 350 feel in .length, with a maximum heighl of b> feel, and extreme, width of 60 feet. The ice is in the form of stalactites and stalagmites; in s cases joined into pillars :! feel thick. It has been a custom of visitors to build fires in the caves, and much of the natural beauty of this cave has been destroyed. The practice of wantonly breakingthe ice forma- tions has also contributed to the destruction of its beauty. A small cave was found on the southeast slope of .Mount Adams. near Hell Roaring River. Deep water prevented it- exploration. MOUNTAIN PARKS. All the divides become beautiful parks as they approach the slopes of Mount Rainier. In place of the close stand of foresl which charac- terizes the lower slopes, the mountain firs and hemlocks are grouped upon the lesser ridges and hui icks from which the snow firsi dis appears in the spring. At leas! 80 per cent of the areas above 5,000 feet and below the timber line may be classed as mountain meadows. They are plentifully watered by little streams and lakes and the soil supports a heavy growth of wild flowers, ferns, and juniper. The limit of perpetual snow extending through so if these parks gives opportunities for coasting and snowballing, which are enjoyed by the many campers who make these grounds their summer resort. Parks which are well known because of their beauty and accessibility are Paradise Park. Magnetic Park, and Indian Henry's Ground, on the southern slope of the mountain. Spray Park on the northwest slope, Moraine Park and the Elysian Fields on the northern slope. The summit of the Cascade Mountains and the high spurs that extend from it are generally a succession of parks, plentifully grassed and flowered. On the eastern slope these areas have been consider- abl\ used for pasturing sheep, and much of their natural beauty destroyed, but only in the regions of the burns do any of the grander vistas bear witness to the carelessness or greed of man. 21 GEOL, PT 5 7 98 FOREST RESERVES. TREE SPECIES. The coniferous trees of the reserve are as follows: Coniferous trees of Mount Rainier Forest Reserve, Washington. Pinus monticola Doug] White pine. Pinus ponderosa Laws Yellow pine. Pi li us murrayana Oreg. Com . .. Lodgepole pine. Pinus albicaulis Engelm Mountain pine (white-bark). Aliio nobilis Lindl Noble fir I larch i. Abies amabilia i Loud. I Forb Lovely fir I larch i. A.bies concolor (Gord. ) Parry White fir. Aim's lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt Upine fir i subalpina). Tsuga mertensiana i Bong. I Carr Hemlock. Tsuga pattoniana Engelm Mountain hemlock. Picea engelmanni (Jeffr.) Engelm .. Engelmann spruce. Picea sitchensis i Bong) T. and M... Tideland spruce. Pseudotsuga taxifolia Poir Red and yellow fir (hemlock spruce). Thuja plicata Don Red cedar. Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (Lamb.) Alaska cedar. Spach. Larix occidentalis Nutt Tamarack. Taxus brevifolia Nutt Yew. The large deciduous trees are as follows: Deciduous trees of the Mount Rainier Forest Reserve, Washington. Fraxinus oregona Nutt Ash. Acer macrophyllum Pursh Maple. IV i| ml ns trichocarpa Torr. and Gr .. < iottonw 1. Populus t nan ill i liiles Michx Quaking aspen. Quercus garryana Dougl Oak. Small deciduous trees of do value as timber are included in the list of underbrush. In the descriptions which follow, the order of arrangement is the same as given above, the trees of eaeh genus being together without regard to commercial rank. Pinus monticola Dougl. (White pine). This species is found from sea level to an elevation of 6,000 feet. The greatest diameter is 5 feet and the extreme height of individuals observed was 150 feet. About two-thirds of the height is crown. The heartwood is white and the sapwood light yellow. The wood is light, soft, not very strong, but quite durable. It reaches its greatest development at an elevation of 3,500 feet, and in comparison with the other pines occupies a middle zone, being above the yellow pine (/'. poncU rosa) and below the lodgepole and mountain pines ( /'. murrayana and /'. aZbicauMs). Although not as strong as the yellow pine, the U. S . GEOLOGICAL SURVEY LEGEND Less than 10 percent of the forest TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT PART V PL. XXXIX About25percent ofthe forest Ahoul 50percent of theforest I J^it-.MT ADArtfi u m 12470 -?\ i i MOUNT RAINIER FOREST RESERVE WASHINGTON Showing distribution of hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) Prepared under the direction of Henry Gannett Geographer in charge BY FRED. G.PLU M M EH 1899 10 IS MILES pi.um.mer1 MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 99 absence of pitch and more even texture makes it the most valuable of the pines found in the State of Washington. The typical tree is erect and graceful, with lighter and more delicate foliage than other pines. It is found on both sides of the Cascade Range, but attains its best development on the moist hillsides and benches of the eastern slopes. It does not form a forest of pure growth, being always associated with one or more species of fir or with the red cedar ( Thuja plicata). Pinus poxderosa Laws. (Yellow pine). This species has a range of from 400 to 6.200 feet in altitude. The extreme diameter noted was 6 feet, with a height of 200 feet. The heart- wood is yellow and the sapwood is white and resinous. The wood is heavier than that of the white pine and stronger, though rather brittle and not very durable when exposed to moisture. Among the pines it occupies the lowest altitudinal zone, reaching its maximum develop- ment at .-'ii elevation of 2,500 feet, and by reason of its greater accessi- bility and distribution it is commercially the first in use. The inferior trees are called bull pines, and with many lumbermen a distinction is made, dependent upon the amount of sapwood in the log. The yellow pine forms an open forest of pure growth at the lower timber line in eastern Washington bordering the arid region, for the reason that it leads the other conifers in the spreading of the timber. Its ability to grow on worthless rocky soil, on the face of cliffs, or on the talus is marvelous. It is a necessary agent to promote the accumu- lation of soil and humus for the conifers of greater commercial value which follow its lead. The yellow pine is not strictly an eastern Washington tree, as it occupies many small and scattered areas on the western prairies near Roy, but these areas are insignificant in comparison with its universal occurrence in the lower timbered areas east of the mountains. At its highest altitudinal limit the yellow pine, although dwarfed in height, attains large diameter of trunk and appears strong and thrifty. The crown is low and the main branches abnormally heavy and without the symmetry of the typical forest tree at lower altitudes. Pinus murrayana Oreg. Com. (Lodgepole pine). The extreme range of this species is from 1,800 to 7,100 feet in alti- tude, but its growth above .">.( M M I feet is very scattered, and it is only the presence of a few individuals that puts the upper limit at 7,100 feet. It attains a height of 80 feet and a diameter of 26 inches rarely. The heart wood is creamy, white, or pink, and the sapwood slightly whiter. The timber being generally small and of poor quality, it is chiefly used for fence rails and firewood. At an altitude of 4,000 feet it attains its maximum growth, and on some of the dry river benches forms pure 100 FOREST RESERVES. forests over small areas. Even al maturity the crown covers three- fourths or seven-eighths of the height. Pim/us contorta, also called "black pine." has a lower ranee to sea level, but was not positively determined within the boundaries of the reserve. 1'im s ALBICAULIS Engelm. (Mountain pine). This species of pine is only found on the higher elevations, and has a range from 5,000 to 8,200 feet. It is the only tree found above 7,500 feet. Its extreme height is 50 feet, with a diameter of 26 inches. According to its exposure, it may be three-fourths crown or with only a \er\ scanty foliage on the lee side near the top. The heartwood and sapwood are lighl straw color. The wood is hard and tough, and splits with difficulty. It sets cones in abundance at an altitude of 7,000 feet, where it often comprises 90 per cent of the trees. Its associates at this altitude are Abies lasiocarpa, Tsuga pattoniana, and Charnceeyparis nootkatensis, all of which have reached their growth at lower elevations. The seeds are edible, and the trees are sometimes cut down to secure them. On one ridge of Mount Adams about LOO trees were felled for this purpose. At and near its higher altitudinal limit it is a mere shrub, finding shelter behind larger rocks or crags. The foliage is often thickly matted, and in its procumbent form hides the gnarled trunk, which i< of monstrous size in comparison with its crown. Abies nobilis Lindl. (Noble fir). This is tin' finest timber tree in the forests of the reserve, and is found between altitudes of L, 800 and 5,200 feet. The diameter of the largest individual found was 6 feet, with a height of 225 feet. In the forest the crown extends only one third of the height, and the trunk is generally a perfect cylinder, standing perpendicular. The heart wood and sapwood are light straw color, light, hard, strong, and elastic, and quite free of resin. Tin' elevation at which it nourishes best is 3,000 feet, but with the lovely tir [Abies amabilis) it often forms dense forests at 3,500 and even 4,000 feet. Abies amabilis (Loud.) Forb. (Lovely lit). This species is found between altitudes of sou and 5,500 feet. The trees attain a height of 200 feet, with a diameter of 5 feet, of which s-third to one-half is crown in the forest growth. In the open it often has branches to the ground. The heartwood and sapwood are light straw color, the heartwood being slightly darker. The wood is not hard nor very strong, and splits easily between knots. S&L _JK W^m^km at ■gg^wTTiggyatr #jriM^ 1 ii WHU W- pummkk.] MOUNT RAINIER RE8ERVE, WASHINGTON. 