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 THE FORESTS OF THE UNITED STATES 
 
 IITCNTCV OANXKTT 
 
FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 Henry Gannett, Chief of Division. 
 
 THE FORESTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 The woodland and forests may be considered from two points of view, 
 (a) as a source of lumber supply, and (b) as a physical factor with 
 effects upon climate, erosion, and the flow of streams. 
 
 As a source of lumber supply the forest is, to all intents and pur- 
 poses, an agricultural crop, differing from most other agricultural 
 products in the fact that it requires a long time to reach maturity — gen- 
 erations — while other crops require only months or, at most, a few years. 
 The forests of the United States consist in part of what is commonly 
 called original growth — which means simply that the forest is composed 
 in the main of old trees which have, by sufferance of fire and the ax, 
 been permitted to reach or exceed maturity — and in part of young 
 growth of various ages, covering regions which have been either wholly 
 or partially cleared by fire or the ax. The former areas bear a mature 
 crop, the latter a crop in process of growth; thus the forest is constantly 
 restoring itself in all those regions where the rainfall is sufficient to 
 encourage tree growth; and in time, if not interfered with, these 
 regions will furnish a supply of lumber as large, and presumably of the 
 same quality, as that available when settlement first invaded them. 
 Hence, the timber supply of the country is, in a sense, a continuous 
 one. Timber is constantly growing to supply that which is used, and 
 in this respect it differs from our supplies of iron ore, coal, and other 
 minerals. These, when exhausted, will never be replaced. 
 
 The study of the forests of this country has been carried on almost 
 entirely upon the botanical side. Our forests have been studied thor- 
 oughly and exhaustively by botanists, but the geographic and economic 
 sides of the question have received very little attention, except for 
 purely commercial or utilitarian purposes. Even such an elementary 
 fact as the extent of woodland in this country we know only in a 
 broad, general way, except for certain limited areas which have been 
 mapped in connection with topographic surveys. Of the amount 
 19 geol, PT 5 1 
 
2 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 of standing timber available for our use we know almost nothing. In 
 view of the agitation for the protection of our forests which has been 
 going on for at least a generation, and which has reached such 
 intensity that it has become with many persons almost a religion, it 
 is strange that there should be practically no knowledge to serve as 
 a basis for such a cult. 
 
 In the following pages I propose to set forth the best estimate which, 
 so far as I can see, it is possible to make at present of the woodland in 
 this country, with its distribution by States. The sources of informa- 
 tion will be given in such a way as to show their degree of reliability. 
 I shall follow this with a summary of the little information we have 
 regarding the quantity of timber, including all estimates with which I 
 am acquainted that appear to be worth republishing; and as certain of 
 these estimates concern the same area and the same species' of timber 
 and differ greatly from one another, I wish to say at the outset that the 
 conflicting estimates are not published for the purpose of criticism, but 
 simply to show that the best of available estimates do not agree and 
 must be accepted with reservations. 
 
 We know in a broad way that the eastern part of the country, 
 extending from the Atlantic coast to the prairies, is naturally a for- 
 ested region, owing to the fact that rainfall is sufficient to encourage 
 the growth of trees. Throughout this region the only areas not for- 
 ested at present are those which have been cleared by man, and most of 
 these are under some form of cultivation. Wherever the land is left 
 waste, forests reproduce themselves. Upon the prairies and the plains 
 a,nd in the Eocky Mountain region trees grow wherever the climate 
 will permit; — i. e., wherever the rainfall is sufficient for their needs, and 
 as rainfall is greater upon the mountains than upon the plains and in 
 the valleys, timber is commonly found upon the mountains. On the 
 other hand, on the northwest coast, where the rainfall is ample, and in 
 some cases excessive, the country is heavily forested. 
 
 WOODED AREAS, BY STATES. 
 
 The wooded area of the country — the area upon which the timber 
 crop is growing — is a subject of interest and importance, whatever 
 may be the stage of growth of the timber upon it. 
 
 Concerning the areas upon which timber is at present growing, we 
 are in position to make certain definite statements, although we know 
 the entire area only approximately. Over large parts of the country 
 the topographic maps prepared by the Geological Survey show the 
 extent of woodland with a high degree of accuracy. The Hayden, 
 Wheeler, and Powell surveys of the Western States and Territories 
 mapped the woodlands over other large areas. The Northern Trans- 
 continental Survey, carried on by the Northern Pacific Eailroad Com- 
 pany, and the Northern Pacific Eailroad Company itself have mapped 
 considerable areas in the State of Washington. California, through 
 
GANNETT. 
 
 WOODED AREAS, BY STATES. 3 
 
 its forestry commission, has similarly mapped the forested areas in the 
 northern part of the State. From these sources the timbered areas of 
 Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Kansas, Colo- 
 rado, Utah, and parts of other States have been depicted in detail. 
 
 In most of the Eastern States, which are naturally forested, a close 
 approximation to the wooded areas has been obtained from the figures 
 of tbe Tenth and later censuses. These give the total land area, the 
 area included in farms, and, of the area included in farms, the wood- 
 land. The item of woodland given in these statistics does not include 
 waste or brash land, but only that properly classified as woodland. 
 It is assumed that the area not in farms is, in these States, composed 
 of woodland, an assumption which is for most of these States sub- 
 stantially correct, and for those States where it is not true, allowance 
 has been made for the area naturally devoid of timber. In the States 
 of the prairie, plains, and Cordilleran regions, for which this assump- 
 tion is incorrect, other means of obtaining the timbered areas have 
 been used, as set forth in the detailed account following : 
 
 MAINE. 
 
 The area of woodland has been obtained from the census of 1880. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total land area 29 875 
 
 Woodland in farms 4 200 
 
 Woodland not in farms 19 500 
 
 Total woodland 23 700 
 
 Percentage of land area, 79. 
 
 NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
 
 The area of woodland has been obtained from the census of 1880. 
 
 Sq. milea. 
 Total land area 9 Q05 
 
 Woodland in farms 2 000 
 
 Woodland not in farms 3 200 
 
 Total woodland 5 200 
 
 Percentage of land area, 58. 
 
 VERMONT. 
 The area of woodland has been obtained from the census of 1880. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 9 ^35 
 
 AVoodland in farms 2 300 
 
 Woodland not in farms X 600 
 
 Total woodland 3 900 
 
 Percentage of land area, 43. 
 
4 FOREST EESEEVES. 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS. 
 
 The area of woodland, 4,200 square miles, or 52 per cent of the land 
 area of the State, has been obtained from the maps of this Survey. 
 
 RHODE ISLAND. 
 
 The area of woodland, 400 square miles, or 40 per cent of the land 
 area of the State, has been obtained from the maps of this Survey. 
 
 CONNECTICUT. 
 
 The area of woodland, 1,900 square miles, or 39 per cent of the land 
 area of the State, has been obtained from the maps of this Survey. 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 The area of woodland has been obtained from the census of 1880. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 47,620 
 
 Woodland in farms 8, 100 
 
 Woodland not in farms 10,600 
 
 Total woodland 18,700 
 
 Percentage of land area, 39. 
 
 NEW JERSEY. 
 
 The area of woodland has been obtained from the maps of the State 
 survey. Wooded area, 3,234 square miles, or 43 per cent of the land 
 area of the State. 
 
 PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 The area of woodland has been obtained from the census of 1880. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 44,985 
 
 Woodland in farms 9, 100 
 
 Woodland not in farms 14, 100 
 
 Total woodland.. 23,200 
 
 Percentage of land area, 51. 
 
 DELAWARE. 
 
 The area of woodland has been obtained from the census of 1880. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 1,960 
 
 Woodland in farms 440 
 
 Woodland not in farms 260 
 
 Total woodland 700 
 
 Percentage of land area, 36. 
 
gaknett.] WOODED AREAS, BY STATES. O 
 
 MARYLAND. 
 
 The area of woodland lias been obtained from the census of 1880. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 9,860 
 
 Woodland in farms 2, 550 
 
 Woodland not in farms 1,850 
 
 Total woodland MOO 
 
 Percentage of land area, 44. 
 
 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 
 
 The wooded area has been measured from the maps of the U. S. 
 Coast and Geodetic Survey at 12 square miles. 
 
 VIRGINIA. 
 
 The area of woodland has been obtained from the census of 1880. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area - 40,125 
 
 Woodland in farms 14,300 
 
 Woodland not in farms 9, 100 
 
 Total woodland 23,400 
 
 Percentage of land area, 58. 
 
 WEST VIRGINIA. 
 
 The area of woodland has been obtained from the census of 1880. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 24,645 
 
 Woodland in farms 9, 700 
 
 Woodland not in farms 8, 700 
 
 Total woodland 18,400 
 
 Percentage of land area, 74. 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA. 
 
 The area of woodland has been obtained from the census of 18S0. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 48,580 
 
 Woodland in farms 21, 700 
 
 Woodland not in farms 13, 600 
 
 Total woodland 35,300 
 
 Percentage of land area, 72. 
 
 SOUTH CAROLINA. 
 
 The area of woodland has been obtained from the census of 18S0. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 30, 170 
 
 Woodland in farms Hj 300 
 
 Woodland not in farms 9, 200 
 
 Total woodland 20,500 
 
 Percentage of land area, 68. 
 
6 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 GEORGIA. 
 
 Iii the reports upon cotton production of the census of 1880 there are 
 statements of the wooded area of each county in the States of Georgia, 
 Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Ten- 
 nessee. They were obtained with considerable care by Prof. Eugene 
 Hilgard and his assistants. In the case of Georgia, each county is 
 reported to be naturally entirely woodland. The wooded area has 
 therefore been accepted as given by the census, without change. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 58,980 
 
 Woodland in farms 23,800 
 
 Woodland not in farms 18, 200 
 
 Total woodland ---- 42,000 
 
 Percentage of land area, 71. 
 
 FLORIDA. 
 
 In the description of the counties of this State in the report upon 
 cotton production, above cited, it is stated that an area of 14,760 square 
 miles is devoid of timber. This is comprised almost entirely in the 
 southern portion of the peninsula. The census figures for woodland, 
 obtained in the mauner above described, have therefore been reduced 
 by this amount, leaving a timbered area of 31,300 square miles, or 70 
 per cent of the area of the State, as follows 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 54,240 
 
 Woodland in farms 3, 400 
 
 Woodland not in farms 34, 300 
 
 Total woodland 37,700 
 
 Percentage of land area, 70. 
 
 ALABAMA. 
 
 In this State the counties are reported as being composed entirely of 
 woodland, and no reduction is therefore made from the census figures. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area ...' 51. 540 
 
 Woodland in farms 10, 300 
 
 Woodland not in farms 22,000 
 
 Total woodland 38,300 
 
 Percentage of land area, 74. 
 
 MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 In this State Professor Hilgard reports that 3,600 square miles are 
 naturally open country. While some of this area, perhaps a consider- 
 able part of it, may have been reduced to cultivation, appearing in the 
 census reports as improved land, still the entire amount has been 
 
GANNETT. 
 
 WOODED AREAS, BY STATES. 7 
 
 deducted from the ceusus figures, leaving a timbered area in the State 
 of 32,300 square miles, or 70 per cent. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area - 46, 340 
 
 Woodland in farms - 14,300 
 
 Area not in farms - 21, 600 
 
 35, 900 
 Open areas not in farms — 3, 600 
 
 Total woodland.. .. 32,300 
 
 Percentage of land area, TO. 
 
 LOUISIANA. 
 
 Iii this State Professor Hilgard reports 11,300 square miles of natur- 
 ally open country. This is mainly in the southern counties, bordering 
 the Gulf. It has been deducted from the census figures, leaving 28,300 
 square miles of woodland, or 62 per cent of the area of the State. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area - 45, 420 
 
 Woodland in farms "h 100 
 
 Area not in farms 32, 500 
 
 39, 600 
 Open country not in farms H> 300 
 
 Total woodland 28,300 
 
 Percentage of land area, 62. 
 
 Texas. 
 
 The total land area of Texas is 262,290 square miles. The areas of 
 woodland in the central and western portions of this State have been 
 measured from the maps of this organization. Other timbered regions, 
 all of which are comprised in the eastern part of the State, have been 
 taken directly from the reports upon cotton production above cited, 
 giving the total wooded area of the State at 64,000 square miles, or 24 
 per cent of its area. 
 
 ARKANSAS. 
 
 In this State the reports upon cotton production give the area of 
 naturally open country at 1,500 square miles. The census figures have 
 therefore been reduced by this amount, leaving a timbered area of 
 45,000 square miles, or 84 per cent. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 5 3, 945 
 
 Woodland in farms 12,300 
 
 Area not in farms 34, 200 
 
 46, 500 
 Open country not in farms 1> 500 
 
 Total woodland 45,000 
 
 Percentage of land area, 84. 
 
8 FOEEST EESEEVES. 
 
 KENTUCKY. 
 
 In Kentucky the census method has been employed. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 40,000 
 
 Woodland in farms 15,800 
 
 Woodland not in farms 6, 400 
 
 Total woodland 22,200 
 
 Percentage of land area, 55. 
 
 TENNESSEE. 
 
 In Tennessee the census method has been employed, since the cotton 
 reports specify that the counties are all naturally covered with timber. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 Total land area 41,750 
 
 Woodland in farms _. 17,600 
 
 Woodland not in farms 9, 700 
 
 Total woodland 27,300 
 
 Percentage of land area, 65. 
 
 OHIO. 
 
 With the exception of 2,460 square miles, or about 6 per cent, the 
 entire area of Ohio was included in farms. The woodland in frirms was 
 reported at 9,300 square miles. The area not included in farms is little 
 more than is necessary to allow for roads, right of way of railroads, 
 and the areas of cities. The area of woodlaud in farms, therefore, may 
 be regarded as a close approximation to the total wooded area of the 
 State. This is about 23 per cent of its area. 
 
 INDIANA. 
 
 & 
 
 The area in farms in this State is approximately 32,000 square miles, 
 leaving only 3,900 square miles not included in farms'. Of this, probably 
 about 1,000 square miles are occupied by roads, railroads, and town 
 sites, leaving 2,900 square miles. Much of this is in the southern part 
 of the State, which is better timbered than the northern part, and it is 
 believed that certainly half of this land is wooded. This, added to the 
 woodland in farms, 9,300 square miles, makes a total of 10,800 square 
 miles of timber land in the State, or 30 per cent of its area. 
 
 ILLINOIS. 
 
 The land area of Illinois is 56,000 square miles. Of this, 49,500 square 
 miles are included in farms, leaving 6,500 square miles to be accounted 
 for. The southern portion of the State is well timbered, and the greater 
 part of the area not in farms is found in these southern counties. After 
 allowing 1,500 square miles for roads, railroads, and town sites, it is 
 
gannett.] WOODED AREAS, BY STATES. 9 
 
 believed that one-half the remainder, or 2,500 square miles, is timbered, 
 and this, added to the 7,700 square miles of woodland in farms, makes 
 10,200 square miles as the entire wooded area of the State, or IS per 
 cent. 
 
 MICHIGAN. 
 
 In this State we have the returns from the census of 1894. At that 
 time the southern portion of the State, in which all the prairie laud is 
 situated, was almost entirely taken up in farms, the upper portion of 
 the lower peninsula and the entire upper peninsula, except where 
 improved, being woodland. The entire land area of the State is 57,430 
 square miles. The woodland in farms was 4,600 square miles; the 
 entire area in farms was 23,900 square miles, leaving 33,530 square 
 miles as woodland not in farms. This, with the woodland in farms, 
 makes a total for the State of about 38,000 square miles, or 67 per cent 
 of the area of the State. 
 
 WISCONSIN. 
 
 Land area, 54,450 square miles. For this State we have the State 
 census for 1S95, showing a total area in farms of 28,700 square miles, 
 which, subtracted from the total area of the State, leaves 25,750 square 
 miles, practically all of which is timbered laud. This, added to the 
 timbered area in farms, 6,000 square miles, makes 31,750 square miles 
 of woodland in the State, or 58 per cent of its area. 
 
 MINNESOTA. 
 
 The census figures for 1880 in this State are inadequate to express 
 its present condition, inasmuch as at that time large tracts of prairie 
 land in the southern part were not included in farms. The census of 
 the State, taken in 1895, does not give farm areas, but the State Geo- 
 logical and Natural History Survey has made an estimate of the tim- 
 bered area, which is, I believe, entitled to confidence, and has been 
 accepted. This gives the timbered area of the State as 52,200 square 
 miles, or 66 per cent of its area. 
 
 Land area, 55,475 square miles. This is essentially a prairie State, 
 containing but little timber, and that scattered in small areas over its 
 surface. The figures of the census of 18S0 can not be used, as in other 
 States, inasmuch as at that time large areas of prairie land were not 
 included in farms. Judging from the small portion of the State which 
 has been mapped by the Geological Survey, and a certain amount ot 
 local knowledge, it is estimated that about one-eighth of the State, or 
 say 7,000 square miles, consists of woodland. 
 
10 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 MISSOURI. 
 
 Within this State the transition occurs from dense forests, which 
 cover the southeastern portion, to prairie lands in the northwest. North 
 of Missouri River the country is largely rjrairie, the proportion of 
 prairie increasing westward. South of the river the eastern portion 
 of the State is naturally entirely forested, the proportion of forest 
 diminishing in the western part until along the west boundary not 
 more than 20 to 30 per cent is naturally forested. 
 
 About one-fourth of this State has been mapped by this organiza- 
 tion, being the central and southwest portions. The maps show this 
 progressive diminution of timber, and, so far as they go, the distribu- 
 tion of woodland. Using them as the basis of an estimate for the 
 State, a result was obtained which accords very closely with the results 
 obtained from the census of 1880, and this has been adopted. It is as 
 follows : 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total land area 68, 735 
 
 Wooded area in farms 15, 800 
 
 Woodland not in farms 25, 200 
 
 Total wooded area 41, 000 
 
 Percentage of land area of the State, 60. 
 
 NORTH DAKOTA. 
 
 This State contains only a trifling amount of woodland, located in 
 the valley of Missouri River, about Devils Lake, and in the Pembina 
 Mountains. The total area is estimated at 600 square miles, or about 
 1 per cent of the area of the State. 
 
 SOUTH DAKOTA. 
 
 The main body of timber in this State is in the Black Hills, in the 
 southwestern portion. A narrow strip occurs also along Missouri 
 River and other large streams. The area of timber in the Black Hills 
 is taken from the maps of this organization, and covers 2,000 square 
 miles, to which may be added 500 square miles as the area in the 
 bottom lands of the streams, making a total of 2,500 square miles, or 
 3 per cent of the area of the State. 
 
 NEBRASKA. 
 
 The wooded portion of Nebraska is in the extreme eastern portion of 
 the State, and is estimated at 2,300 square miles, or 3 per cent of the 
 State's area. A large body of pine timber is reported in the north- 
 western part of the State, but its area and limits are unknown. 
 
WOODED AREAS, BY STATES. 11 
 
 The wooded area of Kansas is in the eastern portion of the State. 
 It is narrow in tb« north and broadens southward. It has been mapped 
 by this organization, its area being 5,700 square miles, or 7 per cent of 
 the State's area. 
 
 INDIAN TERRITORY. 
 
 The wooded area of the Territory covers 20,000 square miles, or 65 
 per cent of its area. This area is obtained from maps and plats of the 
 Territory. Nearly all of the Choctaw Nation, part of the Creek Nation, 
 the eastern portion of the Cherokee Nation, and about half of the 
 Chickasaw Nation are woodland. 
 
 OKLAHOMA. 
 
 The wooded area of Oklahoma is taken, in the main, from the maps 
 of this Survey, which indicate that it comprises 4,400 square miles of 
 the eastern portion of the Territory, or 11 per cent of its entire area. 
 
 MONTANA. 
 
 Of the area of Montana it is estimated that 42,000 square miles, or 
 29 per cent, are wooded. In obtaining these figures the maps of this 
 organization, covering much of the western portion of the State, were 
 used. The remaining timbered portions were outlined from local 
 knowledge possessed by men in this office, particularly Mr. J. B. 
 Leiberg. 
 
