30 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



ity of trees showing defect. Here and there are found 

 areas of very poor drainage where peat has accumulated 

 and a muskeg is formed on which the trees are scattered 

 or absent entirely, and such timber as occurs is short and 

 scrubby. On the other hand, there is an immense amount 

 of excellent hemlock, sound and of high usefulness for 

 structural material. 



The external appearance of the coast forests of the 

 Chugach is very deceptive. Occurring in many places as 

 a relatively narrow bolt, backed by high rugged moun- 

 tains, the forests are overshadowed by the more con- 

 spicuous bare ridges, peaks and snow fields above timber 

 line. The actual area of timber is under such circum- 

 stances not appreciated by the casual observer. The 



trees on the edge of any forest have long crowns and are 

 shorter than those within the stand. The scrubby, 

 unsound hemlock on the rocky points and along the shore 

 at the edge of the forest, the scattered dead trees that 

 stand out consijicuously as seen against a slope, the 

 existence of certain areas with pure hemlock and that 

 having a large degree of defect, and the scattered areas 

 of muskeg give an impression of an unhealthy condition 

 that is misleading. No one, even an expert, can judge 

 the character, condition and yield of a forest by looking 

 at the mass of crowns from a distance. I have person- 

 ally examined numerous stands which had precisely the 

 aspect I have described, and found within the stand excel- 

 lent spruce and a large amount of sound hemlock. 





m- .i^ S^-i^] 



Sl-XOXD-GROWTH STAND OF SITKA SPRUCK AND HEMLOCK 



Sitka spruce reproduces itself readily and grows rapidly. Many old windfalls have come up to a dense growth of spruce 



and hemlock. The forest shown in ibis view will soon yield piling. The trees have already reached a size specially 

 suited to manufacture of wood pulp. 