101 The wood of this fir is very little known commercially in Washing- ton, but has been cut and sold with the noble fir under the name of larch. Its wood is better than that of the white fir (Abies concolor), with which the tree is sometimes confounded, but will not rank with that of the noble fir. It lias been used in the manufacture of excelsior. Abies concolok (Gord.) Parry (White fir). This fir has an altitudinal range from sea level to t,200 feet. The extreme diameter noted was 3.5 feet, with a height of L50 feet, of which two-thirds was crown. The heartwood is white and the sap- wood a creamy color. The timber is not heavy, hard, nor strong, but is rather brittle, and perishable when exposed to alternate moisture and dryness. There is a prejudice against the wood, as it compares poorly with the species now being logged for building timber. It has been used for inside finishing, and from the larger trees fine shingles can be made. Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. (Alpine fir). This beautiful fir has an altitudinal range from 4,000 to 7,500 feet. The greatest diameter is 2 feet and height 80 feet, of which nine- tenths is crown. Heartwood is a creamy color and the sapwood is white. The wood is not very heavy, hard, nor strong, but is elastic and durable when seasoned. It is almost always associated with Pat- ton's hemlock in the higher altitudes. The typical tree is an acute cone extending almost to the ground in strong and vigorous branches. The base of the cone is about one-fifth of the height. The trunk is generally straight, and, by observation of the young trees, is generally scrubby, knotted, and twisted, and much dwarfed in growth. At the timber limit of 7,500 feet it is procumbent and attains the form of gro- tesque bushes and shrubs. In the lower valleys where this species is found there is sometimes 30 feet of clear trunk, above which the branches droop in graceful curves. The wood splits straight, but with difficulty between the knots, which run to the center of the tree. This tree is not known to the local lumbermen, and owing to its small size and lack of clear trunk is of little or no commercial value. Tsuga mertensiana (Bong.) Carr. (Hemlock). This tree is found from sea level to an altitude of 5,000 feet. Extreme diameter is 6 feet, with a height of 250 feet, of which one- half to two-thirds is crown. The heartwood is grayish white, and the sapwood is cream color. It is not very heavy, but is hard and quite strong. It is more brittle than tir. although not so durable, and tin' knots run to the center of the tree. 102 FOREST RESERVES. It sometimes forms a forest of pure growth, but in this case the timber is generally very tall and slender, and only suitable for piles. Although in Washington it ranks next to fir in quantity, it is generally considered an inferior wood, and has been logged very little in this State, except in localities where the fir has become scarce. Time will probably overcome the prejudice to the hemlock timber, as it makes very good floors and ceilings and has a very good surface under the plane. If does not splinter like the eastern hemlock, and takes stain and oil easily. The hark of this hemlock is useful for tanning, and the preparation of tanning extract is an industry at Clallam Bay and South Bend. The bark, being very rich in tannic acid, makes a very superior extract. Owing to the limited market on the Pacific coast and the cost of Sending the product East to compete with other extracts in a falling market, incident to the panic of 1893, it was found that it could not he manufactured at a profit at South Bend. TSUGA PATTON1ANA Kngellll. (Mountain hemlock). This hemlock is found from an altitude of 3,500 to 7,500 feet. The largesl diameter is 3 feet, and height L25 feet, four-fifths of which is crown. The wood is yellow, hard, and somewhat brittle. It some- times forms a forest of pure growth over limited areas, hut is gen- erally found associated with .1. IctMOcarpa and /'. albica/ulis. The largesl and heaviest stands of these hemlocks were found at an eleva- tion of 6,000 feet near Jennies Peak, hut the (dear trunks were sel- dom over li» feet. PlCEA ENGELMANNI Engelm. (Engelmann spruce). This spruce has an altitudinal ranee from 1,000 to 6,200 feet. The greatest diameter is '■'<■■' feet, with a height of 150 feet, of which one- half to two-thirds is crown in the forest trees. Mature trees growing in the open general^ 7 have a symmetrica] cone-shaped crown to the base. The heartwood and sapwood are white, soft, light, and not very strong. It has even grain and splits easily and. being without pitch or disagreeable odor, is a very valuable wood commercially, particularly for cooperage and fruit boxing. No forest of pure growth was found. The best growth is upon the lower mountain slopes and benches, where it is associated with pines, firs, and tamarack. Picka sitchf.nsis (Bong. ) T. and M. (Tide-land spruce). This species is found from sea level up to an elevation of 1,800 feet within the boundaries of the reserve, west of the Cascade Mountains. It sometimes reaches a diameter of ."> feet and a height of 17."> feet, of which two-thirds would be crown. The wood is white, light, medium ii'mmkk] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 103 hard, and strong, and is brittle when green, but quite durable and splits easily. This spruce was positively determined only at one point in the reserve — namely, in the Nisqually Valley, near the west boundary — and it was from this that the upper limit of 1,800 feet was fixed. As its name indicates, its habitat is at lower elevations than those of the reserve. Pskudotsi < . \ i AMi'ni.iA Poir. (Yellow and red tin. There are two varieties of this species which are not distinct botan- ically, although the difference is recognized by luggers and mill men throughout the State. The yellow Hr grows from sea level toan altitude of 5,600 feet, and readies an extreme diameter of L3 feel and a height of 300 feet, of which two-thirds is crown. The bark is very thick and deeply fissured. The thickest specimen of bark found measured 22 inches on the radial line. The heartwood is yellow and the sapwood is white, quite heavy, hard, elastic, durable, and splits easily. The red fir, which grows to about the same altitude, does not exceed 7 feet in diameter and 225 feet in height, of which two-thirds is crown. The heartwood is salmon-red color and the sapwood is white or cream color. It is slightly heavier than the yellow fir, more resinous, and not so strong or elastic. When seen in the forest the red fir differs by Inning a thin bark of a lighter color, and in general does not present as rugged an appearance as the yellow fir. However, many specimens were found which were difficult to determine, and in indi- vidual trees it would not he easy to tell the difference between a thin- harked yellow firanda heavy-barked red fir. Manyof the larger trees' having a diameter of from 6 to !» feet are in process of decay, being from 500 to 800 years old. The hark is scaly and loose from the trunk at the butt, and the tops are dead. In estimating the amount of tim- ber per acre a due allowance was made for the above fact. This timber ranks first in commercial value among the timbers of this State by reason of its superior strength, wide distribution, and accessibility. In the Cowlitz Bottom a fallen fir tree was examined and found to be perfectly sound (excepting 2 inches of the exposed surface), although it had laid upon the ground for seventy-eight years, as testified by the age of a cedar tree which had grown over and straddled it. Thuja plicata Don. (Red cedar). This tree, which is also known as arbor vitse, has a range from sea level to 5,100 feet. The extreme diameter breast high was found to be 12 feet with a height of 17"> feet, of which three-fifths is crown. The heartwood is very light brown and the sapwood generally white. It is very light, soft, and is not strong nor elastic. It is very durable when exposed to moisture and is generally of straight grain, splitting 1114 FOREST