 WYOMING. 
 
 The timbered area of Wyoming is estimated at 12,500 square miles, 
 being 13 per cent of the area of the State. This estimate was obtained 
 from the maps of this organization, covering the Bighorn Mountains 
 and Yellowstone Park and the adjacent forest reserves, and the Hay- 
 den map of the southwestern portion of the State, supplemented in 
 other regions by local knowledge possessed by topographers of the 
 Survey. 
 
 COLORADO. 
 
 The wooded area of Colorado is 33,500 square miles, or 32 per cent 
 of the area of the State. This was taken from the surveys made by 
 the Hayden Survey in 1872 to 1876. 
 
 NEW MEXICO. 
 
 The wooded area of New Mexico is estimated at 23,700 square miles, 
 or 19 per cent of the area of the Territory. This was obtained from the 
 maps of this Survey and of the Wheeler Survey, supplemented by local 
 knowledge possessed by men in this office. 
 
12 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 ARIZONA. 
 
 The wooded area of this Territory is estimated at 25,000 square miles, 
 or 22 per cent of the total area. The estimate has been obtained, in 
 the main, from maps of this organization, which cover the northern 
 part of the Territory, embracing most of its woodland. The wooded 
 regions about the head of Gila River, which constitute practically all 
 the remaining areas, were outlined by Mr. Gilbert Thompson, of this 
 Survey, from his knowledge of the locality. 
 
 The wooded area of Utah is 10,000 square miles, or 12J per ceht of 
 the area of the State, as determined by the Powell Survey. 
 
 The wooded area of Idaho is estimated at 35,000 square miles, or 42 
 per cent of its area. This is comprised almost entirely in the northern 
 portion of the State. Data for this estimate were obtained from maps 
 prepared by Mr. Leiberg and from the atlas sheets of this Survey. 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 Of this, one of the most important lumber States of the country, the 
 wooded area is estimated at 47,700 square miles, or 71 per cent of the 
 area of the State. . This wooded area extends from the Pacific coast 
 eastward to the eastern base of the Cascade Eange, and includes also 
 the northern portion of the State and a narrow, irregular strip upon 
 the east. 
 
 OREGON. 
 
 The wooded area of Oregon is estimated at 54,300 square miles, or 
 57 per cent of the area of the State. The outlines of the woodland in 
 this State were, in large part, obtained from the explorations of Mr. 
 Leiberg. From the coast to the eastern base of the Cascades the State 
 is timbered, with the exception of small prairies and clearings in Will- 
 amette and other valleys in the depression between the Cascade and 
 Coast ranges. The Blue Mountains, in the northeast, are wooded, and 
 timber is found upon several of the ranges traversing the central and 
 southeastern portions of the State. 
 
 The wooded area of Nevada is estimated at 6,100 square miles. Most 
 of this is in the western portion, where the Sierra forests project over 
 into this State, and a little is found upon the summits of the higher 
 ranges in other parts of the State. The wooded area forms less than 
 6 per cent of the area of the State. 
 
WOODED AREAS, BY STATES. 
 
 13 
 
 CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Of the area of California 44,700 square miles are woodland. Nearly- 
 all this area is comprised in the northern half of the State. The forests 
 cover the Coast Eanges from a little above the Bay of San Francisco 
 to the State line, and cover the Sierra throughout its entire extent, 
 with the exception of small areas above timber line. Some woodland, 
 but not much, is found in the Coast Banges and in the ranges of 
 southern California. The wooded area comprises 22 per cent of the 
 area of the State. 
 
 SUMMARY. 
 
 The foregoing figures are summarized in the following table; 
 
 Wooded areas in the United States, oy States. 
 
 Maine 
 
 New Hampshire 
 
 Vermont 
 
 Massachusetts 
 
 Ehode Island 
 
 Connecticut 
 
 New York 
 
 New Jersey 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 Delaware 
 
 Maryland 
 
 District of Columbia 
 
 Virginia 
 
 West Virginia 
 
 North Carolina 
 
 South Carolina 
 
 Georgia 
 
 Florida 
 
 Alabama 
 
 Mississippi 
 
 Louisiana 
 
 Texas 
 
 Arkansas 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 Tennessee 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Indiana 
 
 Illinois 
 
 Michigan 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 23, 700 
 
 5,200 
 
 3,900 
 
 4,200 
 
 400 
 
 1,900 
 
 18, 700 
 
 3,234 
 
 23, 200 
 
 700 
 
 4,400 
 
 12 
 
 23, 400 
 
 18, 400 
 
 35, 300 
 
 20, 500 
 
 42, 000 
 
 37, 700 
 
 38, 300 
 32, 300 
 28, 300 
 64, 000 
 45, 000 
 22, 200 
 27, 300 
 
 9,300 
 10, 800 
 10, 200 
 38, 000 
 
 Percent- 
 
 age of 
 
 land area. 
 
14 
 
 FOREST RESERVES. 
 Wooded areas in the United States, by States — Continued. 
 
 Wisconsin 
 
 Minnesota 
 
 Iowa 
 
 Missouri 
 
 North Dakota.. 
 South Dakota . . 
 
 Nebraska 
 
 Kansas 
 
 Indian Territory 
 
 Oklahoma 
 
 Montana 
 
 Wyoming 
 
 Colorado 
 
 New Mexico 
 
 Arizona 
 
 Utah 
 
 Idaho 
 
 Washington 
 
 Oregon 
 
 Nevada 
 
 California 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 31, 750 
 
 52, 200 
 
 7,000 
 
 41, 000 
 
 600 
 
 2,500 
 
 2,300 
 
 5,700 
 
 20, 000 
 
 4,400 
 
 42, 000 
 
 12, 500 
 
 33, 500 
 
 23, 700 
 
 25, 000 
 
 10, 000 
 
 35, 000 
 
 47, 700 
 
 54, 300 
 
 6,100 
 
 44,700 
 
 Percent- 
 age of 
 
 1, 094, 496 
 
 The total is 37 per cent of the area of the country, excluding Alaska. 
 
 AMOUNT OF MERCHANTABLE STANDING TIMBER, AND 
 SUMMARY AISTD SOURCES OF DATA. 
 
 Of the amount of standing timber of merchantable size — i. e., of the 
 size commonly used at the mills — very little data have been published. 
 It is true that estimates have been made in the interests of lumber 
 dealers, railroads (of land grants), and States (for making selections), 
 but in very few cases have these "cruisings" been collected and the 
 results digested and published. Most of the estimates of standing 
 timber which have found their way into print are the merest guesses, 
 and are not worth the paper they are printed on. 
 
 Cruisings made in the most careful manner by experienced men are 
 often found to differ materially from one another. This may, however, 
 be due to other causes than man's fallibility. The standard of the 
 mill practice differs greatly in different parts of the United States, 
 and lias differed widely at different times. For instance, in the Lake 
 States trees are cut and sent to tlie mill which will square 8, or even 
 
G41OTHT.] MERCHANTABLE STANDING TIMBER. 15 
 
 only 6 inches, and trees from which only one stick can be obtained 
 are cut: while, on the other hand, in Oregon. Washington, and Cali- 
 fornia the smallest tree which is cut must furnish at least two sticks, 
 each of which must square at least 12 inches. The cruiser's practice, 
 of course, follows the mill practice, and the result is that the cruisers 
 estimates under Washington practice would show vastly less timber 
 than if made under Michigan practice. An estimate of the standing 
 timber in Washington made twenty-five years hence, when timber 
 will have become scarce and the lumberman's standard lowered, will 
 doubtless show twice as much timber in the same area as if made to-day. 
 The first attempt to obtain the amount of standing timber in any 
 considerable part of the United States was that of Prof. C. S. Sargent, 
 under the Tenth Census, in 1S80. This was a pioneer work, and it 
 gave us the first definite ideas concerning any portion of our resources 
 in standing timber. His estimates were obtained for the most part by 
 well-qualified experts, and are probably, as far as they go, approxima- 
 tions to the truth. They were, however, confined to certain Conifers in 
 certain regions, no estimate being made of hard woods, and they were, 
 with the exception of the redwoods of California, limited to portions of 
 the Eastern forests. They were limited to saw timber — i. e., the timber 
 sufficiently large and of suitable quality for the mill. 
 
 In 1896 the State fire warden of -Minnesota, Gen. C. 0. Andrews, 
 published in his second annual report au estimate of the timber of that 
 State, including not only the milling timber, but firewood as well. His 
 method consisted, in the main, in obtaining from township and county 
 officers estimates of the timbered areas and of the average stand. At 
 about the same time Mr. C. A. Smith, a prominent lumberman of Min- 
 neapolis, who has had a large part of the timbered regions of the State 
 cruised in his interest, made a similar estimate, confining it, however, 
 to the white and yellow pine of the State suitable for milling purposes. 
 This was based, doubtless, upon the cruisings in his possession, and the 
 result differed widely from all other estimates. 
 
 In 1S97 an estimate was made of the standing timber of Wisconsin 
 by Mr. Filibert Both, of the United States Department of Agriculture, 
 in cooperation with the geological survey of Wisconsin. It is not 
 clear from his report, which was pubbshed as Bulletin 16 of the 
 Division of Forestry, Department of Agriculture, what method was 
 employed in obtaining his result, but presumably, to a large extent, it 
 is a collection and digestion of actual cruisings. 
 
 Several estimates have been made of the redwoods of California, 
 which occupy a narrow strip in the western part of the Coast Eanges 
 north of the Bay of San Francisco. The first of these to be mentioned 
 is that of Prof. C. S. Sargent, made in connection with his work for the 
 Tenth Census, already mentioned; a second was made by the State 
 board of forestry of California; and a third by Mr. A. C. Tibbetts, 
 secretary of the Humboldt Lumber Manufacturers' Association, and 
 pubbshed in the Eleventh Census report upon forest industries. 
 
16 
 
 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 Iii the report just cited there is a table giving the areas of timbered 
 lands and the stands of timber upon them which were in 1890 owned by 
 manufacturers of lumber. The data are given by States, and include 
 timbered area in acres, the total stand of merchantable timber, and the 
 average stand per acre. These figures are, of course, by no means com- 
 plete, since they include only a small part of the timbered land. The 
 average stand per acre is necessarily that of picked timber land, and is 
 by no means an average of the timbered land in the State, and there- 
 fore, as an aid in discovering the total amount of timber in the country 
 or in any State, they have little value. 
 
 The above paragraphs summarize all the sources of information 
 known to me relating to the statistics of standing timber in this country. 
 There are doubtless figures relating to small areas, scattered about in 
 fugitive form, which might be used, but I am persuaded that any such 
 figures would add little to our knowledge. 
 
 The following table contains a summary of the information derived 
 from the above sources. It is arranged by States, by species of timber, 
 and by authorities, and is placed in this form in order to bring together 
 different estimates of the same thing, the figures being given in millions 
 of feet B. M. 
 
 Estimates of merchantable standing timber. 
 
 Stare, 
 
 Maine 
 
 New Hampshire . 
 
 White pine. 
 
 Spruce 
 
 do 
 
 Hemlock ... 
 
 Hard wood, including fire- 
 wood. 
 
 Spruce 
 
 Sargent. 
 
 do .. 
 
 do .. 
 
 do .. 
 
 do .. 
 
 New York : 
 
 (Adirondack region ) . 
 
 White pine. 
 
 Spruce 
 
 Hemlock 
 
 Pennsylvania . 
 
 West Virginia. 
 
 Michigan 
 
 Wisconsin 
 
 Hardwood, including fire- 
 wood. 
 
 White pine 
 
 Hemlock 
 
 White pine 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 Norway pine 
 
 Hemlock 
 
 Hard wood 
 
 White pine 
 
 do 
 
 .do 
 
 .do 
 
 .do 
 .do 
 .do 
 
 ....do 
 
 ....do 
 
 do 
 
 ....do 
 
 do 
 
 Roth, 1897.... 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 Sargent, 1880. 
 Andrews, 1896 
 
 -475 
 
 5,000 
 
 1,510 
 
 165 
 
 33, 750 
 
 755 
 
 320 
 5,000 
 3,000 
 6,400 
 
 1, 800 
 
 4,500 
 
 990 
 
 35, 000 
 
 41, 000 
 
 15, 000 
 2,300 
 
 11, 700 
 
 16, 000 
 8,170 
 
 16, 849 
 
GANNETT.] 
 
 MERCHANTABLE STANDING TIMBER. 
 
 Estimates of merchantable standing timber — Continued. 
 
 17 
 
 State. 
 
 Species. 
 
 Authority. 
 
 Millions of 
 feet B. M. 
 
 
 
 Andrews, 1896 . 
 do 
 
 3,417 
 
 7,250 
 
 107, 000 
 
 40,000 
 5,229 
 5,316 
 16, 778 
 6,615 
 18, 885 
 2,307 
 18, 200 
 6,775 
 26, 588 
 21, 625 
 20, 508 
 26, 093 
 20, 907 
 41, 315 
 25, 825 
 30, 500 
 
 97, 505 
 
 
 
 Hard wood, including fire- 
 wood. 
 
 White and Norway pine . . 
 
 do 
 
 Smith, 1896.... 
 Sargent, 1880.. 
 do 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 do 
 
 do . 
 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 
 . ..do 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 fin 
 
 
 
 
 . do 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 do . . 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 
 do 
 
 
 do 
 
 State hoard of 
 
 forestry, 1885. 
 
 Tibbetts, 1890 . 
 
 do 
 
 
 White piue is found in all the New England States and in New York, 
 Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and West Virginia. 
 In southern New England — i. e., Massachusetts, Ehode Island, and 
 Connecticut — the original growth has been practically cut away, leaving 
 only second-growth pine, little of which is of sufficient size for the mill. 
 Of the other States, it will be seen that Professor Sargent makes no 
 estimate of the amount in New Hampshire or Vermont. On the basis 
 of the figures given by Sargent and quoted above, he estimated that 
 in eight years the supply of white pine would be gone. Since then 
 eighteen years have elapsed, and the supply of white pine, as indicated 
 by its price in the market, has not materially diminished. Although in 
 these eighteen years an amount greater than that which Sargent esti- 
 mated to be standing in 1880 has been cut, the amount still standing is, 
 from all appearances, quite as large as his estimate made in 1880. In 
 1S97 Mr. Fernow, of the Department of Agriculture, hazarded a guess 
 concerning the amount of pine standing at that time, from which he 
 estimated that it would last seven years more. 
 
 In Maine an amount fully equal to the estimated amount given by 
 Sargent as standing in 1880 has since been cut, and the annual cut 
 shows no appreciable diminution. 
 19 geol, pt V 2 
 
18 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 While in 1880 Professor Sargeut estimated that there were standing 
 in the three States of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota only 84,000 
 million feet of white pine, there were cut from these States in the suc- 
 ceeding sixteen years not less than 121,000 million feet, and the best 
 estimates which we have at present indicate that there still remains at 
 least as much in these States as was reported to be standing in 1880. 
 
 A comparison of the estimates of white pine in Minnesota, made, 
 respectively, by Sargent, Andrews, and Smith, shows that after sixteen 
 years' cutting in the State, Andrews found twice as much white pine in 
 1896 as the estimated amount in 1880, while Mr. Smith's estimate, made 
 at the same time as General Andrews's, is double that of the latter. 
 Owing to the fact that Mr. Smith based his estimate largely upon 
 actual cruisings of the pine land, it is altogether probable that his 
 estimate is much nearer the truth than the others. 
 
 Opinions of lumbermen differ widely regarding the probable time of 
 exhaustion of the white-pine supply, but the consensus of opinion seems 
 to be that within twenty-five or thirty years white pine will become so 
 scarce as to be no longer a factor of importance in the lumber industry. 
 At present the cut shows little diminution, but the fact that lumbermen 
 are searching the country for substitutes for white pine is significant. 
 
 The total amount of long-leaved pine in the nine Southern States 
 given by Sargent is 118,119 million feet; that of short-leaved pine, 
 98,115 million feet; that of loblolly pine, 20,907 million feet; a total of 
 the three species of 237,141 million feet. 
 
 The estimates of the redwood of California, as will be seen, differ 
 very widely, ranging from 25,825 to 97,505 million feet. This is well 
 known to be the densest forest in North America — indeed, in all prob- 
 ability, considering the amount of merchantable timber contained 
 therein, upon the globe. Single acres have been known to yield a 
 million and a half feet of lumber, and single trees to cut as much as 
 100,000 feet. 
 
 In the report of the State forestry commission of California, above 
 quoted, the area of effective redwood land is given as approximately 
 1,000,000 acres. If this statement of area be correct it follows that 
 the average amount of redwood timber upon this land, according to 
 Sargent's estimate, is about 25,000 feet per acre, and according to the 
 estimate of the commission, 30,000 feet per acre. Neither of these is 
 a large yield. There are many townships in western Washington and 
 Oregon containing far more than thie amount, and yet these forests, 
 although dense, are not regarded as extraordinary in this respect. On 
 the other hand, accepting the redwood area as above given, the esti- 
 mate furnished by Mr. Tibbetts would give nearly 100,000 feet per acre 
 as an average. This would indicate a very large product, but in all 
 probability it is nearer the truth than the other estimates. 
 
 The work of the last season under this organization has resulted in 
 furnishing statistics of standing timber over areas aggregating 181,300 
 
MERCHANTABLE STANDING TIMBER. 
 
 19 
 
 square miles, which may be enumerated as follows: Washington, 
 Oregon, northern Idaho, a portion of the Bitterroot Forest Eeserve in 
 Montana, the Teton and a part of the Yellowstone Park forest reserves, 
 the Bighorn Forest Reserve of Wyoming, the Black Hills Forest Reserve 
 of South Dakota, the San Francisco Forest Reserve of Arizona, and the 
 San Jacinto, San Gabriel, and San Bernardino forest reserves of south- 
 ern California. The amounts in the several areas are as follows, in mil- 
 lions of feet B. M. : 
 
 Standing timber in certain regions of western United States. 
 
 Locality. 
 
 Washington 
 
 Oregon 
 
 Priest River Reserve 
 
 Northern Idaho, excluding Priest River Re- 
 serve 
 
 Bitterroot Reserve, Montana portion 
 
 Bighorn Reserve, Wyoming 
 
 Teton Reserve, Wyoming 
 
 Black Hills Reserve, South Dakota 
 
 San Francisco Forest, Arizona 
 
 San Jacinto Reserve, southern California 
 
 San Gabriel Reserve, southern California 
 
 San Bernardino Reserve, southern California.. 
 
 114, 778 
 
 234, 653 
 
 1,904 
 
 1,696 
 
 1,022 
 
 210 
 
 75 
 
 1,502 
 
 8,100 
 
 98 
 
 60 
 
 479 
 
 These will be discussed fully in the following part of this report and 
 in the detailed reports of my assistants. 
 
 CONSUMPTION OF TIMBER IN THE UNITED STATES AND 
 IN THE CORDILLERAN REGION. 
 
 Statistics of the consumption of timber in the United States have 
 been obtained only by the Census Office, the latest being those of 1890. 
 The principal items of forest products, as returned by that census, are 
 as follows : 
 
 Principal forest products of the United States in 1890. 
 
 Descripti< 
 
 Amount. 
 
 Sawed lumber million feet B. M . 
 
 Logs do... 
 
 Telegraph poles thousands . 
 
 Fence posts do 
 
 Ties do... 
 
 Piles do... 
 
 Shingles do . . . 
 
 Staves do... 
 
 Headings do . . . 
 
