200 



in size and height. The trunks of two more trees were measured 

 around with nearly the same result, and from thirty to thirty-three 

 feet may be considered the greatest diameter of the trees in this 

 grove, as it also is of those in Calaveras county. There are many 

 a few feet smaller than this, but of those ranging from ten to 

 twenty feet in diameter there are more than can be conveniently 

 counted, besides groves and thickets of young trees of all sizes 

 from seedlmgs upwards. 



The fires which have swept through the forest have destroyed 

 most of the young trees, and ruined many of the largest and finest 

 by burning off the roots, and running upwards through the trunk, 

 in many cases burning out an arched way from side to side high 

 and broad enough for horsemen to pass tln-ough witliout touching. 

 The fii-e burns out the centre of the tree most rapidly, and makes 

 hollow cylinders of those that have fallen, through one of which my 

 party rode erect for many feet. A year ago there was a hollow 

 trunk, now consumed, through which horsemen could ride upright 

 for one hundred and fifty feet, going in at the roots, and coming 

 out half-way along the trunk. 



In a low, marshy part of the valley a line of medium-sized trees 

 may be seen growmg on each side of a very ancient trunk, now 

 completely decayed and moss-grown. All the appearances indicate 

 that trees have grown and fallen across each other for ages, giving 

 extraordinary depths of vegetable mould. 



The form or taper of the trunks of these trees is worthy of 

 remark. When standmg at their bases and looking up, the trunk 

 appears to taper off very suddenly towards the top, and to end in a 

 stump-like point instead of running up in a slender spire. The 

 great size of the body, also extends high up. These peculiarities 

 are better shown m the trees that are standing than in the fallen 

 one, in which, at one hundred and fifty feet above the stump, the 

 diameter is about twelve feet ; seventy-five feet higher up, it is 

 reduced to six feet, and thirty feet higher to eighteen inches. The 

 swell at the roots is very regular, and the trunks, almost without 

 exception, are cyhndrical and free from deep furrows. 



In this gi'ove, it is probable that the trees do not reach a greater 

 height than three hundred feet. In the Calaveras grove, they 

 have been estimated to be from three to four hundred feet high, 

 and in 1854, when I A^sited them, I saw no reason to doubt it, but 

 there was no good opportunity to measure a perfect prostrate tree. 

 They are more sheltered from high winds than the Mariposa trees, 

 and probably are taller. 



The 0})portmiities for determining the age of these trees is not 

 as good as at the Calaveras grove, Avhere one has been cut down 