RESERVES. readily into shingles, shakes, and boards. It ranks next to the red and yellow fir commercially, and to the pioneer settlers in the valley ii i- the most valuable timber. At least 95 per cent of the larger cedars are hollow butted. They always have a swell butt. Of three hollow-butted cedars of 9-ieei in diameter the rate of growth, as shown by the shell of sound wood, averaged about ten years per inch radius. In several exceptional cases noted the rate of growth has been very rapid, as much as one- half inch per year for twenty years of successive growth. A fallen cedar tree 36 inches in diameter was observed to be perfectly sound, although another cedar tree 40 inches in diameter had grown over and straddled it. In swamps and swales it sometimes grows to the exclu- sion of other conifers, bul it does nut strictly form a forest of pure growth, being accompanied by alders and maple-. ( iiAM.i -i-\ paris n> « »tk \ rEKSis i Lamb, i Spach i Alaska cedar). This tree is found between elevations of 2,600 and 7,400 feet. The extreme diameter is 3 feet and the height is LOO feet, of which three- fifths is crown. The wood from heart to the bark is yellow. Itis light, not very hard nor strong, but is more elastic than the red cedar and very durable, but does not split as easily. Generally the branches look scrubby and give the tree a poor appearance. The outer bark is in lone-, thin scales and the inner hark strips easily. It never forms a forest of pure growth, but is generally associated with the mountain fir, pine, and hemlock. ( renerally the areas on which this cedar grows have well-defined limits, but the tree seems to require certain condi- tions f >i soil and climate, preferring shady valleys and basins. This timber would be very valuable if more widely distributed and more accessible For turnings and tine woodwork it would excel, as its grain is even and straight, and its color uniform. It would be better material for lead pencils than many varieties of wool n ow used. Larix occidentals Nutt. (Tamarack). This tree is found between altitudes of 2,200 and 5,600 feet. Extreme diameter is V. feet and height 150 feet, of which one-half is crown. The heartwood has an orange tinge and the sapwood is white. It is heavy and hard, not very strong, but is durable and does not split easily. It sometimes forms a forest of pure growth on the sides of the river canyons, and such a forest was found upon the flat di\ide between the Naches and American rivers. The wood makes good tie timber, and i- largely used for fuel in eastern Washington. Probably this is the only timber tree of Washington which is not rep- resented on both sides of the Cascade Mountains. It is strictly an eastern-slope tree, and is the only representative of the deciduous ci 'niters in t he reserve. U. S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT PART V PL XLII LEGEND Less than 10 percent of the forest About 25percent. of the forest About SOpercenl iifUieforvst "~ MOUNT RAINIER FOREST RESERVE WASHINGTON Showing distribution of red cedar ( Thuja plieata) Prepared under the direction of Henry Gannett Geographer iucharge BY FRED. G.PLUMMER 1899 plummer.] MOUNT RAINIKU RESERVE, WASHINGTON. L05 Taxits brevifolia Nutt. (Yew). This species of yew is found from sea level to an altitude of 1,200 feet. Generally the diameter of the mature tree is about 12 inches, but a few individuals were found with a diameter of 2 feel and a heighl of 40 feet, of which three-fifths is crown. The heartwood is a deep red and the sapwood lias a narrow zone of cream-colored wood. It is very heavy, hard, and strong. It is exceptionally tough and durable when not exposed to extremes of moisture and dryness, and will not split after being seas 1. Although absolutely sound on the outside, one tree 14 inches in diameter was found to be badly split on concentric lines from the butt to a height of 25 feet. Fraxini/s oregona Nutt. (Ash). This tree has a range from sea level outside of the reserve to an elevation of 2,500 feet within the reserve. Its diameter is 3 feet and height so feet, of which two-thirds is crown. The wood is white, heavy, hard, but not very strong as compared with the eastern ash. It i- springy and quite durable when seasoned. It splits easily and is used for firewood by the settlers. The only large quantity was found in the "Big Bottom" of Cowlitz Valley, where it is associated with maples and alders. Acer macrophyelum Pursh. (Maple). This maple is found from sea level to an elevation of 3,300 feet. The extreme diameter is 5 feel with a heighl of 30 feet, three-fourths to se\ en-eighths of which is crown. The heartwood is straw color and the sapwood is white. It is not heavy, but is quitehard, although the tree is locally known as the soft maple. The wood is strong. It forms small groves of pure growth in the Cowlitz Bottom, but is generally associated \\ ith the ash, yew . and alder. Porn. i s trichocarpa Torr. and Gr. (Cottonwood). This tree grows from sea level to an elevation of 4,200 feet. The greatest diameter i- .'> feet and the height 175 feet, of which two-thirds is emu n. The heartwood is of a hull' color and the sapwood is white. It is light, and is not hard or strong; in fact, it lias no quality to recommend it commercially as a timber wood, hut has been extensively used in the manufacture of paper pulp. Popultjs tremuloides Michx. (Quaking aspen). This tree is found in the wet swales and bottoms, ami lias an alti- tudinal range from 2,500 to 5,800 feet. It does not exceed 20 inches in diameter, with a height of 60 feet, of which one-half is crown. The 10*3 FOREST RESERVES. wood is white and soft and of little or no value commercially. All of the large trees examined were rotten at the butt, although they looked clean and healthy outside. QUEKCUS GARRYANA DoUgl. (Oak). This oak is the only one of its species found in the reserve, and, unless the ash and yew lie included, it is the only hardwood tree rep- resented. Generally the trees are small, with short trunks, and offer nothing to the lumbermen, but a few individuals were noted with diam- eters of 2 feel and a height of 50 feet. They are seen at their bes< on the eastern slope in the watershed of the Klickitat River near Hell Roaring Canyon. This oak is considered first-class fuel, and has been cut extensively along the ( !olumbia River (outside the reserve) for this purpose. i; \\<;i. OF TREE SPECIES. The accompanying diagram (PI. XLI) shows in a gi'aphic way the altitudinal range of the species of timber trees found in the reserve. The . 1 29, I5(i 510, L25, 1 25, 000 to 50, 000 16, 000 600,000,000 50,0011 to 100,000 Ti >tal 20,850 L, 563, 750, 000 134,620 2,895,920,000 Average stand per acre for entire watershed, is. 544 feet B. M. Area of timbered and other lands in WhiU Rivi r watt rshed, Washingto Timbered area Burned area . . Glaciers Timberless area T. >tal Proportions and amounts oftimbi r species in White River watershed, II th' Acres. 134,620 10,200 8,900 2, 440 156, 160 gton. 1 Proportion. Amount. Red or yellow fir Per cent. 45 25 15 5 3 2 5 Feet B.M. 1,303, 164,000 723,980,000 434,388,000 144,796,000 86,877,600 57,918,400 144.796,000 Red cedar Engelmann spruce White pine Alaska cedar Lovelv fir Mountain fir Mountain hemlock Total 100 2, 895, 920, 000 112 FOREST RESERVES PUYALLUP RIVER WATERSHED. "./:.. i hed, Washington. Stand in feel B M Total stand /..( B. -V. Oto 2,000 30, 160,000 2, 000 to 5,000 26,770 93,695,000 5,000to 10,000 11. 150 83,625, 10,000 to 25,000 8,500 l is. 750,000 25, 000 to 50,000 10,900 408, 750,000 50,000 to 100, 000 12.470 935, 250,000 Total 99 950 1. 700; 230, 000 stand per acre for entire watershed, 14,428 feet B. M. Irea of timbered and other lands in Puyallup watershed, Washi) Timbered area . Burned ai < ilaciers Timberless an a Total Proportions and amounts of timber species in Puyallup Rirer watershed - i ., . ■ : , . Proportion. A "Tit. Red or vellovt fir /■'. , I 1: .V. 50 850,115,000 Red cedar 10 5 3 5 170,023,000 85,011,500 51,006,900 14,004,1 S5,01 1,500 Xoble fir u lute fir ka cedar Lovely fir Engelmann spruce Mountain hemlock White pine Total 100 1,700,230, MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. NISQUALLY RIVER WATERSHED. Density of timber in Nisqually River watershed, Washington. 113 Stand in feet B. M. per acre. Number of acres. Total stand. Oto 2,00(1 2, 000 to 5, 000 5, 000 to 10, 000 10, 000 to 25, 000 25, 000 to 50,000 50, 000 to 100, 000 16, 610 3,360 6, 770 5,960 6,370 F< i I />'. .1/. 16,610,000 11,760,(10(1 50, 775, 000 104, 300, 000 238, 875, 000 Total 39, 070 422, 320, 000 Average stand per acre for entire watershed, 5,414 feet B. M. Area of limbi red and other lands in NisquaMy Rim- init,r>h, >/, Washington. Aires. Timbered area 39, 070 Burned area 27, 810 Glaciers 8, 100 Timberless area 3, 020 Total 78, 000 Proportions and amounts of timber species in Nisqually River watershed, Washington. Species. Proportion. Amount. Red or yell >\v fir Pt r Ct lit 50 25 10 4 1 5 F, (1 B. .1/. 211. 