 Laths do 
 
 23, 500 
 
 1,445 
 
 117 
 
 4,723 
 
 5,496 
 
 158 
 
 9,275 
 
 1, 178, 552 
 
 182, 700 
 
 2, 263, 300 
 
 $267, 
 10, 
 
 000, 000 
 500, 000 
 200, 000 
 400, 000 
 600, 000 
 300, 000 
 000, 000 
 800, 000 
 900, 000 
 500, 000 
 
20 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 The above, with the addition of a few other items, give a total value 
 of $403,700,000. To this is to be added the item of fuel, of nearly equal 
 value. Statistics regarding fuel consumption were collected in 18S0 by 
 Prof. C. S. Sargent, in connection with the Tenth Census. His investi- 
 gation showed that on an average each inhabitant of the country con- 
 sumed approximately 2.8 cords of fuel per annum. Applying this to 
 the population of 1890 gives a total consumption of about 180,000,000 
 cords. The average value per cord in 1880 was $2.20, which we may 
 assume has remained unchanged, thus giving a total value to the annual 
 supply of fuel of $396,000,000. This, added to the other items, gives a 
 total of about $800,000,000 as the value of the forest product of the 
 country, an amount slightly in excess of its mineral production. 
 
 The total amount of sawed lumber consumed in the country was, as 
 stated in the table above, 23,500 million feet B. M. The timber to 
 supply this demand must fulfill certain conditions of size and quality — 
 conditions which differ greatly under present practices in different 
 parts of the country. On the Pacific coast the standard for saw tim- 
 ber is extremely high. Trees which will not square 12 inches and 
 furnish at least two lengths are not at present considered as furnishing 
 saw lumber, and the waste from the trees which are cut for lumber 
 is enormous. On the other hand, in the eastern lumber regions, and 
 even in the Rocky Mountain country, trees which will square as low 
 as 6 inches, are being cut for lumber. 
 
 For poles, ties, rails, and other minor uses lumber is cut, and to a 
 considerable extent the waste of the saw timber is utilized for certain 
 of these purposes. 
 
 But the great item of timber consumption is firewood. The above 
 estimate of the annual consumption of firewood, reduced to feet B. M., 
 so as to make it comparable with the sawmill consumption, shows that 
 we burn for heating and manufacturing purposes not less than 180,000 
 million feet B. M., an amount seven times as great as that used in the 
 sawmill and four times as great as is used for all other purposes. It 
 must be remembered, however, that most of the firewood supply con- 
 sists of timber which is not and can not be suitable, in species, size, 
 or quality, for the mill. This fact is insured by the relative prices of 
 the two qualities, since wood suitable for milling purposes brings a 
 much higher price than for firewood. 
 
 The question is immediately raised whether the supply of wood suit- 
 able for fuel, and for fuel only, is in excess of the amount suitable for 
 the mill proportionally to the relative demand for the two. To that 
 the answer may be made in general that it is amply sufficient; that in 
 all regions of the country the supply of wood suitable for fuel only is 
 in excess of its relative demand. 
 
CONSUMPTION OF TIMBER. 
 
 21 
 
 CONSUMPTION OF TIMBER IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN AND 
 PACIFIC STATES. 
 
 It is of the consumption in the above States that we are especially 
 interested in this report. Lumber, being a very bulky product, is sel- 
 dom transported far from its region of production. So far as possible 
 the supply is obtained from near-by sources. Especially is this true 
 where the only transportation available is by rail, the rates for which 
 are well-nigh prohibitory to commerce in this commodity. 
 
 The following table summarizes the condition of the lumber industry 
 in the Eocky Mountain and Pacific States : 
 
 Condition of the lumber industry in the Rocky Mountain and Pacific States. 
 [In millions of feet. B. M.] 
 
 Arizona 
 
 California 
 
 Colorado 
 
 Idaho , 
 
 Montana 
 
 Nevada 
 
 New Mexico... 
 
 Oregon 
 
 South Dakota . 
 
 Utah 
 
 Washington . . . 
 Wyoming 
 
 4 
 221 
 109 
 41 
 30 
 
 10.8 
 519 
 
 79 
 
 18.9 
 
 90 
 
 Total 
 
 1,129 
 
 26 
 
 26.3 
 
 300 
 
 493 
 
 41 
 
 22.8 
 
 30 
 
 14.4 
 
 310 
 
 1,156 
 
 17 
 
 6.3 
 
 2, 436. 5 
 
 252 
 2,416 
 906 
 252 
 396 
 115 
 216 
 880 
 1,050 
 250 
 875 
 122 
 
 7,730 
 
 262.8 
 
 995 
 
 985 
 
 270.9 
 
 486 
 
 115 
 
 242.3 
 
 373 
 
 072.8 
 
 264.4 
 
 031 
 
 128.3 
 
 It will be seen from the above table that the lumber cut in the Eocky 
 Mountain States is small— in some of the States absolutely trifling— 
 and that in most of them the consumption of wood is almost entirely 
 confined to that used for fuel; indeed, the consumption of lumber in 
 the sawmills of all the Eocky Mountain States together is little more 
 than half that of California or Oregon, less than a fourth that of 
 Washington, and but one-eighth that of the three Pacific States taken 
 together. The total cut of lumber for sawmills in the West is but one- 
 tenth that of the United States, and is trifling when compared with the 
 supply. 
 
22 
 
 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 The following table exhibits the growth of the lumber industry in the 
 Rocky Mountain and Pacific States between 1870 and 1890, as shown 
 by the reports of the Mnth, Tenth, and Eleventh censuses: 
 
 Lumber industry in Rocky Mountain and Pacific States in 1870, 1880, and 1890. 
 
 State or Territory. 
 
 Year. 
 
 Number 
 of mills. 
 
 Capital. 
 
 Cost of mate- 
 rial. 
 
 Value of 
 product. 
 
 Arizona 
 
 1870 
 
 1 
 
 $5, 000 
 102, 000 
 
 $1, 600 
 132, 000 
 
 $10, 000 
 216, 000 
 
 
 1880 
 
 13 
 
 
 1890 
 
 4 
 
 213, 000 
 
 127, 000 
 
 249, 000 
 
 California 
 
 1870 
 
 291 
 
 3, 856, 000 
 
 1, 986, 000 
 
 5, 227, 000 
 
 
 1880 
 
 251 
 
 6, 455, 000 
 
 2, 243, 000 
 
 4, 229, 000 
 
 
 1890 
 
 221 
 
 15, 834, 000 
 
 4, 356, 000 
 
 8, 454, 000 
 
 Colorado 
 
 1870 
 
 32 
 
 133, 000 
 
 117, 000 
 700, 000 
 
 324, 000 
 1, 051, 000 
 
 
 1880 
 
 96 
 
 481, 000 
 
 
 1890 
 
 109 
 
 839, 000 
 
 610, 000 
 
 1, 172, 000 
 
 
 1870 
 1880 
 
 10 
 39 
 
 37, 000 
 114, 000 
 
 33, 000 
 
 282, 000 
 
 72, 000 
 436, 000 
 
 
 
 1890 
 
 46 
 
 370, 000 
 
 217, 000 
 
 452, 000 
 
 Idaho 
 
 1870 
 
 10 
 
 51, 000 
 192, 000 
 
 20, 000 
 231, 000 
 
 57, 000 
 
 
 1880 
 
 48 
 
 350, 000 
 
 
 1890 
 
 41 
 
 420, 000 
 
 187, 000 
 
 430, 000 
 
 Montana 
 
 1870 
 
 31 
 
 146, 000 
 
 172, 000 
 278, 000 
 
 431, 000 
 
 
 1880 
 
 36 
 
 208, 000 
 
 528, 000 
 
 
 1890 
 
 30 
 
 831, 000 
 
 547, 000 
 
 1, 178, 000 
 
 New Mexico . . 
 
 1870 
 
 12 
 
 47, 000 
 
 40, 000 
 117, 000 
 
 121, 000 
 174, 000 
 
 
 1880 
 
 26 
 
 75, 000 
 
 
 1890 
 
 26 
 
 193, 000 
 
 172, 000 
 
 390, 000 
 
 
 1870 
 
 165 
 
 913, 000 
 1, 578, 000 
 
 358, 000 
 1, 331, 000 
 
 1, 014, 000 
 
 2, 030, 000 
 
 
 1880 
 
 *228 
 
 
 1890 
 
 300 
 
 7, 543, 000 
 
 2, 979, 000 
 
 5, 995, 000 
 
 Utah , 
 
 1870 
 
 95 
 
 338, 000 
 
 266, 000 
 
 661, 000 
 
 
 1880 
 
 107 
 
 273, 000 
 
 238, 000 
 
 375, 000 
 
 
 1890 
 
 30 
 
 197, 000 
 
 127, 000 
 
 235, 000 
 
 Washington 
 
 1870 
 
 46 
 
 1, 285, 000 
 
 580, 000 
 
 1, 307, 000 
 
 
 1880 
 
 37 
 
 2, 456, 000 
 
 1, 188, 000 
 
 1, 735, 000 
 
 
 1890 
 
 310 
 
 19, 445, 000 
 
 7, 930, 000 
 
 15, 068, 000 
 
 Wyoming 
 
 1870 
 
 8 
 
 110, 000 
 
 99, 000 
 
 268, 000 
 41, 000 
 
 
 1880 
 
 7 
 
 27, 000 
 
 27, 000 
 
 
 1890 
 
 17 
 
 160, 000 
 
 52, 000 
 
 125, 000 
 
 FORESTS OF THE WEST. 
 
 The forests of the Rocky Mountain region and the Pacific coast are 
 characterized by an almost entire absence of deciduous trees. Indeed, 
 almost all tree growth available for lumber is composed of Coniferae, 
 consisting of pines, firs, spruces, hemlocks, cedars, and larches. 
 
qannett.] FORESTS OP THE WEST. 23 
 
 The distribution of tree growth here, as everywhere else, is a func- 
 tion of rainfall. Where this is less than a certain amount — say 20 
 inches annually — no species of trees can flourish. The species which 
 can bear the least rainfall are the piiion pine and the juniper. Where 
 the rainfall is greater, other species find it possible to exist. Thus, in 
 going from a region of small rainfall toward a region of great rainfall, 
 one passes through areas occupied by different species, from the piiion 
 and juniper, through quaking aspen, yellow and lodgepole pine, to 
 red fir, sprnce, and cedar. Since throughout the Rocky Mountain region 
 the rainfall is least in the valleys, and generally at low levels, the forests 
 are, except near the Pacific coast, confined almost entirely to the higher 
 plateaus and the mountains. 
 
 Thus, a rainfall map is in a general way a forest map; and in the 
 Rocky Mountain region, since rainfall is more abundant at the higher 
 elevations, a relief map is, in like manner, a forest map. 
 
 Much is known regarding the general distribution of the forests of 
 the West, and of the species of timber, largely because the forests 
 accompany the rainfall closely, and therefore have a direct relation to 
 the relief of the country; and, moreover, because of the numerous 
 explorations and surveys which have been carried on in the West under 
 the auspices of the General Government. 
 
 The following general description may help the reader to understand 
 the forest conditions of this region : 
 
 In South Dakota the forests are confined to the Black Hills, where 
 they consist almost entirely of yellow pine. They are mainly open for- 
 ests, of no great density, and with little undergrowth. In certain parts, 
 and especially toward the south, the timber scatters out greatly, leav- 
 ing large open parks. 
 
 In Montana the forests are confined almost entirely to the western 
 half of the State, and therein mainly to the mountains. They increase 
 in density westward and northward, becoming densest upon the Bitter- 
 root Range, the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, and the numer- 
 ous ranges lying between them. The timber in this region consists of 
 red fir, yellow pine, white pine, and tamarack. Southward from this 
 region the character of the forest changes, being composed largely, if 
 not mainly, of lodgepole pine. 
 
 In Wyoming the densest forests are found in the western corner, 
 including Yellowstone Park and the country east and south thereof. 
 The principal forest tree over this region is lodgepole pine, of small 
 size and of little economic importance. It is densest within the Yellow- 
 stone Park and becomes sparse eastward and southward. The Bighorn 
 Mountains are sparsely timbered, bodies of timber alternating with 
 open parks, so that not more than half of the plateau-like summit of 
 the range is wooded. 
 
 The only other wooded areas in the State are near the southern 
 border, where the great Colorado ranges project north of the State 
 line, and upon these the timber is small and scanty. 
 
24 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 In Colorado timber is confined almost entirely to the high mountains 
 and the high plateaus at their western base, the mountain valleys and 
 parks being without forests. The timber is nowhere large or dense. It 
 consists, in the main, of red fir, yellow pine, Engelmann spruce, and 
 lodgepole pine. 
 
 In New Mexico the high mountain ranges and plateaus are timbered, 
 but nowhere densely. The principal forests are upon the southern end 
 of the San Juan Eauge, where it projects into this Territory, upon the 
 Sangre de Cristo Eange, and in the region of high plateaus west of 
 the Eio Grande, in Socorro County. The timber consists of Engelmann 
 spruce, red fir, and yellow pine. 
 
 In Arizona the principal body of timber is the San Francisco Forest, 
 which is described somewhat fully further on in this report. It is an 
 open forest of good-sized yellow pine, with little or no underbrush. A 
 similar forest is found upon the high plateau on both sides of the Grand 
 Canyon of the Colorado. The ranges south of the Colorado Plateau, 
 about the heads of the Gila, contain some timber, but none of impor- 
 tance. 
 
 In Utah the only timber of consequence is found in the Uinta Eange, 
 in the northeast corner of the State. Upon the Wasatch Eange the 
 timber is small and scattering. 
 
 In Nevada there is but a trifling amount of timber. The timber belt 
 of the Sierra Nevada extends over a small area in the western part, 
 while elsewhere the only arborescent growth is near the summits of 
 the narrow desert ranges. 
 
 The northern part of Idaho is heavily timbered, as is fully described 
 in a paper in this report by Mr. Leiberg. This heavy body of timber 
 extends down through the Bitterroot Eeserve and gradually thins out 
 south of Salmon Eiver. There is a little timber in the southeastern 
 part, but this is not of importance except for local purposes. 
 
 The portion of Washington west of the summit of the Cascade Eange 
 was formerly entirely covered with dense forests of great trees — firs, 
 spruce, cedar, and hemlock— although a large proportion of it, nearly 
 halt; has been destroyed either by cutting or by burning. The eastern 
 slope of the Cascades is less heavily timbered, but is not an unimpor- 
 tant source of forest products. East of the Cascade Eange and north 
 of the Columbia is a region whose forests are only second in density 
 to those of western Washington. The timber in this region consists 
 mainly of white and yellow pine, with some red fir. 
 
 In Oregon we find much the same sort of distribution as in Wash- 
 ington. West of the summit of the Cascade Eange the forests are 
 dense and very productive, consisting of the same species as in 
 Washington, with the addition in the southern part of a little sugar 
 pine and yellow pine. The eastern slope of the Cascade Eange is 
 much less heavily forested, although the timber, which here consists 
 of yellow pine almost exclusively, extends far out on the plateau. In 
 
ganhett.] FORESTS OF THE WEST. 25 
 
 the northeastern portion of the State are the Blue Mountains, whose 
 forests consist largely of yellow pine, covering enormous areas with a 
 rather light growth. 
 
 In California the Coast Ranges, from the Oregon boundary nearly 
 down to the Bay of San Francisco, are well forested, mainly with red- 
 wood, red fir, and yellow and sugar pine. Into the northern part of this 
 area spruce and hemlock extend southward from Oregon. Upon the 
 west slope of the Sierra are found, mainly between altitudes of 4,000 
 to 8,000 feet, enormous quantities of sugar pine, which here grows to 
 great size, yellow pine, and red fir, with occasional groves of Sequoia 
 gigantea. In the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, and San Jacinto moun- 
 tains are small areas forested with yellow pine, among which are inter- 
 spersed a few sugar pines. 
 
 MAP SHOWING THE WOODLANDS AND FORESTS OF THE WEST. 
 
 A map (PL II) showing the extent and distribution of woodland in 
 the Cordilleran region has been compiled from a variety of sources, as 
 follows : 
 
 Manuscript atlas sheets of the United States Geological Survey. 
 Wherever the topographic surveys of this organization have been car- 
 ried on the woodland has been mapped with as great accuracy as pos- 
 sible. These surveys have been extended over an area of 250,000 
 square miles in various parts of the West. 
 
 The maps of the Powell Survey, covering the whole of Utah and 
 northern Arizona. 
 
 The Hayden Survey. By this organization were mapped the moun- 
 tain region of Colorado, the adjacent portions of Utah and New Mex- 
 ico, and a large detached area in western Wyoming, southeastern 
 Idaho, and northeastern Utah, a total area of about 100,000 square 
 miles. 
 
 The Wheeler Survey, which has mapped large areas, mainly in the 
 Southwest. 
 
 Cruisings and maps prepared by railroad, wagon road, and lumber 
 companies in Oregon and Washington, including the work done by the 
 Northern Transcontinental Survey along the Northern Pacific Railroad. 
 
 Reports of the State Forestry Board of California. 
 
 The work of the Biological Survey of the Department of Agriculture. 
 
 The reports and maps made by the forestry agents of this office dur- 
 ing the last season. 
 
 Notes and sketches by J B. Leiberg, W. T. Griswold, myself, and 
 others concerning areas heretofore unpublished. 
 
 The colors upon the map indicate the areas occupied by arborescent 
 vegetation, but do not include areas covered with brush. 
 
 An attempt has been made to separate those areas which are covered 
 with timber suitable for mill purposes, and which may therefore be 
 known as merchantable timber, from such as bear timber suitable only 
 
26 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 for firewood, rails, and such inferior uses. That such a distinction is 
 imperfectly made goes without saying, but it is believed that the result 
 is approximately correct. 
 
 FOREST CONDITIONS AND STANDING TIMBER OE WASH- 
 INGTON. 
 
 With the exception of the redwoods of California, tbe forests of 
 Washington are the densest, heaviest, and most continuous in the 
 United States. Except for a few prairie openings, and except where 
 removed by fire or the ax, they cover the country as a thick mantle 
 from high up on the Cascade Range westward to the shores of the 
 Pacific. In all this region only the Olympics rear a few summits 
 above the forests. Not only are the forests dense overhead, but the 
 undergrowth is dense and tangled beneath. The trees are large, 
 reaching 12 to 15 feet in diameter and 250 feet in height, with clear 
 trunks for 100 or more feet. The timber is mainly red or yellow fir 
 (Psendotsuga taxifolia), mingled with spruce, hemlock, and cedar. 
 
 The amount of standing timber in this region has long been a matter 
 of interest, and many wild guesses have been hazarded. As usual iu 
 such cases, most of them have been far above the truth. With no 
 data on which to base an estimate the tendency is to exaggerate. 
 
 Finding the material ready at hand for obtaining a fairly reliable 
 estimate, requiring only the work of bringing it together and digest- 
 ing it, I have undertaken this work. 
 
 Statistics derived from cruisings recently made have been obtained 
 from all parts of the State, and especially from the heavily timbered 
 portion lying west of the Cascade Range. The sources of this infor- 
 mation are as follows: 
 
 The Northern Pacific Railroad Company, which has made most elab- 
 orate cruisings of that part of its land grant situated west of the Cas- 
 cade Range, has with great liberality furnished an abstract of all the 
 information in its possession regarding timber lands, including not only 
 the statistics of standing timber but maps showing the areas at present 
 forested, those naturally unforested, those which have been cut over, 
 and those which have been burned. These statistics have been com- 
 piled and the maps prepared by Messrs. John M. Rankine and George 
 H. Plummer, of the Northern Pacific Railroad office. The commis- 
 sioner of the State land office has furnished abstracts of all cruisings 
 made for the selection of lands for the State. Besides the above, sev- 
 eral lumber companies and owners of timber land have placed their 
 information at the disposal of this office. 
 
 Altogether I have collected the cruisings of 1,679,402 acres. Most 
 of these are in the portion of the State west of the crest of the Cas- 
 cades, although the eastern slope of the mountains is represented to 
 some extent, and there is a large area cruised iu Stevens County, in 
 the northeastern part of the State. 
 
