74 BOTANICAL SURVEY OF THE CCEUR D'ALENE MOUNTAINS. 



In the southeastern part of the basin, where the gold-bearing' areas 

 are situated, we find about 80 per cent of the forest destroyed. These 

 burns date partially to the time of the old ones of the South Fork val- 

 ley, with which they connect in many places, and in part to the confla- 

 grations started by the army of gold seekers which overran the country 

 when it lirst became generally known as a mineral-bearing region in 

 1883 and 1884. 



Going north into the basin, one encounters interrupted burns at fre- 

 quent intervals until the northern portion is reached. Here are found 

 those which had their origin in the fires kindled in the valley of the 

 Clark Fork fit the time the Northern Pacific Railroad was built. The 

 area covered is not known to me, but it is large, for the burns follow the 

 valley of the Clark Fork from Thompson to Lake Pend Oreille, a dis- 

 tance of 1 15 kilometers (0!) miles), and the lire has eaten into the timber 

 of the ISorth Fork basin in thousands of places, extending in some 

 localities as much as 30 kilometers (IS) miles) southwest from the river. 



('hanging to the western side of the North Fork basin, we come to 

 the burns which have had their origin in the mining camps on the east 

 shore of Lake Pend Oreille. A strip of country 45 kilometers (30 miles) 

 from north to south, and averaging in width from 8 to 10 kilometers 

 (5 to 10 miles), has been laid waste here to the extent of about 75 per 

 cent. 



Going farther south, we reach the northern limit of the burns which 

 have come from the region of the Cceur d'Alene valley. They have 

 not penetrated very far into this part of the North Fork basin. Owing 

 to the slow progress of forest lires, the spread of one having its origin 

 in the South Fork valley, or along the Mullan road, would only, except 

 in unusually dry seasons, reach this part before the quenching fall rains 

 commenced. The most valuable portions of the growing timber are 

 found here upon an area which extends eastward to the main river and 

 northward to the central sections of the basiu. I estimate that upon a 

 tract of about 400,000 acres 10 per cent of the forest is destroyed by 

 local burns, an insignificant amount when compared with the condition 

 of the timber in other localities. 



In estimating the percentage of timber destroyed and standing it 

 is pertinent to consider what amount of merchantable timber of the 

 different species of conifers grows upon an acre. This varies so greatly 

 that it is difficult to give even an approximately correct estimate. I 

 would consider for the best class of bottom lands in the White Pine belt 

 an average of 30,000 feet, board measure, to the acre a low estimate. 

 It might be divided thus: 



Feet, 



White pine _. _ . 17,000 



Doiigliis spruce 4, 000 



Tamarack 3, 000 



Cedar, spruce, etc 0, 000 



Where cedar predominates it might rise to three or four times this 

 amount. This estimate includes only trees fit for saw logs. 