100. i L05,580,000 42,232,000 21,116,000 16, 892, 800 4,223.200 21, 110, i White fir Engelmann spruce Mountain hemlock White pine Total 100 122.320,000 21 GEOL, PT 5- 114 FOREST RESERVES. COWLITZ RIVER WATERSHED. Density of limb< r in < 'oivlitz River watersht d, Washington. Stand in feet B. M. per acre. Number of Total stand. F. 1 1 ;:. .V to 2,000 37, 850 ,0,000 '.'.(Kin to 5,000 96,380 to in, iiiiii 12,540 94,050,000 10,000 to 25,000 47, 610 833, 175,000 25,000 to .Mi. nun 3, 721 1 L39, 500, ( Ml. I to KHI.OIMI Total 192,000,000 1,633,! Average stand per acre for entire watershed, 5,611 feet 11. M. r waU rshed, Washington. Acres. Timbered area Burned area . 86, 900 Glaciers 2,900 740 Timberless area Total 291, 200 Proportions a ■': A'"-' r watt rsh '/. n Species. Proportion. Amount. Red i ir yellow fir Pi r cent. 55 25 "> 5 1 1 fed J:. M. S98.647, 750 W8, 176,250 81,695, 250 81,695,250 65,356,200 16,339,050 81,695,250 White tit- Mountain hemlock Total L00 1,633,905,000 n.I'MMER.] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. CISPUS RIVER WATERSHED. Density of timber in Cispus River watershed, Washington 115 Stand in feel B. M. p. i ai n **%£<* Total stand. lit.. 2,000 2, COO to 5,000 5,000to L0, in. to 25,000 25,000 to 50,000 50,000 to 100,000 27, inn 64,200 24,300 76,800 F( 1 1 B. M. 27,400,000 224, run. 182,250, i 1,344,000 Total 192,700 1,778,350,000 Average stand per acre tor entire watershed, 7,535 feel B. M. Area of timbered and other lands in Cispus Rivi ' gton. Timbered an -a 192,700 Burned area 13,000 Glaciers 100 Timberless area 200 Total 236,000 Proportions and amounts of timber species in Cispus !'■•< Uershed, Washington. Proportion Amount. Red or yellow fir /'. r a «i. 45 30 in 5 5 5 Feet B. M. 800,257,500 533,505,000 177,835 88, 91i 88,917,500 88,917,500 Mountain hemlock Total LOO 1,778,350,000 111! FOREST RESERVES. LEWIS RIVER WATERSHED. Density of timber in Lewis River watershed, Washington. Stand in feet B. M. per a erf. Number of arrt'S. Total stand. Oto 2,000 2, 000 to 5,000 5, 000 to 10,000 10, 000 to 25,000 25,000to 50,000 50,1 to LOO, 000 Total 1.4,730 is, 150 61 , 810 7,900 54, 730 1,620 Feet /■'. If 14,730,000 169, 575, 000 163,575,000 138,250,000 2,052,375,000 121,50(1.11011 189,240 2, 960, 005, 000 Average stand per acre for entire watershed, 13,295 feet B. M. Area of I other lands in Lewis Iiiixr wtiterxfa-d, Washington, Acres. Timbered area 189, 240 Burned area 32,360 Glaciers 350 Timberless area 690 Total 222, 640 Proportions and amounts of timber species in Lewis River watershed, Washington. Specii s. Ami mm. Red or yellow tit- i; r •; nt. 50 20 15 5 5 5 Feet i: M 1, 180,002,500 .'.OL'.iiol. I 444,000, 750 148,000,250 148,000,250 148,000,250 White fir Mountain hemlock White pine Total 100 2, 960, 005, 000 MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE. WASHINGTON. WASHOUGAL RIVER WATERSHED. Density of timber in \Yaxli<>ii,/nl liin-r imtrrshrd, Washington. i r Stain] in feet B. M. per iCTt Number of acres. Total stand. Oto 2,000 2, 000 to 5,000 •"..HI "Mm HI. Hi. mint,, 25,000 25, 000 to 50,000 50,000 to 100, 000 Total Feet B. SI. 2,370 17, 775. 000 910 68,250,000 3,280 86, 025, 000 Average stand per acre for entire watershed, 26,227 feet B. M. \r,;i of watershed, till timbered, 3,280 acres. Proportions and amounts of timber species in Washougal River watershed, Washington. Species. Proportion. Amount. Red or yellow rir Percent. 30 25 25 15 1 5 Feel r. i/. 25,807,500 21,506,250 21,506,250 12,903,750 4,301,250 White fir Ti ital 100 86,025,000 ROCK CREEK WATERSHED. Density of timber in Rock Cm I: n-at, ,■*/,,ine T. ital 100 380, 550, 000 WIND RIVER WATERSHED. fi ii /. rshi ( t B. M. L66, 113,500 30,257,000 30,257,000 L5, L28,500 15, 128,500 15.128,500 9,077, 100 6,051,400 15,128,500 Engelmann spruce White fir Mountain hemlock J Total. 100 302,570,000 WHITE SALMON RIVER WATERSHED. of timber in WhiU Salmon River watershed, Washington. Stand mi feel V. M per ai re. Number of Total stand. Feet B. M. to 2,000 13,370 13,370,000 2,000 to •">. i 23,670 82,845,000 5,000 to 10,000 : 229,875,1 10,000 to 25,000 5,990 104,825,000 25,000 to 50,000 2, 890 108,375,000 to LOO, Total 76,570 539,290,000 Average stand per acre for entire watershed, 5,106 feet B. M. Area of timbered and other lands in White Salmon River watershed, Washington. Acres, Timbered area 76,570 Burned area 27,200 Glaciers 450 Timberless area ] , 380 Ti 1 al 105, 600 plummer.] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 121 Proportions and amounts of Umber species in Whih Salmon River watershed, Washington. Species, Proportion. Amount. /'< r C( ft. 40 30 10 5 4 3 3 5 Feet II. M. 215, 710,000 101, 787,000 53,929,000 26,964,500 21,571,000 16, 178,700 16, 178, 700 26, 964, 500 Noble lir White fir Lodgepole pine Engelmann spruce Mountain hemlock Total 100 539, 290, 000 KLICKITAT RIVER WATERSHED. Density of timber in Klickitat River watershed, Washington. Stand in feet B. M. per acre Number of acres. Total stand. to 2, 000 2, 000 to 5, 000 5,000 to 10,000 10,000 to 25,000 25, 000 to 50, 000 50,000 to 100,000 Total 29,580 31, 660 15, 070 35, 440 17, 600 4.400 /; 1 1 /;. .v. 29,580,000 110, Sill, ooo 113,025,000 620, 200, 000 660, 000, 000 334,500,000 133, 810 1,868, 115,000 Average stand per acre for entire watershed, 11.0,.") feet B. M. Arm of Umbered and other lands in Klickitat River watershed, Washington. AerOFJ. Timbered area 133, 810 Burned area 30, 230 ( naciera 1, 400 Timberless area 3, 240 Total 168, 680 122 FOREST RESERVES. Proportions and amounts of timbi r species in Klickitat Rin r watt rsln d, Washington. • Propi >rtion. Aim 'tint. Percent. 55 20 10 5 5 5 r. , i /;. it. 1,027, 463,250 373,623,000 186,811,500 93, 405, 750 93, 105,750 93, 105, 750 Red or vellow fir Mountain hemlock White fir Hemlock Engelmann spruce Lovely fir Red cedar Total 1110 1,868, 115,000 ATANUM RIVER WATERSHED. Density of timbi - i i n River watershed, Washington. 1 feet B, M per acre, Number of acres. Total stand. ti to 2,000 2,000 to 5,000 :,.iiihi to 1.0,000 10,000 to 25,000 25, ( t ,000 50, to 100,000 Total 12,790 13,240 Feet B. V. 12, 790,000 46,340,000 1 26,030 59, 130,000 ;i stand per acre for entire watershed, 1,454 feel I!. M. I a of timbered and other lands in Atanum River watershed, Washington. Acres. Timbered area 26, 030 Burned area 14, 630 Total 4i i, 660 I'LUMMEE. MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 123 Proportions and amounts of timber species in Atanum River watershed, Washington. Species. Proportion. Amount. Pt r '■'. nt. 60 15 10 F. ■ t B. U. 35, 178,000 8,869,500 5. 913. 000 Red or yellow fir 5 2.956.500 Mountain hemlock 3 2 5 1. 77::. '.ion 1,182,600 2, 956, 51 K i White tir Engel inarm spruce White pine . _ ■. Red cedar Total 100 59, 130, 000 TIETON RIVER WATERSHED. Density of timber in Tieton River watershed, Washington. Stand in feet B.M. per acre. Number of acres. Total stand. to 2,000 2, nOOto 5,000 5, it., in, 00(1 in, (inn to 25,000 25, 000 to 50, 000 50,000 to 100, < Total 15,270 71,520 29, 970 4,610 940 Feet B. M. 4.".. 270, 000 250, :!2n 224,775,000 80, 675, 000 35,250,000 152, 310 636, 290, 000 Average stand per acre for entire watershed, 3,765 feet B. M. Area oflimh red and otlu r land in Tieton Rivi r watershed, Washington. Acres. Timbered area 152, 310 Burned area 1 - 16, 370 Timberless area - - 320 Total - - 169,000 124 FOREST RESERVES. Proportion) and amounts of timber species in Tieton River watershed, Washington. Species. Proportion. Amount. Pi ..■■ <■■ nt. 50 10 5 F( . 1 B. M. 318,145,000 222,701,500 63,629,000 31,814,500 Red or yellow fir Engelmann spruce White fir Lodgepole pine Mountain hemlock Alaska cedar Total 100 636. 290, 000 NACHES RIVER WATERSHED. itersh d, Washington. Stand in feet Number of acres. Total stand. 0to 2,000 2, 000 to 5,000 5, 000 to 10,000 25,000 to 50,000 00 to 100,000 L08,£ 1.88,300 16,000 5, lin /.'. M. ins. 500,000 659,050,000 120,000, 94,675,000 T..tal 318,210 982.225.000 Average stand per acre for entire watershed, 3,002 feet B. M. of timbered and other lands in Nach i Rivi r watt rshed, Washington. Acres. Timber© 1 area 318, 210 Burned area 7,510 Timberless area 1, 450 Total. 327, 170 mmki: I MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 125 Proportions and amounts of timber ,-j»nVs //( Xaehes Hirer irnt, rshe/l, Wuxliinijton. Species. Proportion. Amount. Pt >■ ct nt. 45 20 5 •5 /'. ■ ( B. M. 442,001,250 245, 556, 250 196, 445, 000 49,111,250 49,111,250 Red or yellow tir White fir Mountain hemlock Engelmann spruce Total 100 982, 225, 000 YAKIMA RIVER WATERSHED. Density of timber in Yakima Hirer watershed, Washington. Stand in feet B. M. per acre. Number of Total stand. 2,000 2, 000 to 5, 000 5, 000 to 10,000 10, 000 to 25,000 25,000 to 50,000 50, 000 to 100, 000 Total 3,250 4,430 !■■■ < i /;. m. 3, 250, 000 15, 505, 000 7, 680 is, 755,000 Average stand per acre for entire watershed, 2,442 feet B. M. Area of watershed, all timbered, 7.680 acres. 