 From these data, together with the examinations of the Washington 
 
gannett.] FORESTS OF WASHINGTON. 27 
 
 Beserve, I have estimated the total amount of standing timber in the 
 State to be in the neighborhood of 114,778 million feet B. M. Of this 
 amount more than six- sevenths, or 104,500 million feet, are west of the 
 crest of the Cascades, the remainder, 10,000 million feet, being upon 
 its eastern slope and in the northern and eastern portion of the State. 
 This total is much less than that estimated for Oregon, a fact which I 
 explain by the following considerations: (1) The wooded area is not 
 so great, that of Oregon being 54,300 square miles, that of Washington 
 47,700 square miles; (2) a considerable part of Washington, in the 
 Cascade Eange and the Olympic Mountains, is at a great altitude, upon 
 which the timber is very scattering; (3) much of the eastern slope of 
 the Cascade Eange, especially in Okanogan County, is covered with a 
 very sparse growth of timber, although it appears as timber land; 
 (4) the lumber industry in Washington has been, especially in recent 
 years, much more important than in Oregon, and consequently a much 
 larger area has been cut and burned. 
 
 The distribution of the lumber trees of Washington is simple : West 
 of the Cascade Eange the country, with the exception of the high 
 mountains, is occupied in the main by four species — red fir (Pseudotsuga 
 tawifolia), cedar (Thuja plicata), hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana), and 
 spruce (Picea sitchensis). The forests west of the higher part of the 
 Cascades are composed of 64 per cent of fir, 16 per cent of cedar, 14 
 per cent of hemlock, and 6 per cent of spruce. Toward the coast the 
 proportions of cedar and spruce increase. 
 
 Upon the mountains the iir disappears, and hemlock and cedar, espe- 
 cially the former, increase greatly in proportion. In this region the 
 fir is by far the most valuable tree, and, while other species occurring 
 with the fir are used, areas which do not contain fir are regarded at 
 present as of no value. High up in the mountains only subalpiue species 
 occur. East of the mountains the timber consists almost entirely of 
 lodgepole and yellow pine, with some white pine in Stevens County, in 
 the northeastern part of the State. A little fir also is found at the 
 eastern base of the range, scattered through the pine forests. 
 
 The following table gives the estimated amount of merchantable 
 timber in each county, in thousands of feet B. M., as at present esti- 
 timated by lumbermen. If it were cut under the practice which pre- 
 vails at present, these figures represent a close approximation to the 
 amount which would be realized. There is no question, however, but 
 that, as in the case of the eastern white pine, a much larger amount 
 will ultimately be realized, for several reasons : 
 
 First, the standard will certainly be lowered, so that instead of 
 utilizing only one-third of the tree two-thirds may be used, and many 
 small trees now destroyed by fire in the culled areas will be cut; sec- 
 ond, species not now used may come into the market; third, areas 
 now considered inaccessible will serve as sources of supply; fourth, 
 the new growth on cut and burned areas will reach merchantable size 
 long before the old growth is exhausted. 
 
28 
 
 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 In illustration of the difference between the supply as viewed by the 
 Washington lumbermen and the actual amount, take the figures given 
 by Mr. Ayres in his report on the western part of the Washington 
 Eeserve. Under Washington practice he found but 400 million feet in 
 that area, consisting of red fir. But under the Minnesota practice, and 
 estimating the contents of all species without regard to accessibility, 
 he found not less than 14,400 million feet. This is, of course, an extreme 
 case, but it is probably paralleled throughout the Cascade Range and 
 in the Olympics. 
 
 Merchantable timber in the State of Washington, by counties. 
 
 Asotin 
 
 Chehalis . 
 Clallam . . . 
 
 Clarke 
 
 Columbia 
 Cowlitz . . . 
 Douglas . . . 
 
 Ferry 
 
 Garfield . . . 
 
 Island 
 
 Jefferson . 
 
 King 
 
 Kitsap 
 
 Kittitas . . 
 Klickitat . 
 Lewis 
 
 81 
 
 18, 579 
 
 9,072 
 
 2,342 
 
 243 
 
 5,216 
 
 31 
 
 1667 
 
 170 
 
 430 
 
 4,230 
 
 7,644 
 
 1,141 
 
 1,260 
 
 743 
 
 Lincoln 
 
 Mason 
 
 Okanogan... 
 
 Pacific 
 
 Pierce 
 
 Skagit 
 
 Skamania ... 
 Snohomish .. 
 
 Spokane 
 
 Stevens 
 
 Thurston • 
 
 Wahkiakum . 
 Wallawalla . 
 Whatcom ... 
 Whitman ... 
 Yakima 
 
 14 
 
 2,091 
 
 2,665 
 
 7,813 
 
 6,520 
 
 10, 362 
 
 4,661 
 
 7,709 
 
 766 
 
 2,702 
 
 2,787 
 
 2,974 
 
 5 
 
 1,346 
 
 35 
 
 893 
 
 a The counties omitted contain no merchantable timber. 
 
 The counties lying between the crest of the Cascade Range and the 
 Pacific coast have been examined with greater thoroughness than 
 those in the eastern part of the State, and can be described more fully. 
 The cruisings, however, which have been obtained relate only to the 
 portions of the counties occupied by fir timber, other portions being 
 regarded by the cruisers, as stated above, as having no present value 
 for lumber purposes ; hence the following facts and figures relate only 
 to the portion of the State lying west of the crest of the Cascade Range, 
 and ignore all the timber in the higher portions of the Cascade Range 
 and the Olympic Mountains ; to that extent the presentations concern- 
 ing the counties of Clallam, Jefferson, Chehalis, Whatcom, Skagit, 
 Snohomish, King, Pierce, Lewis, Cowlitz, and Skamania are incom- 
 plete in this regard. As viewed by the lumbermen's practice in 
 western Washington at the present time, the tables accompanying the 
 following county descriptions give the amount of timber of each of 
 
oanjtbit.] FORESTS OF WASHINGTON. 29 
 
 the four species represented, with the total stumpage of the county, 
 the areas of merchantable timber, those cut and burned, and those 
 naturally devoid of timber. 
 
 CHEHALIS COUNTY. 
 
 This county borders upon the Pacific coast, and on the north extends 
 far up into the Olympic Mountains. The northern portion of the county 
 is so high and rugged as to contain little or no merchantable timber, 
 and in other portions of the county are numerous small prairie tracts. 
 Aside from these areas the county was originally heavily forested, 
 mainly with fir in the interior and with spruce and cedar upon the 
 coast. There have been few fires in this county, and the burned area 
 is trifling. Lumbering has, however, been carried on extensively upon 
 the streams flowing into Grays Harbor, and especially upon Chehalis 
 River, nearly one- tenth of the timbered area of the county having been 
 denuded of its forests. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Chehalis County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area 2,104 
 
 Merchantable timber area 1, 360 
 
 Logged area 130 
 
 Naturally bare area 47 
 
 Burned area 36 
 
 Estimate of timber in Chehalis County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir 9,799,418 
 
 Spruce 3,068,307 
 
 Cedar 3,474,350 
 
 Hemlock 2,236,983 
 
 Total 18,579,058 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 21, 300 
 
 CLALLAM COUNTY. 
 
 This county occupies the northern part of the Olympic Peninsula. 
 The southern portion of the county comprises a part of the Olympic 
 Mountains, and is not regarded as containing any timber of present 
 merchantable value. The remainder of the county was heavily forested, 
 but the ax has made inroads in these forests along the shores of Puget 
 Sound as far west as Crescent Bay, and fires have extended inland from 
 these cuttings to the mountains, destroying considerable areas of tim- 
 ber. The western part of the county is still an unbroken forest. 
 
 The forests of this county are remarkable in the fact that they con- 
 tain a large proportion of hemlock, the amount of this tree being 
 larger than that of the red fir. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Clallam County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area 1,824 
 
 Merchantable timber area 900 
 
 Logged area 117 
 
 Burned area 151 
 
30 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 Estimate of timber in Clallam County, Washington. 
 
 MfeetB.M. 
 
 Fir 3,045,297 
 
 Spruce 1,758,845 
 
 Cedar 547,617 
 
 Hemlock 3,719,840 
 
 Total 9,071,599 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 15, 700 
 
 CLARKE COUNTY. 
 
 This county lies in the southwestern part of the State, bordering on 
 the south and west upon Columbia Eiver. Originally it was entirely 
 covered with heavy forests with the exception of a few small prairie 
 tracts. 
 
 But little timber has been cut in the county, lumbering being princi- 
 pally confined to the line of the Portland, Vancouver and Northern 
 Railroad, and, on the other hand, the timber upon two-thirds of the 
 county has been destroyed by fire, the burned areas lying principally 
 in the south and west parts of the county, leaving large bodies of for- 
 est in the eastern part. 
 
 The forest consists almost exclusively of fir, there being very little 
 cedar and hemlock and no spruce whatever. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Clarice County, Washington. 
 
 Sg. miles. 
 
 Total area 648 
 
 Merchantable timber area - 192 
 
 Logged area 25 
 
 Naturally bare area 10 
 
 Burned area 421 
 
 Estimate of Umber in Clarice County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir 2,124,126 
 
 Cedar 132,700 
 
 Hemlock '. 84,860 
 
 Total 2,341,686 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 19, 000 
 
 COWLITZ COUNTY. 
 
 This county lies in the southern part of the area, being limited on 
 the south by Lewis and Columbia rivers. The eastern portion of the 
 county comprises the westward slopes of Mount St. Helens, and includes 
 a considerable area the timber on which is not regarded as merchant- 
 able. Aside from this and a few areas of prairie the county was origi- 
 nally covered with fine, merchantable forests. Fires have, however, 
 been extremely disastrous in this county, destroying the timber on 
 large areas, particularly in the eastern and southern parts of the county. 
 
GANNETT. 
 
 FORESTS OP WASHINGTON. 31 
 
 •Lumbering has been carried on along the Columbia and Cowlitz rivers, 
 and considerable areas have thus been denuded; but this bears little 
 comparison to the areas denuded by fire, which comprise fully one-half 
 of the portion originally covered by merchantable forests. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Cowlitz County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area X > 124 
 
 Merchantable timber area 400 
 
 Logged area °° 
 
 Naturally bare area DO 
 
 Burned area ™° 
 
 Estimate of timber in Cowlitz Comity, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir 3,932,591 
 
 Spruce i' 089 
 
 Cedar 627,571 
 
 Hemlock - 655,184 
 
 Total : 5,216,435 . 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 20, 400 
 
 ISLAND COUNTY. 
 
 This comprises a group of islands in the northern part of Puget 
 Sound, including Whidby and Camano islands. These islands origi- 
 nally were entirely covered with fir forests, but have been almost com- 
 pletely denuded by the ax. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Island County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area, all logged 220 
 
 Estimate of Umber in Island County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Flr 250,000 
 
 Cedar.;'.;"""....".."-!"." 180,000 
 
 Total 430,000 
 
 The above timber is reported as still standing upon culled land. 
 
 JEFFERSON COUNTY. 
 
 This county lies upon the Olympic Peninsula, stretching from Hood 
 Canal, upon the east, to the Pacific coast. The central portion of the 
 county, comprising three-fourths of it, lies within the Olympic Moun- 
 tains, and contains no timber of present value for milling purposes. 
 Elsewhere the county was formerly heavily forested, on the east with 
 fir, on the west mainly with cedar and spruce. The timber of the east- 
 ern portion has been in the main destroyed either by the ax or by fire, 
 mainly by the latter. The timber in the western portion of the county 
 is as yet untouched either by fire or by the ax. 
 
32 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 The forests of this county are remarkable because of the large pro- 
 portion of cedar therein, more than half the forest being of this species, 
 while of fir, elsewhere the most abundant species, there is compara- 
 tively little. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Jefferson County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area 1.688 
 
 Merchantable timber area 430 
 
 Logged area 96 
 
 Naturally bare area 100 
 
 Burned area 115 
 
 Estimate of Umber in Jefferson County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir 794,232 
 
 Spruce 267,427 
 
 Cedar 2,124,725 
 
 Hemlock 1,043,776 
 
 Total 4,230,160 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 15, 300 
 
 KING COUNTY. 
 
 This county is in the middle of the State north and south, and 
 extends from the crest of the Cascade Range westward to the shores 
 of Puget Sound. Much of the eastern part of the county lies high up 
 in the Cascade Range, and contains little timber of present merchant- 
 able value. Aside from this and a few trifling areas of prairie, the 
 county was originally heavily forested, but the forests have been largely 
 removed by fire or the ax. The latter has taken the timber from Vashon 
 and Maury islands, from the shores of Puget Sound, and of lakes 
 Washington and Sammamish. and from a broad belt along the line of 
 the Northern Pacific Railroad, together with other smaller areas in the 
 interior of the county. Fires have done a vast amount of damage in 
 various parts of the county, mainly in its central portion, although the 
 mountainous regions have not been neglected by it. Indeed, fully one- 
 half of the area formerly covered with merchantable timber has been 
 devastated by fire. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in King County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. milea. 
 
 Total area - 1,944 
 
 Merchantable timber area 580 
 
 Logged area 350 
 
 Naturally bare area 10 
 
 Burned area 520 
 
gannett] FORESTS OF WASHINGTON. 33 
 
 Estimate of timber in King County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir 5,251,781 
 
 Spruce 49,248 
 
 Cedar 1,252,318 
 
 Hemlock 1,090,496 
 
 Total 7,643 846 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 20, 500 
 
 KITSAP COUNTY. 
 
 This occupies the northern part of the peninsula separating Hood 
 Canal from Puget Sound. It was originally entirely covered with heavy 
 fir forests. These have been removed almost entirely by the ax from 
 the shores and the islands bordering them. Only a trifling area in the 
 southern portion of the county has been burned, while nearly half the 
 area has been logged. The standing timber consists entirely of fir. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Kitsap County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area 392 
 
 Merchantable timber area 200 
 
 Logged area 170 
 
 Burned area 22 
 
 Estimate of timber in Kitsap County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. IT. 
 
 Fir 1,140,900 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 9. 000 
 
 LEWIS COUNTY. 
 
 This is situated in the southwestern part of the State, and extends 
 from the crest of the Cascade Eange on the east to the Coast Ranges on 
 the west, including the valley of Cowlitz River. A considerable por- 
 tion of its area, therefore, is included within the Cascade Range, where 
 the timber is not regarded as of present merchantable value. There 
 are many prairies scattered over its surface, which further reduce the 
 original area of merchantable timber. 
 
 The timber upon more than one-third of the area of this county has 
 been burned, the burned areas lying mainly in the eastern half of the 
 county, though they are not by any means confined to this part. The 
 cutting of timber has been carried on mainly in the neighborhood of 
 the Northern Pacific Railroad, which traverses the county from north 
 to south. 
 
 19 geol, pt 5 3 
 
34 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Lewis County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area .- - 2,308 
 
 Merchantable timber area 815 
 
 Logged area 71 
 
 Naturally bare area 60 
 
 Burned area 820 
 
 Estimate of timber in Lewis County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir - - - ■ 7, 236, 170 
 
 Spruce 1,311 
 
 Cedar 883,627 
 
 Hemlock 465, 154 
 
 Total -■- 8,586,262 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 16, 500 
 
 MASON COUNTY. 
 
 This county includes the southeastern part of the Olympic Mountains 
 and much of the country bordering Hood Canal. The portion within 
 the Olympic Mountains is not regarded as containing timber of mer- 
 chantable value. Elsewhere, however, with the exception of a few 
 small prairie tracts, it was originally heavily timbered. Fires have 
 done little damage, but timber cutting has been extensive. The forests 
 have been removed from the shores of Hood Canal and other inlets 
 from Puget Sound, as well as from much of the interior of the county; 
 indeed, it appears that nearly two-fifths of the area has been logged. 
 
 The forest consists almost entirely of fir, the amounts of other species 
 being trifling. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Mason County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area ....996 
 
 Merchantable timber area 575 
 
 Logged area 220 
 
 Naturally bare area 6 
 
 Burued area 12 
 
 Estimate of timber in Mason County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir - 2,055,648 
 
 Spruce 492 
 
 Cedar , 25,970 
 
 Hemlock - 8,955 
 
 Total - 2,091,065 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 5, 600 
 
 PACIFIC COUNTY. 
 
 This is the southwestenmiost county of the State, bordering upon 
 the Pacific and Columbia River. Its surface in the interior is some- 
 what broken by the Coast Eauges, although the relief is nowhere great. 
 It is drained by Willapa and Nasel rivers. 
 
cajtoett.] FORESTS OF WASHINGTON. 35 
 
 Originally the entire surface, with the exception of a few sandy tracts 
 near the coast, was covered with fine forests, composed almost entirely 
 of fir in the interior, and of cedar and spruce near the coast. 
 
 Logging has been carried on along the two rivers above mentioned, 
 and to some extent immediately on the coast. Altogether only an area 
 of 42 square miles has been logged. 
 
 Fires have not been especially prevalent or destructive in this county, 
 having destroyed the timber upon an area of only 59 square miles. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Pacific County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area 896 
 
 Merchantable timber area 747 
 
 Logged area 42 
 
 Naturally bare area 12 
 
 Burned area 59 
 
 • Estimate of timber in Pacific County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir 5,498,224 
 
 Spruce '. 814, 953 
 
 Cedar 713, 238 
 
 Hemlock 786,652 
 
 Total 7, 813, 067 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 16, 300 
 
 PIERCE COUNTY. 
 
 This, one of the central counties of the region, extends from the crest 
 of the Cascade Eange westward to Puget Sound, and includes several 
 islands in the sound. In the east it includes Mount Eainier, with an 
 altitude exceeding 14,500 feet, from whose summit radiate great areas 
 of snow and ice. A large area in the eastern part of this county con- 
 tains no timber of merchantable value at present. A considerable area 
 has been logged, including nearly all of the islands, large tracts around 
 the city of Tacoma, and others along White and Puyallup rivers. 
 
 This county has been singularly free from fires, only a trifling area 
 having as yet been burned. There are, however, large tracts, covering 
 many scores of square miles south of the city of Tacoma, which are 
 naturally timberless. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Pierce County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area I, 376 
 
 Merchantable timber area 563 
 
 Logged area 200 
 
 Naturally bare area 148 
 
 Burned area 62 
 
36 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 Estimate of timber in Pierce County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. II. 
 
 Fir 4,778,091 
 
 Spruce 56,075 
 
 Cedar 618,012 
 
 Hemlock 1,067,953 
 
 Total 6,520,131 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 18, 000 
 
 SAN JUAN COUNTY. 
 
 This, one of the northwestern counties of the State, is composed 
 entirely of islands in Puget Sound, the principal of which are San 
 Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Blakely, Shaw, and Waldron. 
 
 All these islands were originally covered with a heavy forest, com- 
 posed of red fir almost exclusively", but, being easily accessible, the 
 entire area, 600 square miles, has been logged. 
 
 SKAGIT COUNTY. 
 
 This is in the northwestern portion of the State, and extends from the 
 crest of the Cascade Range to Puget Sound, including a number of 
 islands in the sound. The eastern portion, including much more than 
 half the county, being mountainous, is not regarded as containing mer- 
 chantable timber. The western portion, comprising perhaps one-third 
 of the county, was formerly entirely forested, with the exception of a 
 considerable tract of prairie about the mouth of Skagit River. 
 
 There have been no tires of magnitude within the county, but logging 
 has been extensively carried on. The islands have been cleared entirely 
 and the lands in the neighborhood of the coast and the immediate val- 
 ley of Skagit River have been cleared as far up as the mouth of the 
 Sauk. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Skagit County. Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area '. 1.960 
 
 Merchantable timber area _ 575 
 
 Logged area 196' 
 
 Naturally bare area 90 
 
 Burned area .. . 12 
 
 Estimate of timber in Skagit County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir 5. 841, 229 
 
 Spruce 184,096 
 
 Cedar 2,517,693 
 
 Hemlock 1,819,404 
 
 Total 10.362,422 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 28, 000 
 
FORESTS OF WASHINGTON. 37 
 
 SKAMANIA COUNTY. 
 
 This county is in the southern portion of the State, bordering on 
 Columbia Eiver, and extending thence northward well into the Cascade 
 Range. In the northwestern portion of the county is the extinct vol- 
 cano of St. Helens, while well into the northeast extend the western 
 spurs of Mount Adams. The northern portion of the county is there- 
 fore extremely rugged, mountainous, and elevated, and the spurs from 
 these mountains extend southward nearly to Columbia River. 
 