126 FOREST RESERVES. Proportions and a, mm, its of timber species in Yakima /.' d, Washington. Species. Proportion. Amount. /'. r • i in. 45 30 Id 10 5 B. .V. - i !9, 750 5,626,500 1,875,500 1,875,500 937 Red or vellow fir Engelmann spruce Mountain hemlock White fir Total 100 18,755,000 SUMMARY OF ESTIMATES. -lied. Total. il 291,200 236, ) 222,640 3,280 6,040 71,650 168,680 10,660 327,170 7,680 Feet B.M. IS. 544 14,428 5.414 5,611 7. 535 13,295 26, 227 63,005 25, 858 4,223 5, 106 11,075 1,454 :;. 765 3,002 B. AT. 2,895,920,000 1,700,230,000 422,320,000 905,000 i0, 2,960,005 86,025,000 380,550,000 3,749,605,000 302,57 539,290,000 1,868, 115,000 59, 130,000 636,290,000 ■..in in Rock Creek Little White Salmon River 2.442 18,755,000 Total 2, 146 9,323 '0.013.285. PLUMMER.] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 127 Total timber estimates, arranged by species oftr Feet B.M. Red or yellow fir 8, 555, 218, 751 1 Hemlock 3,533,642,000 Yellow pine 2,062,371,750 Red cedar 1,317,078,500 Noble fir 1,247,883,500 Lovely fir 749, 267, 500 White fir 538, 735, 000 White pine 519,518,000 Feet B. M. 512,385,000 280,677,000 271,785,000 200, 130,000 151,326,000 ■ 73,267,000 T. ttal 20, 013. 285, 1 00 Tamarack Mountain hemlock . Engelmann spruce. . Mountain fir \ [aska cedar Lodgepole pine COMMERCIAL USES OF TIMBERS. In importance, all things considered, the principal timber trees of the reserve will at this time rank commercially in the following order: Commercial rank of timber trees in Mutrni Unini, r ];, sm . Washington. Red or yellow fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia |. Red cedar (Thuja plicata). Tide-land Bpruce (Picea aitchensis). Yellow pine (Pinua ponderosa). White pine (Pinus monticola). Noble fir (Abies nobilis |. Lovely fir (Abies amabalis I. White fir l Abies concolor). Hemlock (Tsuga merteneiana) . Tamarack (Larix occidentalis). The above order results from size, quantity, and accessibility of the trees and the properties of the various woods. If arranged in the order of the desirable properties of the woods and ignoring the question of size, quantity, and accessibilitj', the tim- bers will take rank as follows: Rank of timbi r trees in ordt r of desirable pro 1. Alaska cedar 2. Noble fir :;. Tideland spruce 4. White pine 5. Red eedar 6. Red or yellow fir 7. Lovely fir 8. Hemlock 9. Yellow pine 10. White fir 11. Tamarack. 128 FOREST RESERVES. The uses to which the various woods are generally put are as follows: Bridge timbers Red and yellow fir. Lumber Red and yellow fir, red cedar, tide- land spruce, yellow pine, white pine, noble fir, lovely fir. Red cedar, white fir. - Red fir. Telegraph poles Red cedar. Railroad tie? Tamarack, red and yellow tir. white pine, red cedar. Fence posts and fuel All kinds. Taper pulp The following trees in the order of their importance: Tideland spruce, cottonwood, quaking aspen, white fir, red and yellow fir, hemlock, maple. Furniture and cabinetwork In addition to the lumber woods enumerated some oak. ash. and maple have been used. M V.RKETS \M> IM.M( ES. In the absence of railroads and other well-established linos of travel the various divisions of the reserve are, by watersheds, commercially tributary to the outlying markets, namely, Tacoma, Chehalis, Portland. v r th Yakima. The following tables show these watersheds and the markets which they at present would naturally supply. ■jiun. 1 Waters Tributary t,»— White River 156,160 Puvallup River N'isquallv River 78,000 Cowlitz River 291,200 Cispus River 236, 000 Lewis River Tacoma. Do. Do. Tacoma or Chehalis. Portland. Do. Do. Do. Do. North Yakima. Do. igal River River Wind River Little White - White Salmon River Klickitat River - - River 169, 000 Xaches River 327, 1 70 a River plummer.] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTO Prices of fir lumber in markets adjacent to Mount Rainier Reserr, n. L29 ■, Washington. Prices of cellar run from 25 to 4it per cent mure than above. Prices of spruce run from Hi to 50 per cent more than above. Prices of hemlock run same as fir i no demand Shingles cost from $1 to $3 per thousand, according to quality. 21 ceol, it 5 9 Grade, SIzi . Finish. Per M feel B M.nt 1 1 w Portl t. $7. 50 L0.50 L9.00 1 t.nn 1 .".. 51 1 13.50 12.00 Ki.iiii 8.50 7.50 6. 50 111.5(1 1.65 North i'akima. $13.50 111. .Ml 24.50 19.50 19.00 17.(1(1 17.(10 15.00 14.7.0 14.7.0 13.50 14.7,0 2. 75 Common Inch, - I by 12 do I ), , Flooring V. < ;. : Number 1 1 by 4 Dressed and matched. . . do do Ceiling: Number 1 Number2 Wainscoting: Number 1 § by 6 Beaded and plain do do j by 4 do Shiplap, common.. Fencing: Number] Number 2 Pickets 1 by s 1 by 4 do 1 by 3 or 1 1 by H. | by 1' by 4 per i. Lath 130 FOREST RESERVES. Price of large or /•>»;/ dressed fir timbt rs at Tacoma. Size. Length. Price per M feet B.M. 8 by 8 inches Feet. 50 100 50 100 50 100 50 100 50 LOO 50 100 .Mi 100 :,n 100 $12.50 35.00 12. 50 35.00 13.25 :;;. 50 14. 00 40.00 15..-.0 44. 00 I7.0H 48.00 20.00 53.00 23.00 .V.I.OO 8 by 8 inches is by 18 inches 20 by 20 inches 20 by 20 inches 22 by 22 inches 24 by 24 inches •'4 by 24 inches Prices of larger timbers an- special. UNDERBRUSH. Small area- on the eastern slope are <>t' open pine forests, carpeted with pine grass ( > 'alamagrostis siiksdorfi) and without litter or under- brush, but the general statement i- true that on both slopes of the mountains the underbrush is heavy as compared with eastern forest area-, and on the western -lope it i- not uncommon for the growth to he so rank as to tie impenetrable. The term underbrush as here used does not include young trees of the same species as those composing the forest, nor does it include grasses, sedges, weeds, or ferns. In the typical forest of conifers there is considerable growth of the deciduous shrubs, which are prop- erly included as underbrush and are so called locally. The species common to both slopes are as follows: Underbrush in Mount Rainier Reserve, Washington. SPECIES POUND THROUGHOUT THE RESERVE. Oregon grape Berberis nervosa Pursh. Washington holly Berberis aquifolium Pursh. Pachystima myrsinites Raf. Bearberry Rhainnus pursh iana DC. Soapwood Ceanottus velutinus Dougl., com- mon. Ceanothus sanguineus Pursh. ier] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 131 Vine maple i.cer circinatum Pursh. Smooth maple Acer glabram Torr. iPrunus emarginata var. mollis Wild cherry Brewer. iPrunus demissa Walp. r-Eosa gymnocarpa Xutt. Wihl rose J Rosa nutkana Presl. I Rosa calif ornica Cham, ami Schlecht. Hardhack Spiraea douglasii Hook. Arrow wood Spiraea discolor Pursh. A 1] line spiraea Spiraea rosea Gray. Spiraea corymbosa Raf. Mountain ash Pyrus sambucifolia (Cham, ami Schlecht) Roem. ( Irab apple Pyrus rivularis Dougl. Juneberry imelanchicr alnifolia Xutt. Thimbleberry Rubus nutkanus Moc. Salmon berry Rubus spectabilis Pursh. Raspberry Rubus leucodermis Di mgl. Blackberry Rubus ursinus Chain, ami Schlecht. Snowy or birds' -foot bramble Rubus pedatus Smith. Downy bramble I tubus lasiococcus ( Iray. 1 rrease w 1 Purshia tridentata DC. Nine-bark Neillia opulifolia B. ami 1 1. Muck orange or wild syringa Philadelphus lewisii Pursh. Red-flowering currant Ribes sanguineum Pursh. Western fetid currant Ribes bracteosum Dougl. Ribes viscosissimum Pursh. Ribes cereum Dougl. Ribes ciliosum Howell. Prickly gooseberry Ribes lacustre var. molle < iray. Black-berried gooseberry Ribes divericatum Dougl. Devil's walking club Fatsia horrida B. and H. Canada dogwood < lornus canadensis Linn. Western dogwood Cornus nuttallii Ami. White-berried di >:_ r \\ i iod Cornus pubescens Xutt. White elder Sambucus melanocarpa Gray. Red-berried elder Sambucus racetnosa Linn. Sambucus glauca Xutt. ? Viburnum Viburnum pauciflorum Pylaie. Snowberry Symphoricarpus racemosus Michx. Western honeysuckle Lonicera ciliosa Poir. Bush honeysuckle Lonicera involucrata Banks. Red huckleberry Vaccinium parvifolium Smith. Myrtle-leaved huckleberry Vaccinium myrtilloides Hook. Small red huckleberry Vaccinium myrtillus var. micro- cephyllum Hook. Cranl perry i species not determined. ) Manzanita Arctostaphylos tomentosa Dougl. Kinnikinick Arctostaphylos uvaursi Spr. Mountain salal ( iaultheria ovatifolia Gray. Pale laurel Kalmia glauca Ait. var. Menziesia ferruginea Smith. White rhododendron Rhododendron albiflorum Hook. 132 FOREST RESERYKS. Labrador tea Ledum latifolium Ait. Dwarf birch Betula glandulosa Michx. Mountain aider Vlnus sinuata Ryd. Alnus rhombifolia Nutt Hazle Corylus rostrata Ait., very common. Bee willow Salix sitchensis Sanson. Marsh willow Salix lasiandra Benth. Quaking aspen Populus tremuli lides Michx. Alpine juniper Juniperus communis Linn. SPECIES FOUND oNl.Y on THE WESTERS SLOPE. Madroiia Arbutus menziesii Pursh. Salal t iaultheria shallon Pursh. State flower Rhododendron californicum Hook. Honeysuckle Lonicera hispidula Dougl Black huckleberry Vaccinium ovatum Pursh. species found only on the eastern slopi Scrub oak Quercus garryana Dougl. Dogwood Cornus stolonifera Michx. ( iregon grape Berberis repena Lindl. Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Nutt. Missouri currant Ribes aureum Pursh. Small sagebrush Aplopappus bloomeri < fray. FOREST LITTER. On the eastern slopes the forests are generally open, travel off the trails being possible with pack animals, although sometimes difficult and slow . ( )n the west i ■l'n slopes the forest litter makes travel on the trails or roads imperative, and the explorer or prospector must expect to carry his pack on his back and climb over or crawl under the fallen loos tl Kl i cover the ground. Sometimes these loos are piled 20 feet high, as mute but eloquent reminders of an unusually heavy wind- storm. In such areas logging becomes difficult and expensive, as it increases the proportion of "swampers" in the logging crew. The litter is a menace to the forest, inasmuch as it is the best con- ductor for fire, and when loos are favorably placed a heavy downpour of rain will not extinguish the flames, which, surviving, proceed with the work of destruction. HUM I S. All important factor in the forest growth is the humus, which forms the upper soil everywhere, excepting where the fires have been so severe as to utterly destroy it. This loose deposit of fallen and decayed vegetation is most abundant in the heavy and unharmed for ests, where it is from 3 inches to a foot in depth. As it is a retainer of moisture and a protector for the seedlings, the restocking of burned areas is a slow process if the humus has been totally destroyed. iff ' ■*■■% Ml ^* .1. FIR, MAPLE, Al> 7; MOUNT HOOD; MOUNTAIN FIR IN FOREGRO ii.iMMiul MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 133 On the steeper hillsides it acts as a retarding element to the surface drainage, preventing the sudden flooding of the streams during rains, and also preventing their entire cessation during the dry season. On the eastern slope, in the watershed of the Yakima River, the surface flow continues to feed the river for three months after the cessation of the winter rains and snows, and as the waters of this river are largely used tor irrigation, the importance of the forest cover and the humus is easily seen. Lands are irrigated from April to October, inclusive, the largest demand for water generally being made in July, at which time at least one-half of the flow is from the melting snows. The time is rapidly approaching when the entire flow of this river will be util- ized in the necessary and desirable conversion of deserts into gardens, and it is conservative to say that a fall of 1 foot in the river affects 300,000 acres of land. EXTENT AND LOCATION OF BURNS. The areas which may be classified as burns amount to 326,590 acres. or about loi per cent of the total area of the reserve. Of this ana about two-thirds are on the western side of the Cascade Mountains. Ancient burns, of which traces still remain in the standing timber. cover probably 40 to 50 per cent of the area of the reserve, but being rolockcd with trees of large size, these areas can not be called burns. The tires of comparatively recent occurrence, whose effects may be studied and compared, have results depending upon the nature of the forest, the time of year, and the winds. A tire may clear the ground of brush, litter, and humus, but not materially damage the standing trees beyond charring them to a height of 10 or 15 feet. If more severe it may consume some of the standing trees without much regard to species or location, on account of the proximity of under- brush and litter to the bases of the trees destroyed. Such tires leave standing burned snags surrounded by green and unharmed old timber. A "•burn" results in the total destruction of all vegetation within the limits of the burned area, leaving only standing snags and stumps, and the ground covered with partly consumed logs. Small areas may be "(lean burns" and show few signs of the former forest, but instead be a desert of burned sandy soil in which the traveler will sink ankle deep. The burns bear little relation either to topography or the kind of timber, their boundaries and extent having been determined by the initial tire and the direction of the wind. The smaller deciduous trees which have their habitat in the moist bottoms, such as alder and maples, are more immune than their coniferous associates, but even they do not always escape. 134 FOREST RESERVES. The great burns in the Cowlitz watershed occurred in 1841 and ISofi, but portions of the area have been burned or reburned at intervals during the past ten years. Over lai'ge and irregular areas this region is restocked with the same species of trees which border it and prob- ably constituted the original forest. In this restocking the noble fir (Abies nobilis) takes an important part. and. together with the other firs, would rapidly retimber this most unsightly region if fires could lie prevented. On the Sawtooth Range a large tire occurred in 1896, and reliable witnesses say that one tree burned for six months. The hills on the north side of the Cowlitz River have been burned over several times since settlement, the last burn being three years ago. In this and adjoining area- the -o.-. m Joseph Melini. Another stroke set a small tire which burned for ten or fifteen minutes. Roth tires were extinguished by the accompanying downpour of rain. On August 10, 1898, lightning struck several trees in Silver Creek Basin and a large burn resulted. There was no rain that day. nor was there at Longmires Springs, distant 20 miles, although the day was heavily clouded. Two tires were started by lightning on duly 28, 1899, in sec. 36, T. 7 N.. ii. '.' F... but did not spread beyond the tree- -truck. RESTOCKING OF BURNED AREAS. All of the restocking of the reserve is natural. No work has been done by man toward reseeding with the best species nor eliminating from young second growths the undesirable specie-. All of the acti\ ity thus far has been toward protection against tire, which may in a day destroy what would balance the work of years. The process >>( reseeding is rapid. All of the timber tree- sei >1 abundantly and at a season when the high wind- may distribute the seeds over large areas. It is doubtful if any assistance from man would noticeably affect the progress of this reseeding, which, if con- ditions of .-oil permit, results in a thicket of small growth in spite id' the numerous animals which destroy seed-. In cases where a tire was not severe and representatives of one or more hardy species withstood the flame-, the restocking begins from these survivors, which are not always the best timber species. The mountain hemlock I T*< ton iana) seems to resist tire more successfully than the other species common in the alpine zone, and the tamarack I .' ' ■' nialis) sur- vives best in the middle zone. In Naches Valley above the junction of Bumping River there is a very old burn. A few yellow pine and red fir of the old forest are -till standing, and the heavy second growth is of thi' same species, with the addition of tamarack. Very small recent tires in the same area have injured many of the trees and made clean burns in some locations. From Naches Pass just outside the for ."• mile- down the river and into the reserve there is an A.. MOUNT RAINIER FROM GOAT MC ,. <.'.. . , V N$ i:i*yfM4M^§ /{. BURN, WITH SECOND GROWTH plummer] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 137 old burn about 2 miles wide, which is now partly second growth white fir and tamarack, with willows along the banks. In the watershed of Atanum River there are indications that the tamarack stood the fires of an ancient burn better than other species. After a clean burn the restocking must proceed from the bordering forests, and it is observed that although these bounding forests may be mixed, one species often predominates in the new growth. This fact may be accounted for by assuming that a favorable wind pre- vailed when that particular species was in mature fruit, and that the soil conditions in the burn wen- such as to give encouragement to that species. In this respect the tamarack easily takes the lead in eastern Washington, and the hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) in western Wash- ington. Of all the conifers these two species have the lightest cones and seeds, and are most exempt from the attacks of squirrels and chip- munks. These are among the least valuable of the timber trees, and it happens that the best of the pines, the white pine (/'. monticola), and the best of the firs, the noble fir (A. ndbilis), have large and heavy cones, and being subject to these depredations are checked in their efforts at restocking. The grazing of sheep and other stock upon burned areas certainly retards their restocking with timber. If stock pasturing were pro- hibited upon all burned and low timberlees areas until the restocking had resulted in such sufficient stand and age of timber trees that further protection would be unnecessary, it would remove a serious enemy from the field, and in all probability would result in extin- guishing forest fires in their incipiency. TIMBKRLESS AREAS. There is no altitude which may be termed a timber limit. This results from the fact that the bold topography of the reserve and the presence of numerous