 The northern half of the county is not regarded by lumbermen as con- 
 taining any accessible merchantable timber, although with exception 
 of the summits of the highest mountains, which are above timber line, 
 it was formerly wooded. The southern half was at one time timbered 
 quite heavily, especially toward the west. In recent years, however, 
 fires have destroyed the timber in more than half the area of the county. 
 These fires have invaded the eastern and western portions, leaving 
 between them a narrow belt of forests, together with a broad strip along 
 Columbia River; indeed, the timber upon more than half the area of 
 the county has been thus destroyed. 
 
 But little of the timber of this county has been cut. Logging opera- 
 tions extend along Columbia River across the county, reaching perhaps 
 a mile back from the river and up a few of the streams flowing into it. 
 
 The forests of this county consist mainly of fir and almost entirely of 
 this species and hemlock. The amount of cedar is trifling and there is 
 no spruce in the county. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Skamania County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area 1 636 
 
 Merchantable timber area 430 
 
 Logged area 57 
 
 Timberless area 58 
 
 Burned area 926 
 
 Estimate of timber in Skamania County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir 3,675,960 
 
 Cedar 21, 411 
 
 Hemlock 963,759 
 
 Total 4,661,130 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 17, 000 
 
 SNOHOMISH COUNTY. 
 
 This county extends from the crest of the Cascade Range to Tuget 
 Sound. The eastern part is composed of high and rugged mountains, 
 and contains little, if any, merchantable timber. The western half 
 was originally forested, with the exception of a few tracts of prairie. 
 
38 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 Logging has, however, been carried on extensively in this county, two- 
 fifths of the area formerly timbered having been stripped by the ax. 
 Burns have not been extensive or destructive. 
 
 The forest consists of fir and cedar, the amount of hemlock being 
 trifling, with no spruce whatever. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Snohomish County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area 1,720 
 
 Merchantable timber area - 634 
 
 Logged area • 280 
 
 Naturally "bare area 24 
 
 Burned area 40 
 
 Estimate of timber in Snohomish County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir 5,244,741 
 
 Cedar 2,379,888 
 
 Hemlock - 84, 141 
 
 Total 7,708,770 
 
 Average per acre, in feet B.M 19, 000 
 
 THURSTON COUNTY. 
 
 This county lies in the central part of the area here under descrip- 
 tion, bordering on the north upon Puget Sound. Its area was, with the 
 exception of numerous prairie tracts, originally covered entirely with 
 fine forests, mainly of fir. At present all the forests in the neighbor- 
 hood of Puget Sound have been cut away. Fires have not been preva- 
 lent and but little timber has been destroyed by this means. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Thurston County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area - 7G8 
 
 Merchantable timber area 380 
 
 Logged area 147 
 
 Naturally bare area - 100 
 
 Burned area 56 
 
 Estimate of Umber in Thurston County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. 11. 
 
 Fir - 2,608,125 
 
 Spruce 462 
 
 Cedar 108,949 
 
 Hemlock 69,807 
 
 Total - 2,787,343 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 11, 450 
 
 WAHKIAKUM COUNTY. 
 
 This county lies in the southwestern part of the State, bordering on 
 Columbia River. With the exception of certain islands in the Colum- 
 bia and small tracts about the mouths of certain tributary streams, 
 
gannett.] . FORESTS OF WASHINGTON. 39 
 
 the entire area was heavily forested. Lumbering has been carried on 
 along the shores of the Columbia and on Grays and Deep rivers. Fires 
 also have been somewhat prevalent in the county, but more than two- 
 thirds of the area of the county is still covered by flue forests. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Wahkiakum County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area 244 
 
 Merchantable timber area. . .' 172 
 
 Logged area 40 
 
 Burned area 32 
 
 Estimate of timber in Wahkiakum County, Washington. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Fir 1,947,150 
 
 Spruce 182, 520 
 
 Cedar 301, 757 
 
 Hemlock , 542, 680 
 
 Total 2,974,107 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 27, 000 
 
 WHATCOM COUNTY. 
 
 This is the most northern county of the State west of the Cascade 
 Range. It extends from the summit of the range west to the shores of 
 Puget Sound. In the eastern half of the county are found Mounts 
 Baker and Shuiksan, two great extinct volcanoes, rising high above 
 timber line. This eastern mountainous half of the county is not re- 
 garded as containing any timber of present merchantable value. The 
 western half was originally very heavily timbered. Its forests were 
 probably as dense as in any other county in the State, but they have 
 been almost entirely destroyed by fire. Certain areas along the coast, 
 on Nooksook Eiver and on the Belliugham Bay and British Columbia 
 Railroad, have been logged, but the amount of timber thus utilized is 
 small as compared with that destroyed by fire. To illustrate the extent 
 of this devastation, it may be stated that out of a timbered area of 780 
 square miles not less than 530 square miles have been burned; 164 
 square miles have been logged, and only 86 square miles of timber of 
 present merchantable value are to be found in the county. 
 
 The forest consists almost entirely of fir and cedar, the amounts of 
 hemlock and spruce being trifling. 
 
 Area of timbered and other lands in Whatcom County, Washington. 
 
 Sq. miles. 
 
 Total area 2,468 
 
 Merchantable timber area 86 
 
 Logged area _ 164 
 
 Naturally bare area 100 
 
 Burned area 530 
 
40 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 Estimate of timber in Whatcom County, Washington. 
 
 MfeetB.M. 
 
 Fir 985,175 
 
 Spruce 18,580 
 
 Cedar 282,450 
 
 Hemlock - 60,190 
 
 Total r 1,346,395 
 
 Average per acre of timbered land, in feet B. M 24, 000 
 
 RESUME. 
 
 The totals from the figures given above are as follows : The entire 
 area of the nineteen counties above described is 24,906 square miles. 
 Of this area but little more than one-third, or 9,039 square miles, is 
 regarded as containing merchantable timber. Besides this an area of 
 3,205 square miles has already been logged; a much greater area, 3,614 
 square miles of merchantable timber, has been burned, besides an 
 area of 700 square miles in the mountains not containing merchantable 
 timber. In other words, out of an area of 15,858 square miles formerly- 
 covered with merchantable timber, 20 per cent, or one-fifth, has been 
 destroyed by fire; 22^ per cent has been cut; and the remainder, 57i 
 per cent, is still covered with standing timber. In this entire area 
 there are only 833 square miles which are naturally timberless. 
 
 Upon the timbered area there is estimated to be standing 103,503,576 
 thousand feet B. M., which in itself is sufficient to supply the sawmills 
 of the United States for four years, under the present rate of cutting. 
 
 The amounts of each of the four species composing this total are as 
 follows : 
 
 Summary of timber in western Washington. 
 
 Species. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Per cent 
 of total. 
 
 Fir 
 
 66, 208, 861 
 16, 192, 276 
 14, 699, 759 
 6, 402, 605 
 
 64 
 16 
 14 
 6 
 
 Cedar 
 
 Hemlock 
 
 
 If we assume that the logged area contained on au average the same 
 amount of timber per acre as is still standing in other areas, it appears 
 that since lumbering began in this region there have been cut from it 
 36,000,000 thousand feet B. M. 
 
 If we make the same assumption regarding the burned area, it appears 
 that there have been destroyed by fire, without the least benefit to the 
 world, the enormous amount of 40,000.000 thousand feet B. M. of lumber. 
 Anyone who has passed the late summer and early fall in this State 
 
U.S.GEOLOGICAL St 
 
 NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PART V PL. I 
 
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 NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PART V. PL V 
 
 UM)ER1% 1 TO 10 % 10T025°'' o 25T0 50% 5OT075°ii 75T0100% 
 
 MAP SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OF RED FIR 
 EXPRESSED m PERCENTAGES OF TOTAL FOREST IN WE STERN WASHINGTON. 
 
 SCALE 
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U.S. GEO LOGICAL SURVEY. 
 
 NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PART V. PL. VI 
 
 Rl% ITOIOVo 10T0 25% 25 TO 50% 50X0 75% OVER 75% 
 
 MAP SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OF HEMLOCK 
 EXPRESSED IN PERCENTAGES OF TOTAL FOREST IN WE STERN WASHINGTON. 
 
 SCALE 
 -25 25 50 75 100 MILES 
 
U.S. CEO LOGICAL SURVEY. 
 
 IN ETEENTH ANNUAL R EPORT PART V. PL. VII 
 
 Rl°'o lTO10% lOTO 25% 25TOSO% 5OT075°o OVER.75% 
 
 MAP SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OF CEDAR 
 EXPRESSED IX PERCENTAGES OF TOTAL FOREST IN WESTERN WASHINGTON. 
 
 SCALE 
 
U.S.jGEOLOG ICAL SURVEY. 
 
 N ETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PART V PL VIII. 
 
 UNDERl<Vo 1TO10l°/ o lOT025 t> ''o 25TO50% 50T075°'c. OVER 
 
 MAP SHOEING THE DISTRIBUTION OF SPRC'CE 
 EXPRESSED IN PERCENTAGES OF TOTAL FOREST TN WESTERN WASHINGTON. 
 
 SCALE ..„„ 
 

 
■■ ■ 
 
 MAP OK WESTERN WASHINGTON SHOWING DENSITY OF MERCHANTABLE TIMBER 
 
 .„«!»»»'.> 
 
<9P i*'3- 62. IYT] 
 
Gannett.] FORESTS OF WASHINGTON. 41 
 
 realizes the ernormous destructiou which takes place annually at this 
 season. There are fires everywhere, and the smoke from them lies as 
 dense as the fog on the New England coast for weeks at a time. 
 
 These are impressive facts. In less than a generation more than 
 two-fifths of the timber has been destroyed iu one of the richest timber 
 regions on this continent, and of that destruction more than half has 
 been caused by fire. Nearly two years' supply of lumber for the United 
 States has thus been destroyed. Assuming that the timber thus 
 destroyed would, if standing now, have a value of 75 cents per thou- 
 sand feet, it appears that not less than $30,000,000 worth has thus gone 
 up in smoke — a dead loss to the people of the State. 
 
 The distribution of the different species recognized as lumber in 
 Washington is represented on Pis. V-VIII, and is seen to follow a few 
 definite and simple laws. The tints represent the proportion which 
 each species bears to the entire forest, using the township as a unit. 
 The map (PI. V) showing the distribution of red fir shows that upon the 
 west shores of Puget Sound the forest is practically pure fir, and that 
 southward as far as Columbia River, throughout the valley of the eastern 
 slope of the Cascade Eange, more than three-fourths of the forest is 
 composed of this species. The proportion diminishes as the Pacific 
 coast is approached, and upon the coast, extending from 10 to 25 miles 
 inland, there is practically no red fir to be found. On the east coast 
 of Puget Sound and southward, between one-half and three-fourths of 
 the forest is composed of fir. The proportion increases somewhat as 
 we recede from the sound, but at an altitude of about 3,000 feet in the 
 Cascade Range the fir suddenly disappears. 
 
 The distribution of spruce is expressed on the map (PI. Till) in a simi- 
 lar manner, and is equally characteristic. There is practically no spruce 
 on the Cascade Range or on the eastern slopes of the Coast Ranges. It 
 is most abundant immediately upou the Pacific coast, and diminishes 
 thence inland. 
 
 Of cedar (PI. VII) there is scarcely any to be found upon the islands 
 and upon the west coast of Puget Sound, and but very little in the valley 
 to the southward. It increases westward toward the coast and reaches 
 a maximum immediately on the coast. The east coast of Puget Sound 
 contains a large proportion of cedar, ranging from one-fourth to one- 
 half of the forests, and that proportion diminishes as we ascend the 
 Cascade Range. 
 
 Hemlock (PI. VI) is almost entirely wanting upon both shores of 
 Puget Sound and iu the valley to the south. It increases westward and 
 forms quite a noticeable proportion of the forests in the Coast Ranges 
 and m the northwestern part of the Olympic Peninsula. It increases 
 also as we ascend the Cascade Range, its habitat extending nearly to 
 timber line. 
 
42 
 
 FOREST RESERVES. 
 Average stand of timber per acre on timbered areas. 
 
 County. 
 
 Chehalis 
 Clallam . 
 Clarke . . 
 Cowlitz . 
 Jeft'erson 
 King.... 
 Kitsap . . 
 Lewis. .. 
 Mason . . 
 
 FeetB. M. 
 
 21, 300 
 15, 700 
 
 19, 000 
 
 20, 400 
 
 15, 300 
 20, 500 
 
 9,000 
 
 16, 500 
 5,600 
 
 County. 
 
 Pacific 
 
 Pierce 
 
 Skagit ..' 
 
 Skamania . . 
 Snohomish . 
 Thurston .. 
 AVahkiaknm 
 Whatcom . . 
 
 Feet B. M. 
 
 16, 300 
 
 18, 000 
 28, 000 
 
 17, 000 
 
 19, 000 
 11, 450 
 27, 000 
 24, 000 
 
 The stand is heaviest in Skagit County, near the northern boundary. 
 The next heaviest is Wahkiakum, in the southwest, near Columbia 
 Eiver. 
 
 FOREST CONDITIONS AND STANDING TIMBER OF OREGON. 
 
 In order to obtain an idea of the amount of standing timber in the 
 State, timber cruisings have been collected. The Oregon and California 
 Railroad, now a part of the Southern Pacific, has a land grant extend- 
 ing along the whole line of its road from Columbia Eiver to the Cali- 
 fornia boundary, with a width upon each side of the road of 30 miles, 
 including indemnity strips. Throughout this area the road received 
 alternate sections of land, excepting such areas as had been alienated 
 prior to the grant. The timber upon these lands has been examined 
 by cruisers, and as the value of the land is determined by the amount 
 of timber upon it, this was done with considerable care. Through 
 the courtesy of the land agent, Mr. George H. Andrews, all this informa- 
 tion in condensed form has been furnished to this office. The following 
 data were obtained : In each township the amount of timbered and non- 
 timbered land, and upon the timbered portion the amount of timber, 
 expressed in feet B. M., distinguished according to the species of timber 
 recognized by the cruisers. In this case the cruisers distinguish the 
 following species: Fir, hemlock, cedar, sugar pine, yellow pine, noble 
 fir, and spruce. 
 
 The following is a summary of the cruisings by this corporation : 
 
 Summary of cruisings by the Oregon and California Railroad Company in its land grant. 
 
 Acres. 
 
 Total area examined 1, "112, 071 
 
 Timbered area 808, 003 
 
 Sparsely or not at all timbered 634, 068 
 
GANNETT] 
 
 Summary of cr 
 
 FORESTS OF OREGON. 43 
 
 by the Oregon and California Railroad Company — Continued 
 
 Variety. 
 
 Fir 
 
 Hemlock ... 
 
 Cedar 
 
 Sugar pine . 
 Yellow pine 
 Noble fir . . . 
 Spruce 
 
 Total 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Per cent of 
 all. 
 
 10, 356, 430 
 761, 461 
 213 224 
 325, 951 
 1, 044, 050 
 58, 441 
 31, 224 
 
 12, 790, 781 
 
 These cruisings are scattered widely over the eastern portion of the 
 coast ranges, the depression between the two ranges, which includes 
 the Willamette, Umpqua, and Eogue valleys, and the eastern slope of 
 the Cascade Eange, and as they are in no way selected areas, but con- 
 sist of alternate sections, without regard to the quality or density of 
 the timber, they furnish an excellent representative of the distribution 
 of the timber as to density and species over much of the timbered 
 portion of Oregon. 
 
 Similar statistics were obtained from the Willamette Valley and 
 Cascade Eauge Wagon Eoad Company from cruisings of its land grant, 
 which consists of alternate sections for 6 miles on each side of the road. 
 The total area of timber land cruised in this grant is 14S,4S0 acres. 
 The species distinguished, with the amounts of each and the total 
 amount of timber upon the grant, are as follows : 
 
 Summary of cruisings by the Willamette Valley and Cascade Wagon Boad Company in its 
 land grant. 
 
 Variety. 
 
 M feet B. M. 
 
 Per cent 
 of all. 
 
 Fir 
 
 1, 988, 287 
 34, 978 
 150, 341 
 66, 535 
 87, 893 
 
 85 
 
 1 
 7 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 Cedar 
 
 
 
 Total 
 
 2, 328, 034 
 
 100 
 
 
 From Mr. W. S. Kinney, a prominent lumberman of Astoria, Oregon, 
 I have received cruisings which he has had made of the northern half of 
 Clatsop County. These cruisings do not distinguish among the different 
 species of timber, but they show, upon an area ol 208,000 acres, a total 
 of 2,892 million feet of saw timber. 
 
 Mr. J. B. Leiberg, of this office, has made a thorough examination of 
 an area of yellow-pine land situated east of the Cascade Eange, upon 
 
44 
 
 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 the Paulina Mountains and the adjacent plateau at the head of Des- 
 chutes Biver, which, for an area of 500 square miles, he estimates at an 
 average of 5,000 feet per acre. 
 
 The above figures summarize the extent of definite information which 
 we have concerning the density of the forests. Although in the aggre- 
 gate the area included iu these cruisings.is small as compared with 
 the total wooded area of the State, yet they are scattered so widely that 
 the entire western portion is sampled quite thoroughly, and from them 
 a tolerably correct idea may be obtained of the density of the forests 
 in the most important timber portions of the State — i. e., the Cascade 
 and Coast ranges. 
 
 These figures indicate for the Coast Ranges and the timbered portions 
 of the west side of the valley an average of 16,000 feet B. M. per acre; 
 for the western slope of the Cascades and the eastern part of the valley 
 an average of 14,000 feet per acre; for the eastern slope of the Cascades 
 the average is about 0,000 feet. In the eastern portion of the State 
 no data have been obtained, but from impressions of those who have 
 traveled through the forests of the Blue Mountains and other ranges it 
 is believed that they will average not far from 1,500 feet per acre. 
 From these data the following table has been prepared, showing the 
 amount of timber in these different sections of the State and in the 
 entire State: 
 
 Estimated amount of timber in Oregon, by sections of the State. 
 
 
 Stand per 
 acre. 
 
 Timbered 
 
 area 
 
 (square 
 
 miles). 
 
 Amount of 
 
 timber 
 
 (million 
 
 feet B.M.). 
 
 
 16, 000 
 14, 000 
 6,000 
 1,500 
 
 10, 000 
 9,900 
 7,100 
 
 18, 441 
 
 102, 108 
 87, 083 
 27, 534 
 17, 928 
 
 West slope Cascade Range 
 
 East slope Cascade Range 
 
 Total 
 
 
 
 234, 653 
 
 
 
 
 The following table gives estimates by counties : 
 
 Estimated amount of timber in Oregon, by counties. 
 
 County. 
 
 Area 
 (square 
 
 Timbered 
 
 area 
 
 (square 
 
 miles). 
 
 Average tim- 
 ber contents 
 (feet B. M. 
 per acre) . 
 
 Total amount 
 timber (mil- 
 lion feet 
 B. M.). 
 
 Baker ..... 
 Benton 
 
 Clackamas 
 Clatsop . . . 
 
 2,160 
 
 1,836 
 815 
 
 1,200 
 180 
 
 1,330 
 651 
 
 1,500 
 15, 000 
 15, 700 
 36, 800 
 
 1,200 
 1,728 
 13, 338 
 15, 476 
 
gannett.] FORESTS OF OREGON. 
 
 Estimated amount of timber in Oregon, by counties — Continued. 
 
 45 
 
 County. 
 
 Columbia 
 
 Coos 
 
 Crook 
 
 Curry 
 
 Douglas 
 
 Gilliam 
 
 Grant 
 
 Harney 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Josephine ... 
 Klamatli 
 
 Lake 
 
 Lane 
 
 Lincoln 
 
 Linn 
 
 Malheur 
 
 Marion 
 
 Morrow 
 
 Multnomah . 
 
 Polk 
 
 Sherman 
 
 Tillamook.. . 
 
 Umatilla 
 
 Union 
 
 Wallowa 
 
 Washington . 
 