perpetual snow fields and glaciers cause differ- ent climatic conditions to obtain in areas not widely separated. Upon the slopes of Mount Rainier the alpine trees cover the sharp ridges to an elevation of 7,2oo feet, and above this only a few scattering pro- cumbent individuals rind shelter behind some rock or crag. The extreme altitude there reached by trees may be stated at 7,600 feet, but at Goat Peak the same forms reach an altitude of s.4oo feet. The difference of latitude favoring Goat Peak is only a third of a degree, but the local climatic conditions are quite different. At lower eleva- tions than these, however, many rocky peaks are often too exposed to permit a growth of trees or the accumulation of a scanty soil, except- ing in the rock crevices where the hardy little alpine flowers will rind strong root hold. Cliffs at all altitudes are often too steep and smooth to permit the spread of the timber which struggles for existence on the talus slopes 138 FOREST RESERVES. below. Often the talus slopes are timberless, particularly when recent or when composed of fine chips, l>ut in the majority of oases the pines and firs manage to advance over these uninviting areas. Upon the slopes of Mount Rainier the glaciers flow to the lower altitudinal limit of 3,300 feet, and these areas are of course timberless, ;i> are the perpetual snow fields which border the glaciers or lie upon the ridges which form the divides between the "cradles" of the glaciers. The great timberless area of eastern Washington, or the "arid region." does not extend to the boundary of the reserve, but approaches it so closely that it is germane to the subject. It appears to the most casual observer that the trees of the lower mountain slopes are forcing their way over these arid regions. A similar phenomenon has lone- been observed on the beautiful parked prairies of western Washington near Tacoma, where the advance of the red firs (Pseudot&uga taxifolia) has I n as great as 25 feet per year. On the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains it is the yellow pine ( Pin uspondt rosa) that takes the lead among the conifers in attack- ing these arid regions. The red fir follows closely, seldom being more than '2 miles behind, and is in turn closely followed by the tamarack (Zarix occidentalis). Other species follow rapidly, depend- ing upon topography and soil. TIMBER CUTTING IX THE RESERVE. A total area of about 8,000 acres has 1 n cut within the boundaries of the reserve. Of this amount 40 per cent has been cut by actual settlers and the balance by Loggers. The largest area i- alone- Tieton River, from the reserve boundary westward. The lumber is reported as used for fluming and other con- struction work on the Selah irrigating canal. The cordwoodfrom the same area was marketed in North Yakima. At Tannuin bake aboul 200 logs have been cut and dressed on two side- ready for the construction of an impounding dam at the foot of the lake. This work was done in 1891 under the direction of the Yakima Investment Company, and most of the Iocs lane been piled up at the point of proposed construction. Tannum Lake and Lakes Kitchelos, Katchess, and Clealum, which lie outside of the reserve. have been considered in connection with the extensive plans for the irrigation of the fertile slopes of the Lower Yakima Basin, which plans have been partly carried to completion. There is little doubt that they will be '(led for storage in the future, as the nature of the Yakima watershed causes extremes of high and low stages in the river. At the Medina mining camp on Silver Creek in Summit district, a small mill has been erected to furnish lumber to be used in the con- struction of a ."•--tamp mill and the necessary fluming and buildings. GEOLOGICAL B. HEADWATERS OF TIETON RIVER, FROM GOAT MOUNTAIN. piimmek] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 139 They have slashed an area of about i' acres and cut a total of about 10,000 feet. A sawmill in sec. 29, T. 15 N., R. 7 E., was run for a short time. The logging was largely from an area subsequently cleared and cul- tivated. There are about 10,000 feet of lumber in the mill yard. A mill situated near ( 'henowith post-office in sec. 22, T. 4 X., R. 9 E., has cut a total of about 40 acres from patented land within the reserve. Another loeated in sec. 14. T. 3 X., R. 9 E., outside of the reserve, has cut about 160 acres. A shingle mill is situated in sec. 20, T. -4 X.. R. 9 E., and has a capacity of about 30,000 shingles per day. It cuts from paten ted lands. In 1899 a small portable mill was located in sec. 8, T. 12 X., R. 7 E., but is now idle after filling a few small orders. The country tributary to it is patented and settled. LOGGING COXDITIOXS. It may be said generally that the logging of those areas examined must be by skid and railroads. The only drivable stream is the Lower Cowlitz River, and as there is not much timber in its valley skids or trams will be needed to transfer logs from the timbered slopes of its watershed to the river. The exception to the above general statement is that during flood seasons several of the rivers carry enough water in confined channels to drive logs for short distances, and that shingle bolts, fence posts, and eordwood might be driven during the greater part of the year if drifts and other obstructions are removed. Such rivers are the "White, Carbon. Little White .Salmon. Cispus, Lewis, Wind, Puyallup. Nisqually, Klickitat, and Xaehes. With the present method of logging it is not likely that any of these streams will ever be used. In all the watersheds the method and route of logging is fixed by the location of the main and secondary divides, which are usually sharp and well defined, without table-lands. In such cases the canyon slopes are so steep that log chutes might lie used, but the areas tributary to such chutes are generally limited and contain little timber. With the exception of a short narrow-gage railroad feeding the ( >regon Mill Company's mill in T. 4 X., R. it E., there are no railroads in the reserve, nor are there any wagon roads over which heavy logs could be hauled. The Northern Pacific Railway Company has made a survey up tlie Nisqually Valley via Rear Prairie, down Skate Creek, up the Cowlitz and Summit Creek and over Carlton Pass in the Cascade Mountains, thence down Bumping River, but no construction work has been done. The Tacoma and Columbia River Railroad has made a preliminary survey from the end of their line at Lake Park, 11 miles from Tacoma. This survey runs up the Cispus River to Cispus Pass with the expressed intention of tapping a timber belt and certain coal prospects in the C'ispu- watershed. 14(1 FOREST RESERVES. SETTLEMENT AXI) IMPROVEMENTS. Within the reserve there arc liiu settlers, of whom about 7.". per eent have made improvements other than the building of houses or cabins. From detail memoranda made during the examination the following figures are obtained: Improvements in Mount Rainier Reserve, Washington Number of houses (including trappers and prospectors) 181 Number of barns 90 Number of acres slashed 3, 275. s -"> Number of acres cleared (mostly in pastures 1, 864. 75 Number of acres in gardens 65.4 Number of acres in orchards 91. 85 Generally the clearing of land for pasturage does not include the removal of large stumps, as this work is expensive, and in some loca- tions would mean $150 per acre. The garden produce is for local consumption and is only limited by climate. The besl results are from potatoes, unions, turnips, carrots, beets, parsnips, squash, and small fruits. Corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers are raised, lint not to perfection. The orchards are principally of apples, plums, and pears. GRAZING. The grazing lands of the reserve are mainly upon the eastern slope of the ( !ascade Mountains, and have an area of about 800,000 acres. 1 )uring the season of 1899 approximately 260,000 sheep were herded on this area. The general method of herding sheep in the State of Washington is as follows: In the late fall and winter the sheep are pastured in the vicinity of their home ranches in the low lands and \alle\s of eastern Washington, and in severe weather feed on hay. In the early spring, after lambing and shearing, the hands are driven toward the mountains, reaching the reserve in June. They follow the receding snows to the very summits, grazing and browsing upon the new growth of classes and deciduous vegetation. Late in August they commence to work down to the lower altitudes, and generally leave the reserve about the 1st of October. As might he expected, there is a wide divergence of opinion regard- ing the advantages or disadvantages resulting from this practice, and the sheep owner's position has become one of active defense against public sentiment. The arguments presented against the grazing of sheep in the reserve art 1 as follows: (1) That the sheep men tire the forests for the purpose of promoting the growth of the forage plants. (2) That the sheep browse upon the young timber trees and trample out tin 1 seedlings. (:'») That the removal of underbrush causes the stream- to become more A. MOUNT ADAMS. /.'