 Wasco 
 
 Yamhill 
 
 Total 
 
 Area 
 (square 
 miles). 
 
 693 
 1,620 
 8,352 
 1,440 
 4,752 
 1,728 
 5,436 
 9,482 
 2,376 
 1,764 
 6,200 
 8,000 
 4,356 
 1,000 
 2,268 
 9,828 
 1,224 
 2,070 
 440 
 684 
 
 1.116 
 
 2,968 
 3,312 
 
 2,808 
 684 
 
 3,200 
 720 
 
 Timbered 
 
 area 
 
 (square 
 
 miles). 
 
 552 
 1,295 
 3,750 
 1,080 
 3, 600 
 
 400 
 4,700 
 1,150 
 1,620 
 1,514 
 3,420 
 2,000 
 3,420 
 
 612 
 1,620 
 1,000 
 
 576 
 
 470 
 96 
 
 400 
 (a) 
 
 864 
 1,300 
 2,200 
 2,808 
 
 350 
 1,116 
 
 167 
 
 Average tim- 
 ber contents 
 
 (feet B. M. 
 
 per acre) . 
 
 27, 700 
 15, 600 
 3,200 
 11, 400 
 10,400 
 1,500 
 1, 500 
 1, 500 
 11, 600 
 6,000 
 6,300 
 1,500 
 13, 000 
 25, 000 
 17, 600 
 1,500 
 12, 600 
 1,500 
 21, 000 
 13, 000 
 
 Total amount 
 
 timber (mil- 
 
 lion feet 
 
 B. II.). 
 
 26, 000 
 1,500 
 1,500 
 1,500 
 20. 000 
 10, 000 
 11, 400 
 
 9,683 
 
 12, 926 
 
 7,300 
 
 8,000 
 
 23, 854 
 
 400 
 
 4, 700 
 
 1,150 
 
 12, 000 
 5,800 
 
 13, 834 
 2,000 
 
 28, 800 
 9,800 
 
 18, 300 
 1,000 
 4,645 
 470 
 1,300 
 3,328 
 
 14, 490 
 1,300 
 2,200 
 2,808 
 4,500 
 7,100 
 1,223 
 
 234, 653 
 
 Iu western Oregon the merchantable timber consists of much the 
 same species as in Washington, viz, the Douglas or red fir (Pseudo- 
 tsuga taxifolia), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), cedar {Thuja plicata), 
 and hemlock (Tsuga merteusiana). Besides these there are fouud in 
 the southwestern part of the State sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), 
 noble fir (Abies nobilis), and yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa). 
 
 As is seen 'from the crnisings, a vast majority of all the timber in this 
 part of the State consists of red fir. Cedar and hemlock are compara- 
 tively unimportant and spruce is not represented in the cruisings, 
 although it is known to be abundant along the coast where these crnis- 
 
46 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 ings do not extend. Sugar pine, noble fir, and yellow pine form but 
 a trilling proportion of the lumber of this part of the State. 
 
 Pis. X-XIII show the distribution of fir, hemlock, cedar, yellow pine, 
 and sugar pine. The distribution of the first three named is expressed 
 on these maps in percentages of the total forest. The range of the last 
 two species is represented by lines limiting it. 
 
 It will be seen that fir occupies the entire timbered portion of the 
 depression between the Coast and Cascade ranges, with the eastern 
 slope of the former and the western slope of the latter. Throughout 
 most of this area it forms more than three-fourths of the forest, but 
 becomes less in proportion near the southern boundary of the State. 
 
 The distribution of cedar corresponds in this State to its distribution 
 in Washington, there being none in the valley, while upon the Coast 
 Ranges and the Cascade Range, at middle altitudes, it forms a small 
 proportion of the forest. It increases in proportion as the shores of the 
 Pacific are approached. 
 
 The distribution of hemlock in -western Oregon is similar to that in 
 western Washington, there being none in the valley, while upon the 
 west slope of the Cascade Range it forms a notable proportion of the 
 forest, reaching its maximum at mid altitudes. In the Coast Ranges 
 it forms also a notable proportion of the forest, and probably increases 
 toward the coast. 
 
 The forests of Oregon east of the Cascade Range are composed 
 largely of yellow pine. This species crosses the range a little north 
 of latitude 44°. Here, as is indicated by the map, the western limit 
 crosses the range and immediately runs northwestward down its slopes, 
 then, turning to the south and southwest, it crosses the valley just 
 south of Roseburg and passes into the Coast Ranges. For its farther 
 extension southward and westward I have no data. 
 
 Sugar pine enters the State from California, extends northward over 
 the entire' breadth of the Cascade Range, and probably nearly to the 
 coast, its northern limit running as far north as the latitude of Oakland. 
 
 In conclusion, it will be instructive to add the following estimate of 
 the timber of Oregon, made in 1895 by Mr. W. T. Griswold, of this office: 
 
 The following estimate of the timber of the State of Oregon is made from personal 
 observation during the past five years, and a vast amount of important information 
 from cruisers' reports, loggers, and manufacturers of lumber in different parts of the 
 State. In such areas as I have had reliable information I have made a summation 
 of the estimated amount of timber in each township, finding them to run from 
 50,000,000 to 800,000,000 feet to the township, board measure, and finding from these 
 results that a generally good timbered area will give an average of 12,000,000 feet 
 for a section, or 432,000,000 to the township. I have completed my summation for 
 those areas in which I know the limits, but have no information as to the quality 
 and amount of timber, using this number as to the amount per township. 
 
US-CEO LOGICAL SURVEY. 
 
 NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PA RT V . PL. X. 
 
 OVER 75% 50 TO 7S°c. LESS THAN 50% 
 
 MAP SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OF FIR IN A PORTION OF "WESTERN OREGON 
 
U.S. GEO LOG ICAL SURVEY 
 
 NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PART V. PL 
 
 10T0 25°o 1T0 1" °o 
 
 MAP SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OF CEDAR IN A PORTION OF WESTERN OREGON 
 
U.S.J3EOL0G I CAL SURVEY. 
 
 NINETEENTH ANNUAL R E PORT PART V. PL. XII 
 
 10 TO 25% 1T010 
 
 MAP SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OF HEMLOCK IN A PORTION OF WESTERN OREGON 
 
 SCALE 
 
 2 L ,__■ i—g -f 5 ,° 7 , 5 — 12," MILES 
 
U.S.^GEOLOGICAL survey. 
 
 NINETEENTH ANNUAL R E PORT PART V. PL. XIII. 
 
 L_ 
 
 MAPSHOWINGTHE LIMITS OFTELLOWPINE AND SUGAR PINE IN A PORTION OP WESTERN OREGON 
 
qannett.] SAN FRANCISCO FOREST, ARIZONA. 47 
 
 From this we get a result of 200 billion feet of standing timber in the State, dis- 
 tributed as follows : 
 
 Feet. 
 
 Clatsop and Columbia counties, coming into the Columbia River 8, 000, 000, 000 
 
 Nehalem River 17, 000, 000, 000 
 
 Tillamook Bay 6,000,000,000 
 
 Tillamook Bay to Smith River 5, 000, 000, 000 
 
 Smith River and the Lower Umpqua 4,500,000,000 
 
 Coos Bay and Coquille River 18, 000, 000, 000 
 
 Bullruu Reserve, coming into the Columbia by way of the Sandy 
 
 River 7,000,000,000 
 
 Clackamas and Santiam rivers 29,000,000,000 
 
 McKenzie and waters of the Willamette 38, 000, 000, 000 
 
 Umpquah iu the Cascades 26, 000, 000, 000 
 
 Rogue River in the Cascades 22, 000, 000, 000 
 
 Scattering, small bodies over the State 2, 500, 000, 000 
 
 Pine in Blue Mountains, eastern part of State 4, 000, 000, 000 
 
 As will be seen, Mr. Griswold's estimate for the Cascade Range and 
 the country west thereof is somewhat larger than mine, while his esti- 
 mate of the timber in the Blue Mountains and upon the plateau east of 
 the Cascades is very much less. From a somewhat extended acquaint- 
 ance with this region, I am satisfied that his figures concerning it are 
 entirely too small. 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO FOREST, ARIZONA. 
 
 The Territory of Arizona is composed of two parts, differing greatly 
 from each other in altitude, and consequently in climate. The northern 
 and eastern portion consists of a plateau ranging in altitude from 6,000 
 to 8,000 feet. The southern and western portion is low, ranging from 
 near sea level up to 4,000 or 5,000 feet. The southern and western 
 edges of this great plateau, the Colorado Plateau, are well defined, and 
 in the eastern portion are known as the Mogollon Mountains. This 
 escarpment runs from the east line of Arizona, near its middle point, 
 westward and northwestward, and finally north to the Colorado Can- 
 yon. In the southwestern part of this plateau is a group of mountains, 
 known as the San Francisco Mountains, which rise to au altitude of 
 nearly 13,000 feet. A forest surrounds the base of these mountains, 
 stretching thence to the escarpment and down it nearly to its foot. 
 This forest accompanies the escarpment southeastward to the Territorial 
 boundary, extending nearly to the foot of the escarpment on the south, 
 and on the north spreading a variable distance into the plateau. This 
 forest extends in a northwest-southeast direction for a distance of 
 over 200 miles. Its greatest breadth in a contrary direction is about 
 the San Francisco Mountains, where it reaches nearly 50 miles, while 
 in other parts the breadth ranges from 12 to 25 miles. Altogether 
 it occupies an area of 1,700 square miles, or, approximately, 3,000,000 
 acres. 
 
 This is, from all points of view, the finest forest in the Southwest. 
 It is composed of an almost pure growth of yellow pine (Pinus ponder- 
 
48 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 osa). Upon Sau Francisco Mountain, at certain altitudes yellow pine 
 gives way to red fir, and still higher to subalpine species, but the area 
 occupied by them is trifling compared with the total extent of the 
 forest. It is throughout an open forest, with little or no undergrowth, 
 the trees standing far apart. They are of good size for lumber pur- 
 poses, clear of branches, and with long, straight stems. It has been 
 remarkably free from fires, a fact doubtless due in great part to its open 
 character and freedom from underbrush. 
 
 Concerning the amount of timber contained in this forest, I have 
 secured cruisings made by the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company 
 upon a portion of their grant, which covers parts of this forest. The 
 area cruised is in the western portion, in the neighborhood and south 
 of Flagstaff. The timber has been estimated upon portions of twenty- 
 five townships, an area of 214,000 acres altogether. Upon this area the 
 stand was estimated to be 572,700,000 feet B, M., giving an average 
 stand per acre of 2,700 feet. From such information as I have been 
 able to gain the average stand of timber in other parts of the forest 
 does not differ materially from that of the portion examined. If this 
 be so, the forest contains a little more than 8,000 million feet of lumber. 
 
 SUMMARY OF FIELD WORK AND ABSTRACTS OF REPORTS. 
 
 During the season of 1S97 examinations were made of the forests 
 upon the following reserves: 
 
 The Black Hills Reserve of South Dakota and Wyoming, by H. S. 
 Graves; the Bighorn Reserve, Wyoming, by F. E. Town; the Teton 
 Reserve and the southern portion of the Yellowstone Park Reserve, 
 by Dr. T. S. Brandegee; the Priest River Reserve, Idaho, and the 
 eastern portion of the Bitterroot Reserve in Montana and Idaho, by 
 Mr. J. B. Leiberg; and the Washington Reserve, Washington, by 
 Messrs. H. B. Ayres, W. G. Steele, and M. W. Gorman. Their reports 
 upon these reserves form the greater portion of the present volume. 
 During the spring of 189S Mr. Leiberg examined the San Jacinto, San 
 Bernardino, and San Gabriel reserves, of southern California, and his 
 preliminary report is presented herewith. 
 
 The instructions under which these examinations were made differed 
 somewhat in the case of different reserves, but were substantially as 
 follows : 
 
 The information desired maybe summarized as follows: The delimitation upon 
 maps of the wooded area and of the area occupied by merchantable timber. The 
 amount of the latter, expressed in feet B. M., should he represented upon the map 
 in grades, as follows : 
 
 (1) Under 2,000 feet per acre. 
 
 (2) 2,000 to 5,000 feet per acre. 
 
 (3) 5,000 to 10.000 feet per acre. 
 
 (4) 10,000 to 25,000 feet per acre. 
 
 (5) 25,000 to 50,000 feet per acre. 
 
 (6) 50,000 to 100,000 feet per acre. 
 (7; Over 100,000 feet per acre. 
 
gannett.] BLACK HILLS RESERVE. 49 
 
 All the above data may be represented upon one map, and the larger scale should 
 be used. Upon other copies on the smaller scale you will represent the extent of 
 each of the most valuable timber trees, such as Western white pine, tamarack, cedar, 
 and spruce. 
 
 Notes should be made, preferably upon maps, of the areas which have been cut 
 over or culled, with a memorandum of the species cut; of areas burned over, with 
 memorandum of the damage inflicted. 
 
 Notes on the following subjects should accompany the maps above specified. 
 
 The character of the soil. 
 
 The forest litter. 
 
 Depth of the humus. 
 
 The character and density of the underbrush and young growth. 
 
 The range in size of the trees of the principal different species. 
 
 The total height, clear trunk, and apparent age and soundness. 
 
 The effect of fires on the reproduction of trees. 
 
 The proportion of dead standing timber. 
 
 The character of the cutting, by whom, and for what purpose. 
 
 The means of transportation of lumber in and out of the reserve, streams, roads, etc. 
 
 The character and extent of the local demand for lumber. 
 
 The effect of sheep pasturage on reserve. 
 
 The use of water for irrigation and milling. 
 
 The extent and distribution of land more valuable for agriculture than for timber. 
 
 BLACK HILLS RESERVE. 
 
 Mr. H. S. Graves commenced work early in July and concluded in 
 the latter part of November, having examined the entire region of the 
 hills, including much land outside the limits of the reserve. Topo- 
 graphic maps of this region, made on a scale of 1 : 125,000, by the Sur- 
 vey, are used for the representation of much of the data obtained. 
 
 The area of the reserve, which lies entirely in South Dakota, is 
 estimated at 967,680 acres, or about 1,500 square miles. It includes 
 practically all the forests of the hills to the east, but on the north and 
 northwest there are large areas of forest which are not included. On 
 the other hand, in the southwestern part there are large tracts of open 
 country which are included in the reserve. 
 
 The Black Hills are situated between the Belle Fourche and the South 
 Fork of Cheyenne River, between the forty-third aud forty-fifth par- 
 allels of latitude and between the one hundred and third and one hun- 
 dred aud fifth meridians. They are an isolated group of mountains, 
 whose general trend is NNW.-SSE., and are about 120 miles long by 
 40 miles in width. The form of the uplift is elliptic. From the central 
 portion the stratified beds have been in part removed, exposing the 
 underlying granites in the eastern half, while the western half is still 
 covered by Carboniferous limestones. The granite portion is somewhat 
 rugged, although the relief is on a small scale. The Carboniferous 
 portion has an undulating surface. 
 
 Entirely surrounding this central portion is an elliptic-shaped valley 
 of varying breadth, known as the "EaceTrack." This in turn is inclosed 
 by a rim of ridges, or hogbacks, ranging in elevation from 200 to 800 
 19 GEOL, pt 5 4 
 
50 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 feet above the plains. The mean altitude of the plains at the base of 
 the hills is about 3,000 to 3,500 feet above sea level, and the average 
 elevation of the hills above them is about 2,000 feet. The highest point 
 is Harney Peak, in the granite portion of the hills, which has an altitude 
 of 7,215 feet above sea level. In the northwestern portion of the hills 
 are several isolated peaks of volcanic rock which have broken through 
 the overlying strata, and, owing to their greater hardness, they have 
 remained while the softer strata have been worn away. 
 
 The exterior outlines of the main body of forest are, for the most 
 part, sharply drawn. In general the forest terminates abruptly at the 
 inside of the Race Track, or the broad valley lying between the main 
 portion of the hills and the hogbacks which encircle them. In certain 
 cases where these hogbacks are higher than elsewhere they also are 
 clothed with forests. Thus the Elk Mountain Eange, the Pisgah Hills, 
 the Inyankara Eange, and the Bear Lodge Mountains are covered with 
 timber. In the southern portion of the hills the outline of the timber 
 is more irregular than elsewhere and has been pushed back within the 
 hills by forest fires. 
 
 In general the timber is dense, but the forest is broken in many places 
 by parks and mountain prairies, and enormous tracts have been 
 denuded by recent forest fires. The entire area within the exterior 
 limits of timber is about 2,600 square miles. Of this 2,000 square miles 
 are covered with forest, the rest being either parks or prairies or cov- 
 ered with a scattered growth of young timber. 
 
 The amount of merchantable timber within the Black Hills is esti- 
 mated at 1,440 million feet B. M. Besides this, it is estimated that the 
 hills contain 13,150,000 cords of firewood, poles, ties, etc. 
 
 The only tree in the Black Hills of commercial importance is the yel- 
 low pine. The other species are so small, occur in such limited numbers, 
 or have so few uses that they are of little or no economic importance. 
 
 The forest, as it is found to-day, does not represent at all what the 
 yellow pine is capable of producing in this region. The forest is irreg- 
 ular and broken and is composed in many places of defective and scrubby 
 trees. There are trees of every age and class, and there are large areas 
 where there are no trees at all. For a pure pine forest the yield in 
 merchantable timber is extremely small. In some places it will yield 
 15,000 to 20,000 feet per acre, but such localities are small in area. In 
 general a district which will yield 5,000 feet per acre over the whole 
 area is very good, and the average yield of the forested regions is prob- 
 ably not over 4,000 feet. For this condition forest fires are directly 
 responsible, and the present aspect of the forest is the result of long- 
 abuse and the struggle of the forest to reestablish itself. The broken 
 condition of the forest, the large proportion of defective trees, the many 
 wind breaks, the prairies, parks, and bald ridges, are due to the destruc- 
 tive forest fires which have swept the hills periodically for years and 
 probably for centuries. 
 
gannbtt.] BLACK HILLS RESERVE. 51 
 
 The natural forest of yellow pine is dense and composed of trees of 
 about the same age. It often comes up in bodies, the trees of which, 
 over considerable areas, have the same age, aud the irregular condi- 
 tions now found are due entirely to external influences. The original 
 forest, uninfluenced by Are or windfall, is found in but few places in 
 the Black Hills. Such localities are distinguished on the map as 
 those of the heaviest growth. They are found on rich soil aud in pro- 
 tected situations. The trees average about 20 inches in diameter, 
 with a maximum of 3 feet. This timber reaches a height of from SO 
 to 100 feet, and the stems are straight and clear of limbs for from 30 to 
 50 feet. 
 
 There is a large amount of young growth scattered throughout the 
 original forest, and in the northern part of the hills the timber is com- 
 posed almost entirely of second growth, i. e., of thrifty growing trees 
 not yet large euough for lumber. 
 
 Although the plains surrounding the Black Hills are within the arid 
 region, having a rainfall of less than 20 inches annually, the Black 
 Hills, by virtue of their greater altitude and broken character, enjoy a 
 greater rainfall, giving them a subhumid climate. In some years there 
 is sufficient rainfall for the maturing of crops, and in others there is 
 drought, consequently the practice in regard to irrigation is by no 
 means uniform. Some farmers prefer to irrigate, and thus insure their 
 crops, while others take the chances on the rainfall. In some localities 
 the soil is more moist than in others and irrigation is unnecessary in 
 the majority of seasons, while in other and drier localities the reverse 
 is the case. Hence it is difficult to say whether the criterion of agri- 
 cultural land should be the ability to irrigate it. It therefore seems 
 best to point out the areas of open valley country within the reserve. 
 These open valleys are scattered all over the reserve, intersecting bodies 
 of timber in narrow strips, but nowhere appearing in large bodies except 
 in the southern part of the reserve, where there is an area, comprising 
 several townships, of open country containing but little timber, and 
 that in small groves and patches. 
 
 The reserve is traversed by a branch of the Chicago, Burlington and 
 Quincy Railroad, aud on this road there are several towns of consid- 
 erable size, including Custer, Hill City, Rochford, aud others. The 
 ranches upon the reserve are estimated to number 450 to 460. Most 
 of these have beeu taken up as placer claims. These ranches contain 
 on an average from 30 to 40 acres of plow laud each. The chief prod- 
 ucts are oats, hay, and vegetables. 
 
 Such open country as above described, where not available for farm- 
 ing, furnishes excellent pasturage. The largest extent of this is the 
 great area in the southern part of the hills mentioned above. It is 
 estimated that there are about 5,000 head of stock ranging through the 
 timbered part of the hills, including the small bunches of cattle and 
 horses owned by the ranchmen. There are no sheep pastured within 
 
52 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 the bills. It is stated that pasturing of cattle and horses does no harm 
 to the forests. 
 
 Mining is the most important industry in the hills, and in the north- 
 ern portion, north of the reserve, probably not less than two-thirds of 
 the population are supported directly or indirectly by the mines. The 
 principal mining center is the vicinity of Lead and Deadwood, 
 where the Homestake mine is located. There are a number of other 
 small mining towns in the neighborhood, and throughout this portion 
 of the hills are scattered mining camps whose inhabitants are pros- 
 pecting and are developing discoveries. The most important mineral 
 belt in the central hills is at Keystone, where the Holy Terror and Key- 
 stone mines, employing a large number of men, are located, and through- 
 out the eastern portion of the Black Hills are scattered small mines 
 and discovery pits. They are said to be valuable, but are not being 
 operated beyond the performance of the work required by law to hold 
 the claims. 
 
 As stated above, the hills have been frequently and greatly devas- 
 tated by fires. To the prevalence of the latter is doubtless due the 
 existence of the open, park like areas in the forest, as well as the poor 
 quality of much of the timber, and the young growth, which covers great 
 areas. 
 
 The vast majority of fires are doubtless the result of carelessness on 
 the part of camping parties. Incendiary fires are not common. Some 
 fires are set by sparks from railway trains and some by lightning. 
 Many fires have been set by the burning of brush after clearing, though 
 these are not so common as formerly. In the early days, before the 
 occupation of the region by whites, doubtless fires were set intention- 
 ally by Indians to drive game or to improve the pasturage. 
 
 There are forty-two small mills iu operation in the South Dakota 
 portion of the Black Hills. These are small, portable mills, capable of 
 cutting, as a rule, about 8,000 or 10,000 feet of lumber each per day 
 when in full operation. Very few of them, however, are run to their 
 full capacity. The total annual output of lumber is estimated at 
 20,000,000 feet, besides the amount cut for firewood. Most of this is cut 
 for mine timbering in the Homestake and other mines, but no small 
 proportion of it is exported from the State. 
 
 BIGHORN RESERVE. 
 
 Mr. F. E. Town commenced work about the middle of July and 
 ended at the close of September. 
 
 The limits of the reserve conform in a general way to the outlines of 
 the Bighorn Bange, although not closely. In some places they inclose 
 small areas of the plains upon the east and west, while in others con- 
 siderable mountain and forest areas are excluded. The range, how- 
 ever, extends far to the south of the southern limit of the reserve. The 
 area of the reserve is 1,198,080 acres, or 1,870 square miles. 
 
gannett.] BIGHORN RESERVE. 53 
 
 The Bighorn Range has the form of an ellipse, the axis of which 
 is somewhat curved, trending in the southern part nearly north and 
 south and in the northern part to the northwest. The breadth ranges 
 from 30 to 50 miles and the length is between 75 and 100 miles. On 
 the east are the plains and ou the west is the Bighorn Basin. Struct- 
 urally the range consists of a great anticlinal fold, broad, fiat, and 
 rising steeply upon the flanks. The country on either side has an 
 elevation of 4,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level, while the summit of 
 the range has an altitude for the most part of 7,500 to 9,000 feet. In 
 general, the summit of the rauge is a plateau whose surface is undu- 
 lating and hilly and presents comparatively little relief; but here 
 and there rise granite summits to altitudes exceeding 10,000 feet, and 
 about the middle of the plateau there rises a range of mountains 3,000 
 to 4,000 feet above its surface, or 12,000 to 13,000 feet above the sea, 
 the highest summit of this rauge being Oloud Peak, with an altitude 
 of 13,100 feet. 
 
 While the entire area of the Bighorn Mountains, with the exception 
 of a small region above timber line, is, judging from its climate aud 
 other indications, capable of producing forests, the general aspect 
 of the reserve is that of a lightly timbered region. It contains no large 
 or valuable timber. It is only iu a very few localities that any timber 
 suitable for the sawmill is to be found, and a large proportional area, 
 probably quite one-half, consists of open j:>arks. Nearly all of the 
 timbered region has been burned over, and much of it has been repeat- 
 edly subjected to devastation from fires. In the park areas it is evi- 
 dent that the timber has been driven out completely by fire. Of the 
 timbered region a large part is covered with young growth, ranging 
 from 10 to 50 years of age, while the ground is strewed with dead trees, 
 the victims of fires, and these dead trees also are young and small. 
 Fires have prevailed so frequently and universally over this region 
 that it is only in limited localities that mature forests exist. 
 
 The destruction of the forests dates back mainly to the time of the 
 occupancy of this region by Indians, and the fires were doubtless set 
 by them for the purpose of driving out game or improving the pas- 
 turage. Since the occupancy of this region by whites fires have been 
 few and small. 
 
 Almost all the timber of this reserve consists of lodgepole pine 
 (Pinus murrayana). This is generally distributed over the reserve at all 
 altitudes, from the level of the plains to timber line. It is an inferior 
 wood for lumber purposes. 
 
 Other species of coniferous trees — Pinus flexilis, Picea engelmanni, 
 and Pseudotsuga taxifolia — are found, but they are sparsely distributed. 
 
 One of the best bodies of timber in the mountains is located in T. 
 55 N., R. 88 W., which was left out of the reserve, probably because 
 a portion of its area had passed into private hands. The township 
 north of this also contains considerable timber. South of the line of 
 
54 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 the reserve, T. 47 N., in Es. S4 to 87, inclusive, is fairly well timbered; 
 indeed, quite as fully as the region lying adjacent within the reserve. 
 
 It is estimated that in the entire reserve there are only 100,000 
 acres upon which the timber is of sufficient size to be considered 
 merchantable, and of this about 22,000 acres have been cut over 
 for railroad ties, leaving, approximately, 84,000 acres not cut over. 
 Upon this area it is estimated that there are at present 210,000,000 
 feet B. M. of standing timber. This statement summarizes the condi- 
 tion of things upon the reserve. Its entire area is capable of producing 
 timber, but of this area only 7 per cent contains merchantable timber 
 at present. 
 
 There were, during the summer of 1897, six sawmills using timber 
 from the reserve. These mills cut 1,700,000 feet B. M. per year. In 
 recent years about 1,750,000 railroad ties have been cut from Ts. 55 
 and 56 K, B. 88 W. This represents about 56,000,000 feet B. M. The 
 above figures represent the extent of timber cutting within these 
 mountains, with the exception of the small amount cut by settlers for 
 their improvements and for firewood. 
 
 Boads across and through these mountains are few in number. There 
 are very few settlers and improvements. 
 
 The Bighorn Mountains are used very extensively as a summer range 
 for sheep. It is estimated that during the summer of 1897 450,000 
 sheep were pastured upon them. At present their range is confined to 
 the parks, the adjoining timbered areas being untouched by them ; there- 
 fore at present there is no question concerning any injury to the forests 
 by them. 
 
 There has been some prospecting for minerals in these mountains for 
 several years, but few discoveries have been made which have shown 
 sufficient promise to induce regular work. Some mining has been done 
 upon Bald Mountain, near Cloud Peak, near Black Mountain, on Tongue 
 Biver, and on Wolf Creek. On the whole, however, the mining industry 
 is at present a trifling matter. 
 
 There is no arable land within the limits of the reserve. Although 
 there is an abundance of open country and of water for irrigation, the 
 altitude is so great, and consequently the climate is so severe, that the 
 cultivation of any but the hardiest crops is impracticable. 
 
 TETON AND SOUTHERN PART OF YELLOWSTONE PARK 
 RESERVE. 
 
 Dr. T. S. Brandegee commenced work about the 1st of July and con- 
 cluded about the end of September. 
 
 Tocography. — The principal relief features are simple. Traversing 
 the reserve from north to south, near its western boundary is the Teton 
 Bange. This has an average breadth of 12 to 15 miles, and is extremely 
 rugged, rising in the highest summit, the Grand Teton, to an altitude 
 of 13,876 feet, while the average altitude of the range is probably not 
 
gannett.] TETON AND YELLOWSTONE PARK RESERVE. 55 
 
 far from 12,000 feet. On the west the mountains descend quite steeply 
 to Teton Basin, across the eastern upper edge of which runs the west 
 boundary of the reserve, at an altitude of 6,500 to 7,000 feet. On the 
 east the Teton Range descends by cliffs and extremely steep slopes to 
 the valley known as Jackson Hole. This is a broad expanse, extend- 
 ing from the north boundary of the reserve in a direction a little west 
 of south to the southern boundary. Its breadth ranges from 10 to 12 
 miles, and its altitude within the reserve from 6,500 to 7,000 feet. It is 
 drained by Snake River, which traverses it from north to south, receiv- 
 ing the waters of several large branches from the east, including Buf- 
 falo and Gros Ventre rivers. There are several lakes in the valley, the 
 largest of which is Jackson Lake, near the north boundary of the 
 reserve, through which flows Snake River. The surface of the valley 
 is in the main a gravelly bench land, quite level, and producing a 
 scanty growth of sagebrush interspersed with grass. The bottom land 
 of the river is broad and inclosed between low bluffs. It is covered 
 with a dense- growth of cotton woods, willows, and brush. 
 
 The country east of Jackson Hole consists of high, massive mountain 
 spurs, descending from a high plateau, 11,000 to 12,000 feet in altitude, 
 whose crest lies east of the reserve. In this plateau head Pacific Creek, 
 Buffalo River, and the Gros Ventre, which flow westward, through 
 narrow valleys, to the Snake. 
 
 Forests. — The broad, rugged summit of the Teton Range is without 
 forests, partly because of its great altitude and partly because of its 
 extremely rugged character. The small portion of the Teton Basin 
 which is within the reserve, and most of the area of Jackson Hole, 
 together with the lower portions of the narrow valleys of Buffalo and 
 Gros Ventre rivers, are also naturally treeless. The remaining portion 
 of the reserve is covered, but more or less sparsely, with timber growth. 
 In few localities is the timber such as could properly be called dense, 
 and the trees are nowhere large. Over most of this area the timber is 
 scattered in small groves, interspersed among open, park-like areas. 
 Four-fifths of the timber consists of lodgepole pine (Pinns murrayana), 
 the remainder of Engelmann spruce, red fir, juniper, and aspen. The 
 trees are small and of little service for any purpose other than fire- 
 wood, fencing, and such uses. Thus, although the entire area in which 
 timber is found is well adapted in climate and soil to timber growth, 
 the amount of timber contained upon it at present is trifling. All 
 indications point to fire as the cause for this condition of things. It is 
 evident that in times past this region has been devastated by fire so 
 frequently that forest growth has been well-nigh prevented. The proof 
 of this is seen in the existence everywhere of dead and charred stumps 
 of trees and fallen logs, and in the fact that over great areas young 
 timber is starting. 
 
 Upon the whole reserve it is estimated that there are not over 22,000 
 acres of merchantable timber — that is, of size suitable for saw logs — and 
 
56 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 that they contain not over 75,000,000 feet B. M. of lumber. These areas 
 are scattered widely over the reserve. 
 
 Agricultural lands. — As stated above, the west boundary includes a 
 small area of the upper part of Teton Basin. This is a triangular tract, 
 widest at the north, where it may be 6 miles in width, and diminishing 
 southward to a point. Nearly all of T. 45 N., R. 118, is within this 
 area; also the west half of T. 44 N., R. US'; and the western tiers of 
 sections in T. 43, R. 118, are included within it. Although elevated and 
 cold, and therefore capable of producing only the hardiest crops, this 
 land is susceptible of irrigation and cultivation. 
 
 Jackson Hole comprises a large amount of agricultural land. Its 
 situation is favorable for irrigation, and the supply of water is ample for 
 the entire area. The altitude, however, is high, and the consequent 
 severity of the climate will prevent the production of anything except 
 the hardiest vegetables and grains. Its value as agricultural land is 
 not, therefore, great. The area included in this valley is as follows: 
 
 In R. 113 W., the three western tiers of sections of T. 46 N. and the 
 south half of T. 45 N. 
 
 In R. 114 W., the north half of Ts. 46, 45, and 44. 
 
 In R. 115 W., the west half of Ts. 46, 45, 44, and 43. 
 
 In R. 116 W., the two eastern tiers of sections of T. 44 and the east 
 half of T. 43. 
 
 The above tracts comprise all the land within the reserve which can 
 be classed as agricultural. 
 
 Settlement. — There are within the reserve 40 ranches, of which 19 
 are in the Teton Basin, at the west foot of the Teton Range, the remain- 
 ing 21 being in Jackson Hole. They are for the most part only hay 
 ranches. On each of them are kept a few head of cattle, which range 
 in summer aud are fed wild hay in the winter. ISTo attempt, so far as 
 known, has been made to cultivate crops in either locality. The stock 
 kept in Jackson Hole are few in number and their range thus far has 
 been limited to the valley. There are no sheep ranged within the 
 reserve. 
 
 Two sawmills are in operation cutting timber within it. Both are 
 small and are located at the west base of the Teton Range, one upon 
 the creek flowing west of Teton Pass, the other upon Darby Creek. 
 
 Settlements in the neighborhood of this reserve being extremely 
 sparse, there is scarcely any demand for lumber, and none may be 
 anticipated in the immediate future. 
 
 The only means of communication are by wagon road and trails. 
 The only wagon road of importance within the region is that which, 
 coming from the west, crosses the Teton Range at Teton Pass, and, 
 descending to Jackson Hole, follows up Snake River into Yellowstone 
 Park, with a branch leading over the divide at Grassy Lakes and down 
 Falls River. 
 
SUMMARY OF FIELD WORK. 57 
 
 BITTERROOT RESERVE. 
 
 The area of the reserve is 6,4S0 square miles, or 4,147,200 acres, of 
 which 3,456,000 are in Idaho and 691,200 are in Montana. 
 
 Only a portion of this reserve was examined in detail, consisting of the 
 Montana part, together with a small area upon Magruder Fork of 
 Clearwater River. 
 
 Topography. — The State line between Montana and Idaho follows the 
 crest of the Bitterroot Range, a broad and rugged mass of mountains, 
 rising to altitudes of 6,000 feet in the passes and to 10,000 feet on the 
 highest peaks. The descent on the east is short and abrupt to the val- 
 ley of Bitterroot River. Upon the west the spurs are long and the 
 streams flowing westward into the Clearwater are, in the main, in deep 
 canyons. 
 
 The east boundary of the reserve as at present established crosses 
 during the most of its course the mountain spurs and gorges just above 
 the Bitterroot Valley, but near the south end of the valley the reserve 
 is extended eastward, so as to include the drainage area of the South and 
 West forks of the Bitterroot. Here the stream is divided into several 
 branches, these being in narrow valleys separated by spurs of consid- 
 erable height. 
 
 Upon the west side of the divide, in Idaho, the country so far as 
 examined consists of an alternation of high mountain spurs and deep 
 narrow gorges. 
 
 Forests. — At great altitudes aud upon the sides and summits of the 
 rocky spurs the forests are scanty and poor. It is only in the lower 
 country, especially in the upper valleys of the branches of the Bitter- 
 root, in the canyons of its tributaries farther north, and on the lower 
 slopes of the mountains, that forests of economic value are found. 
 There may accordingly be distinguished two zones of forest distribu- 
 tion, depending upon altitude. The lower of these may be distinguished 
 as the yellow-pine zone, the upper as that of the alpine-fir zone. The 
 areas occupied by these two zones constitute, respectively, 26 per cent 
 and 74 per cent of the Montana portion of the reserve. 
 
 The timber in the yellow-pine zone consists mainly of red fir aud 
 yellow pine in the proportion of 60 per cent aud 30 per cent, the 
 remainder being of other and less valuable species. In the subalpiue 
 zone nine-tenths of the timber consists of lodgepole pine, which is 
 of little commercial value. The heaviest and most valuable stands of 
 timber are found upon the upper waters of Bitterroot River, in the 
 southeastern part of the reserve. 
 
 The total amount of merchantable timber in the Montana portion of 
 the reserve is estimated at 554,500,000 feet B. M., including in this only 
 that which is suitable for saw purposes. This consists entirely of yel- 
 low pine and red fir. No estimate has been made of the amount of 
 lodgepole pine, as this is of little value for lumber purposes, since it is 
 situated in inaccessible localities. 
 
58 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 Outside the reserve, on the bench lands in the Bitterroot Valley 
 adjoining the reserve, is a large amount of timber, estimated at 
 467,000,000 feet, or an amount nearly equal to that included within 
 the Montana portion of the reserve. 
 
 Upon the Idaho side of the divide there was examined an area of 
 about 650 square miles. Similar zones of timber were recognized here — 
 the subalpine zone, which comprised about 400 square miles, and the 
 yellow-pine zone, comprising about 250 square miles. The subalpine 
 zone is here as worthless for timber as upon the Montana side, the only 
 timber suitable for the sawmill being in the yellow-pine zone. The 
 estimated stand of timber within this area is 450,000,000 feet B. M., of 
 which far the greater part consists of yellow pine, with a considerable 
 quantity of red fir and about 72,000,000 feet of cedar. This cedar is 
 found in dense groves in the bottoms of canyons, where a partial 
 damming of the stream has produced marshy conditions. The density 
 of its growth may be understood by the statement that in the areas 
 occupied by it its stand is, on an average, 40,000 feet B. M. to the 
 acre. 
 
 Agricultural lands. — There are no agricultural lands within the region 
 examined on the Idaho side, and on the Montana side such areas are 
 of trifling extent. They are situated in the valleys of South Pork, 
 Little South Fork, West Fork, and Little West Fork. Altogether tbey 
 are estimated to comprise about 1,500 acres. 
 
 Grazing. — The hillsides of the upper portion of the Bitterroot Valley 
 are utilized to some extent for grazing. No sheep are pastured there, 
 only cattle and horses, and no appreciable damage appears to be done 
 by this grazing. 
 
 Mining. — There is no mining within that part of the reserve exam- 
 ined, except in the southeastern portion. In the valley of the South 
 Fork many claims have been taken up upon Slate, Overwhich, Hughes, 
 and Coal creeks, and some mining is being done, but upon a limited 
 scale. 
 
 Timber cutting. — The cutting of timber upon the reserve may be 
 grouped under three heads: (1) The cutting by squatters to improve 
 their holdings, (2) cutting by pretended squatters for the market, and 
 (3) cutting under timber permits. The first of these is of little moment; 
 the third is by far the greatest. Altogether there has been logged 
 within the Montana portion of the reserve an area estimated at 6,500 
 acres. In some cases the timber has been entirely removed and in 
 others it has been only partially done, the timber being floated down 
 Bitterroot Biver to the mills. 
 
 There are several mills in the Bitterroot Valley, the largest and most 
 important of which is that of the Bitterroot Development Company, 
 which supplies lumber to the Anaconda mine and to the general market. 
 
 The merchantable timber in the Montana portion of the reserve is 
 comparatively easy of access and can all be readily logged. At the 
 
gannett.] PRIEST RIVER RESERVE. 59 
 
 present rate of cutting the standing- timber will in a few years be 
 exhausted. 
 