. CISPUS RANGE, FROM GOAT MOUNTAIN plumber.] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 141 sensitive to melting snows, and the summer flow of rivers used for irrigation is thereby decreased. (4) That the sheep pollute the streams. (5) That the natural beauty of the reserve is partially destroyed. The sheep owners and herders not only deny all the above, but claim in addition: (1) That the removal of the underbrush by the browsing of sheep lessens the liability of fires spreading. (2) That the herders are exterminating the bears, cougars, wildcats, wolves, and coyotes, which prey upon domestic animals. There is little doubt but that sheep men have started tires, and that burns more or less extensive have resulted, but it is equally true that by reason of the strict regulations and enforcement of the law, together with a regard for their own interests, due to a wholesome fear of the cancellation of their permits, the practice has ceased, and any fires now originating with the sheep men are isolated cases resulting from carelessness. Moreover, it is contended that setting tire to the timber does not necessarily result in the increase of the areas for pasturage. A clean burn more frequently results in a rank growth of huckleberries, and if the burn is not clean the ground remains covered with (barred logs and snags, making travel slow and dangerous and the area often unfit for sheeping. The coarse grasses and weed* that immediately follow the fires are not the best forage, and it may be several years before they are succeeded by the better varieties. It is a fact that the greatest number of burns and also those of the greatest extent are in portions of the reserve which have not been sheeped, and this fact has at least a general bearing on the subject, as these areas of great burns arc on the western slopes and in the regions of greatest annual precipitation. The claim that the sheep browse upon the young timber trees is not well founded so far as it relates to the conifers, and within the grazing area there are no deciduous trees of any value excepting the oak {Qut :-/■- cms garryana), and that is generally of a size only fit for fuel. Sheep, cattle, and horses will not eat foliage from the pines, firs, and other evergreens which comprise the timber of the reserve, unless driven to it by a hunger that is almost starvation. In the immediate vicinity of the separating corrals, where bands of sheep may be confined for one. or two days during the process of separating, small evergreens were nipped by the sheep, and along the beaten and oversheeped trails the same tiling may be noticed, but the damage is insignificant and only worthy of mention as an exception. During the examination our pack animals were several times in desperate need of pasturage, as our route of travel took us over miles of deep snow, which covered everything but the timber trees. These, however, the animals would not touch. On Pisco Ridge (outside the reserve), at an elevation of 6,000 feet, we found the remains of over 20 horses, which had perished in the snow T , 14 "2 FOREST RESERVES. huddled tog-ether in a bunch of young- firs and pines. They had pawed the ground for grass roots, and had gnawed the bark from the trees and browsed on sonic of the foliage, hut not to any extent. There is no doubt that the sheep trample out seedlings of the conifers as they do of other trees and shrubs. Along- the routes of sheep travel the forest floor is sometimes powdered by their sharp hoot's and all traces of undergrowth obliterated, and if this condition pre- vailed over a burned area the process of restocking would lie very slow. All of the conifers set cones in abundance, but not one seed in loo. 000 produces a mature tree under ordinary conditions. Squirrels, chipmunks, and birds eat most of the seeds: forest shade kills many of the seedlings, and in the open it is a case of survival of the fittest. Inasmuch as a sufficient number of the seedlings generally survive to take part in the final competition and form the " thickets" so commons in the more open areas, it is evident that the enemies, including- sheep, do not seriously affect the final result as stated. The effect of underbrush and forest cover in retarding or accelerat- ing the melting- of snow is easily demonstrated by observation in the area of the Cascade Mountains examined. However, if it be assumed that the snow melts more quickly in the open many locations may be cited as evidence, and if the contrary be assumed tin' evidences are quite as numerous. This is for the general hypothesis, but there are details of exposure and altitude which enter into the problem and make it capable of solution. The masses of compact snow which are found in the open or timberless heights late in the summer are always upon hillsides protected from the warm ehinook winds, and these are generally the northern and eastern slopes. Upon timbered mountains of equal altitude and where similar climatic conditions prevail the same slopes hold snow the longest. The effect of the underbrush and forest litter on the melting of snow is one which the traveler in these high altitudes is forced to observe for his own safety. It is only upon the hard snow which hides no brush or logs that safe footing is found. Wherever a log or brush exists the snow is soft and melting and the pack animals and men fall through, a matter of some consequence where the snow is over 6 feet deep. Although the temperature in the forest may be slightly higher than in tiie open, for any given altitude, there can be no doubt that a stand of timber protects the snow from the warm winds and prevents the sudden rise of a stream. The underbrush does not give this protec- tion, but is an agent in preventing the compacting and hastens the melting of the snow. To summarize: The snows will remain longest (other conditions equal) in — (1) A forest without underbrush or litter. (•2) An open without brush or litter. A. RECENT CINDER CONE ON NORTH SLOPE OF MOUNT ADAMS. /; MOUNT ADAMS, WITH MOUNTAIN FIR IN FOREGROUND. plummeb.] MOUNT RAINIER RESERVE, WASHINGTON. 143 (3) A forest with underbrush or litter. (1) An open with brush or litter. The question of the pollution of the streams by sheep is one rather for the future than for the present, inasmuch as provision is made that the sheep "shall not be corralled within 500 yards of any running stream or living spring." If the corrals bordered on or had surface drainage into the streams the waters would be polluted in sentiment if not in fact when they reached the distant settlements, and sentiment is a strong factor when it applies to drinking water. One specifica- tion for good drinking water is that it must not contain more than one part by weight of dry organic matter in 100,000 parts of liquid, and it is .safe to say that this limit is not exceeded in the river waters even in the immediate vicinity of the corrals. The fact that running waters are self-clarifying is generally conceded, although not to the extent set forth by Dr. H. Letheby. medical officer of health for the city of London, in relation to the Thames. His statement is that '•sewage " when it is mixed with twenty times its volume of running water and has flowed a distance of 10 or 12 miles is absolutely destroyed; the agents of destruction being infusorial animals, aquatic plants and fish, and chemical oxidation. The question of pollution is therefore one to be considered in the precautionary way. and this has been done. The scenery of the reserve is on too grand and extensive a scale to be affected by any operation of man. such as grazing or mining. The burns are the only disfigurement to the magnificent views which, reward the climber of the peaks. Areas of particular beauty or novelty should be included in the National Park, on which pasturing is not allowed. The Secretary of the Interior on June : J ,n. ls:t7. promulgated rules and regulations relating to forest preservation, among which was the following: "13. The pasturing of live stock on the public lands in forest reservations will not be interfered with so long as it appears that injury is not being done to the forest growth and the rights of others are not thereby jeopardized.'' From my observations the injury done the forest growth by sheeping is not serious, and the attendant evils can be and are being guarded against. TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT PART V PL. XXX III \ DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR-TJ. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY * CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR THE FRED Gr. PLUMMER EXTRACT FROM THE TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SURVEY. 1899-1900 PART V, FOREST RESERVES— HENRY GANNETT, CHIEF OF DIVISION OF GEOGRAPHY AND FORESTRY WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1900 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 897 784 7