 Forest fires.— Fires upon the Montana side of the reserve have prob- 
 ably been as extensive as elsewhere in the West, but have done far less 
 damage to the merchantable timber, owing to the fact that yellow pine 
 and red fir offer greater resistance to fires than do trees of other 
 species. Probably not more than 5 per cent of the forests of these spe- 
 cies has been destroyed. • Higher up, in the subalpine zone, however, 
 fires have been more disastrous, and it is estimated that fully 80 per 
 cent of the wooded portion of this zone has been visited by fires withiu 
 the last twenty-five or thirty years. While the destruction of mer- 
 chantable timber by these fires has been slight, their effect upon the 
 stream flow has in all probability been serious. The streams flowing- 
 eastward from the JBitterroot Mountains into Bitterroot Eiver have 
 very short, straight courses and an extremely steep descent. The 
 clearing of the forests from their headwaters can not fail to change 
 their regimen in such wise as to produce disastrous floods at one time 
 of the year and low water during the remainder, thus inflicting double 
 injury upon the agricultural interests in the valley. 
 
 The above description of the forest conditions of the eastern portion 
 of the Bitterroot Reserve is derived from a report made by Mr. Leiberg, 
 who devoted the last half of the season to its examination. 
 
 PRIEST RIVER RESERVE. 
 
 Mr. Leiberg commenced work upon the Priest Biver Reserve July 1, 
 and finished the examination of that reserve in August. 
 
 The reserve comprises the drainage basin of Priest Lake and River, 
 together with certain small bodies of land in the southern part drained 
 directly to Clarke Fork. It lies mainly in the State of Idaho, a small 
 portion of its area being comprised in northeastern Washington. Its 
 area in Idaho is estimated at 552,960 acres, and that in Washington 
 at 92,160, a total of 645,120 acres, or a little over 1,000 square miles. 
 
 Topography.— It is mainly a mountainous region, the level tracts 
 forming probably not more than 12 or 14 per cent of the whole. In 
 elevation it ranges from 2,000 to 8,000 feet. The reserve is composed 
 mainly of the opposing slopes of two mountain ranges, one upon each 
 side of the valley which incloses Priest Lake and River, and the sum- 
 mits of which form the east and west limits of the reserve. These two 
 ranges converge nearly to a point at the north boundary of the reserve. 
 The east range is an extension northwestward of the Cabinet Range; 
 the western will be called here Pend Oreille Range. Of the two the 
 Cabinet Range is the higher, its summit having an average altitude of 
 about 6,000 feet, with peaks rising to 8,000, and is extremely rugged. 
 The Pend Oreille Range is much less rugged than its neighbor and is 
 less elevated, rarely rising above 6,000 feet. Priest Lake, which occu 
 pies a portion of the valley between the two ranges, is composed of two 
 
60 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 parts. The upper portion is about 2 miles long and a mile wide. The 
 lower portion is the main lake. It has a length of about 18 miles and 
 is from one-half a mile to 5 miles in width. It is drained southward 
 by Priest River to Clarke Fork. 
 
 Forests. — The Priest River Reserve is essentially a forest-covered 
 region. There are but few tracts within its boundaries that do not now, 
 or did not a few years ago, support a dense, magnificent forest. The 
 only areas destitute of forests from natural causes are marshes and the 
 rocky crests and slides in the mountains. These, together with the 
 ■water surface of the lakes and streams, are estimated to aggregate 
 about 50,000 acres, which is only 8 per cent of the entire area. 
 
 The forests of this reserve may be grouped, for descriptive purposes, 
 in three zones, depending upon altitude, distinguished as (1) subalpine 
 fir, (2) white pine, and (3) yellow pine. The first of these comprises 
 the area lying above an altitude of about 4,800 feet. The trees found 
 within it are almost exclusively the subalpine fir and the whitebark 
 pine, mainly the former. Neither of these species is of importance to 
 the lumberman, largely because of the inaccessibility of its habitat. 
 
 The white pine zone is the predominant one. It is found mainly 
 between altitudes of 2,400 and 4,800 feet above sea level, altitudes which 
 comprise about four fifths of the forested portion of the reserve. The 
 chief species found in this portion of the reserve are Western white 
 pine and tamarack, although there are several other species of com- 
 mercial importance mingled with them, such as cedar, Engelmaun 
 spruce, western hemlock, and white fir. The heaviest growth occurs 
 on the level areas bordering the principal streams and is most abun- 
 dant in the western half of the reserve. This zone is far the most 
 important of those above mentioned from a commercial standpoint, 
 containing much the largest quantity of commercial timber and being 
 generally easy of access. 
 
 The yellow-pine zone lies below that of the white pine, but the line 
 of demarcation is not always easy to establish, the two zones merging 
 into each other by insensible degrees. The principal species within 
 this zone are the yellow pine, red fir, and white fir, nearly three- fourths 
 of the timber consisting of red fir. The first two of these species are 
 of commercial value. 
 
 The amount of merchantable timber at present contained in the 
 reserve is estimated at 4,S33 million feet 13. M., including that suit- 
 able for saw timber, railway ties, and telegraph poles. The amount 
 available for each of these several purposes is estimated as follows : 
 
 II feet B. M. 
 
 Saw timber 1, 903, 600 
 
 Railroad ties 2, 720, 000 
 
 Telegraph poles 210,000 
 
 The forests have suffered greatly from fires at various times in the 
 past, as is indicated by the fact that the forest is of widely differing 
 
gannett.] WASHINGTON RESERVE. 61 
 
 age in different parts. The reserve contains bodies of timber of all 
 ages, ranging from 250 and 300 years down to young saplings of a few 
 years of age only, and the ground under the young trees is thickly 
 strewn with fallen logs, charred and partially rotten, the remains of 
 the fires. 
 
 It is estimated that if the reserve had remained untouched by recent 
 fires it would contain at present 16,2.50 million feet B. M. of timber, 
 instead of less than 5,000, million, which it contains at present. More 
 than 11,000 million feet of timber has been destroyed by fire within 
 the last thirty-five years, without benefiting anyone. 
 
 Cutting. — But little cutting has been done upon the reserve. Most 
 of that consisted of tie timber and piling used in the construction of 
 the Great Northern Railway. Last summer parties were cutting west- 
 ern white pine in small quantities and shipping it out. Aside from 
 this the only consumption of timber upon the reserve has been by 
 settlers for their improvements and for fuel. 
 
 The only means available at the present time for transporting lum- 
 ber out of the reserve is by driving down Priest Biver to the Great 
 Northern Bailway. 
 
 Arable lands. — The arable lands are found entirely in the Clarke Fork 
 Valley and in that of Priest Lake and Biver, the whole aggregating 
 about 10,000 acres. They consist of high ground covered with sedges 
 or grass, marshes which can be reclaimed, grass land subject to over- 
 flow, and cleared land on the benches adjacent to streams. The bulk 
 of them are situated on the western side of the valley of Priest Lake 
 and River, where the rock formation is softer and the valleys are con- 
 sequently broader and more level. The greater portion of these tracts 
 is held by settlers. 
 
 Many squatters' claims have been located in the white-pine forest, 
 ostensibly for agricultural purposes, but less than 5 acres have been 
 cleared altogether from the living white-pine forest. 
 
 Mineral claims. — Many claims have been located within the reserve, 
 but none have been as yet sufficiently developed to show profitable 
 deposits. 
 
 WASHINGTON RESERVE. 
 
 This being much the largest of all the areas to be examined, and by 
 far the most important from an economic standpoint, much fuller pro- 
 vision was made for its examination than in the case of the other 
 reserves. For the examination of the portion of this reserve lying east 
 of the divide of the Cascade Bange, Messrs. W. G. Steel and M. W. 
 Gorman were employed. They commenced work about the middle of 
 August and completed it in the latter part of November. For the 
 western portion Mr. H. B. Ayres was employed, and to its examina- 
 tion he devoted four and a half months — from the middle of July to the 
 end of November. 
 
62 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 Topography. — This reserve is composed almost entirely of high moun- 
 tain ranges intersected by deep valleys. It is traversed by the crest 
 of the Cascade Eange, which, entering the reserve from British Colum- 
 bia, near longitude 120° 45', trends in a generally southwesterly direc- 
 tion across the reserve, although making several great turns to the 
 south and west in its course. This crest aud the mountains in its neigh- 
 borhood are extremely rugged, rising to altitudes exceeding 10, OLIO 
 feet, and contain many glaciers. Eastward aud westward from the 
 crest the mountains diminish in altitude. 
 
 West of the divide the reserve is drained westward to Puget Sound, 
 mainly by Skagit and Stilaguamish rivers and their branches. East 
 of the divide the Methow and Stehekin rivers drain it to Columbia 
 Eiver. 
 
 The rainfall is heavy upon the western slope of the range. Upon, 
 the eastern side it is decidedly less, so that irrigation is commonly 
 required for the production of crops. The streams are numerous and 
 bold. The rainfall is, however, less than it has been in past time, as is 
 evidenced by the fact that every canyon and gorge leading out of the 
 mountains has been until recently the bed of a glacier, whose remains 
 still exist, occupying the mountain valleys. 
 
 Forests. — Almost the entire area of the reserve is naturally a forested 
 region, with the exception of a few small tracts, which are above tim- 
 ber line, or which are composed of rocky mountain slopes, upon which 
 there is not sufficient soil for trees to obtain footing, and with the excep- 
 tion of the valley of Methow Eiver in the east. The natural forest 
 growth differs greatly in density in different parts. It is densest in the 
 lower valleys on the west side, and diminishes in density as the summit 
 of the range is approached. The east side of the mountains is much 
 less densely forested than the west side, aud the forests diminish as the 
 elevation becomes less upon the east side. This arrangement of the 
 forests has, however, been interfered with greatly by fires, which have 
 denuded large areas entirely and have reduced the density in other 
 places. The results of these fires have been more disastrous on the 
 east side than on the west, owing to its generally drier conditions. 
 
 The commonest tree upon the reserve is the western hemlock (Tsuga 
 mertensiana). Far the greater part of the timber on the reserve con- 
 sists of this species. 
 
 Another common tree is the Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), which is 
 found along streams up to an altitude of 2,000 feet. 
 
 Eed fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia) is fouud in the bench lands of the 
 valleys and the lower mouutain slopes. 
 
 Cedar (Thuja plicata) is found mixed with red fir and hemlock in the 
 bottom lands and on mountain tops. 
 
 Mountain cedar (Ohamcecyparis nootkatensis) is fouud on mountain 
 slopes above 2,000 feet. 
 
gaknett.] "WASHINGTON RESERVE. 63 
 
 Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmcmni) is found at high altitudes, and 
 is small and difficult of access. 
 
 White fir (Abies grandis) is found on moist land and northern slopes 
 up to 5,000 feet. 
 
 Abies amabilis is found on moist land and northern slopes up to 4,000 
 feet. 
 Alpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) is found on the higher slopes and summits. 
 White pine (Pinus monticola) is found sparingly at medium altitudes 
 on bench lands and lower mountain slopes. 
 
 Yellow pine (Pinus ponder osa) is found in the drier parts of the upper 
 Skagit Valley and generally in the lower portions of the eastern part 
 of the reserve. 
 
 The lodgepole pine (Pinus murrayana) is found sparingly in dry bench 
 lands and generally in the drier eastern portions of the reserve. 
 
 White-bark pine (Pinus albicaulis) is sparsely distributed at high 
 altitudes. 
 
 Alpine larch (Larix lyellii) is not uncommon along the summit of 
 the Cascade Eange from Cascade Pass northward. 
 
 The principal among these species for lumber purposes are the hem- 
 lock, spruce, red fir, cedar, and yellow pine. 
 
 The total amount of standing timber upon this reserve is estimated 
 to be not far from 20,000 million feet B. M., two- thirds of which is hem- 
 lock, the remainder being distributed among the other species. 
 
 Agricultural land. — The tracts of land within the limits of the reserve 
 which are suitable for agriculture are numerous but individually small 
 in area. On the west side of the divide, where the rainfall is abundant 
 and irrigation is not necessary for the cultivation of crops, all the flat 
 valley land not at too great elevation is of value for this purpose. 
 Such lands are as follows: 
 
 A strip along each fork of the Stilaguamish 3 miles in breadth. 
 
 The valley of Sauk Eiver below the south fork of the north fork, 3 
 miles in width. 
 
 In the valley of Suiattle Eiver for a distance of 12 miles within the 
 reserve, with an average breadth of 1 mile. 
 
 The valley of Cascade Eiver for a distance of 6 miles within the west 
 boundary of the reserve, by half a mile in width. 
 
 The valley of Skagit Eiver, from Euby Creek to Goodells, with an 
 average breadth of 2 miles. 
 
 The valley of Baker Eiver, from Baker Lake to the boundary of the 
 reserve, with an average breadth of -1 miles, and above Baker Lake, 
 with a breadth of 1 mile. 
 
 The valley of North Fork of Nooksack Eiver, below Euby Creek, 
 with a width of 1 mile. 
 
 The total area of these tracts is estimated at 230 square miles. 
 Upon the east side of the divide the agricultural lands generally 
 require irrigation, and are therefore limited, not only by their location 
 
64 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 and surface, but by the amount of water available. They are as fol- 
 lows : A few tracts in the Methow Valley and along Twisp Eiver, a few 
 trifling patches on the shores of Lake Chelan, and a narrow strip in 
 the valley of Stehekin River. Altogether, the area of the arable land 
 in this part of the reserve is trifling, and has already been filed upon 
 or is held by squatters. 
 
 Grazing. — There is very little pasturing of stock within the reserve, 
 and none whatever of sheep. The western portion of the reserve 
 affords but little pasturage, owing to the density of the forest. The 
 eastern portion, on the other hand, affords much excellent summer 
 grazing in the high mountain valleys and slopes, but it is little utilized 
 as yet. 
 
 Means of communication. — These are extremely scanty. The Everett 
 and Monte Oristo Railway, which connected the mines at Monte Cristo 
 with Everett, upon Puget Sound, some 60 miles, ran for half its dis- 
 tance within the lines of the reserve. This, however, has been com- 
 pletely washed out recently, and is, it is understood, not to be rebuilt. 
 There are wagon roads from Barlow Pass to Goat Lake, from the mouth 
 of White Chuck River down Sauk River, and along Cascade River, all 
 on the west side of the reserve. These form about 30 miles of wagon 
 roads within the reserve on this side. Upon the east side there is a 
 road for a short distance up the valley of Methow River. 
 
 There are numerous trails, passable for pack horses, connecting dif- 
 ferent portions of the reserve. The principal one of these, which con- 
 nects the valley of Methow River with Marblemount, at the junction of 
 Cascade and Skagit rivers, by way of the Twisp, Bridge Creek, Stehekin 
 River, and Cascade Pass, is now being improved at the expense of the 
 State, and may be developed into a wagon road. 
 
 Mining. — There is considerable mining, consistiug'mainly of develop- 
 ment work, going on within the reserve. At Monte Cristo and Silver- 
 ton are developed producing mines, which were worked actively until 
 the recent destruction by flood of the Everett and Monte Oristo Railway. 
 These two mining camps contained several hundred inhabitants each. 
 The destruction of the road has, however, caused a cessation of activity. 
 Mineral discoveries have been made at other points along this road and 
 in its neighborhood. 
 
 Many discoveries have been made in the Ruby Creek mining district, 
 on the upper waters of Skagit River, in the Methow district, on the 
 upper waters of the Methow, and in the mountains west of the upper 
 end of Lake Chelan, but, owing to lack of transportation, little has 
 been done beyond development work. 
 
 Settlements. — Upon the west side, the mining towns of Monte Cristo 
 and Silverton have already been mentioned. Besides these there is 
 some little settlement in the valley of the Stilaguamish below Silverton. 
 Upon the Sauk, within the reserve, there are a few ranches. Upon 
 Cascade Eiver are three or four ranches, and there is some settlement 
 
gahnett.] SAN JACINTO RESERVE. 65 
 
 in the Ruby Greek district depending upon the mines. Upon the east 
 side there are a number of ranches in the Methow Valley, including the 
 little town of Winthrop and the mining village of Camp Gilbert. Upon 
 Lake Chelan there are a few ranches and the hotel at the head of the 
 lake. A few miners are located upon Railroad and Company creeks, 
 west of the upper portion of the lake. 
 
 Timber cutting. — There is no timber cutting withiu the reserve, 
 except a trifling amount for the local needs of the settlers and mines. 
 There is at present very little demand for its timber, the general market 
 being supplied by the forests farther west. 
 
 The facilities for getting timber out of the reserve are very poor. With 
 the exception of the trifling amount of wagon roads, the only routes 
 would be by the streams, and these are extremely rapid and rocky. 
 Much work would be required upon them to make them suitable for 
 driving logs. 
 
 SAN JACINTO RESERVE. 
 
 The three reserves in southern California — San Jacinto, San Bernar- 
 dino, and San Gabriel — were examined by Mr. J. B. Leiberg in the 
 spring of 1898, and his preliminary report upon them forms part of the 
 present volume. The fuller and more complete report upon these 
 reserves will be published later. 
 
 The San Jaciuto Forest Reserve comprises about 740,000 acres, or 
 about 1,160 square miles. It is a mountainous and broken country, 
 comprising the San Jacinto and Toro ranges and the Toro and Coahuila 
 mesas. The rock formation is granite or allied rocks. 
 
 The elevation ranges from 3,000 to 10,000 feet. The lower portion — 
 up to an altitude of about 5,000 feet — is arid and is covered with a 
 dense growth of chaparral. Above 5,000 feet the country is wooded, 
 the timber consisting almost entirely of yellow pine, with a little sugar 
 pine and Coulter's pine and other species scattered sparsely through it. 
 Of the entire area of the reserve 141,000 acres only are timbered, and 
 upon this land there is, it is estimated, timber to the amount of 
 91,110,000 feet B. M. Of its area only 2,000 acres are under cultiva- 
 tion, and to a small extent only is it used for pasturage. 
 
 There has been considerable timber cutting in the reserve, but at 
 present there are only two small mills operating there. As the region 
 lies within the land graut of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, 
 one half of the area, consisting of alternate sections, belongs to that 
 corporation. 
 
 SAN BERNARDINO RESERVE. 
 
 This reserve comprises an area of 737,000 acres. It consists wholly 
 
 of the San Bernardino Range, a somewhat complex mass with a 
 
 northwest-southeast trend. The altitude ranges from 3,000 to 11,600 
 
 feet upon the highest summit of the range. The rock formation 
 
 19 geol, pt 5 5 
 
000 921 517 7 
 
 66 FOREST RESERVES. 
 
 is almost entirely granite. As in the San Jacinto Reserve, the lower 
 portion of this reserve is covered with dense chaparral, running up ta 
 an altitude of about 5,000 feet. The lands above the latter elevation 
 are covered with open forests, consistiug almost exclusively of yellow 
 pine. These timbered areas comprise, it is estimated, 246,000 acres, or 
 about one-third the area of the reserve. Besides this there is an area 
 of 64,000 acres upon the north side of the range, within the reserve, 
 covered with pinon pine and juniper, which is of no value for lumber 
 purposes, but is serviceable for firewood. The estimated amount of 
 merchantable timber upon the reserve is 479,440,000 feet B. M. 
 
 The cultivated tracts upon the reserve amount, in the aggregate, to 
 only 1,200 acres. 
 
 The reserve is but little used for pasturage purposes, although the 
 pasturage is excellent in the pine forests. 
 
 SAN GABRIEL RESERVE. 
 
 This reserve comprises the Sierra Madre of southern California, an 
 extension to the northwestward of the San Bernardino Range. The 
 area of the reserve is 550,000 acres, but about 650,000 acres were 
 examined. The region .ranges in altitude from 1,000 to 10,000 feet — the 
 summit of the highest peak, "Old Baldy." Up to an altitude of 5,000 
 feet, as in the other reserves, it is covered with chaparral, while above 
 this elevation the high mountain valleys and the mountains them- 
 selves are covered with an open forest, consisting largely of yellow 
 pine. The timbered areas comprise about 100,000 acres, and the amount 
 of merchantable timber within the reserve is estimated at 60,000,000 
 feet B. M. All of it is of inferior quality, being short and knotty, and 
 a great part of it is, at present at least, inaccessible. There is little 
 cultivated land within the reserve. 
 

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 Hollinger 
 
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