ROCKY MOUNTAIN WHEEDLING GROWTH.* 



The following study of seedling growth in the Pikes Peak 

 Forest Reserve was carried on incidentally throughout the sea- 

 son's work. Notes were taken by locality, giving situation and 

 brief physical description of each. In each, a number of observa- 

 tions on reproduction were recorded, guided by its most striking 

 features, as well as by a general outline of the subject. To con- 

 dense these observations, digest certain other data, and draw a 

 few conclusions that bear on reforestation, and apply to the 

 region covered, but will also apply to some extent elsewhere, is 

 the object of this summary. 



The few deciduous species of the tract covered, are confined 

 to watercourses and a limited area of chaparral slopes. The 

 coniferous type of forest is of course altogether dominant, and 

 numbers eleven species. The reproduction of these follows in 

 order of amount and importance : 



Picea Engelmanyii (Parry) Engelm.; Pbius flexilis James; 

 Pseudotsiiga taxifolia (Poir.) Britton ; Piniis ponderosa scopu- 

 lorum Engelm.; Abies coticolor (Gordon) Parry ; Abies lasio- 

 carpa (Hook.) Nutt.; Pinus aristata Engelm; Picea Parryana 

 (Andre) Parry; Pi7uis edulis Engelm.; Jiuiiperiis scopuloruTti 

 Sargent ; Pinus Murray ana Oreg. Com, 



Reproduction of the eight last named species is found only 

 in limited numbers, or on restricted territory. The last men- 

 tioned is represented by possibly a dozen young trees in various 

 parts of the tract. A few Red Juniper occur near Little Foun- 

 tain Creek. A number of bush-like saplings of Pirion are found 

 in the same locality, some as high as 9700 feet altitude. The 

 Blue Spruce reproduces sparingly and in only a few locations in 

 the southwest part of the reserve, and on Little Fountain Creek. 

 The Bristle-cone Pine, while in mature state quite widely dis- 

 tributed at highest forest altitude, and on dry, exposed slopes 

 down to 1900 feet or less, appears to be almost a doomed species. 

 Though seed-trees seem to bear every year, it reproduces only very 



*This paper is based on material gathered in 1903, on that part of the Pike's 

 Peak Forest Reserve lying south of the peak itself, where the writer with others, 

 was engaged upon certain problems for the Bureau of Forestry. He wishes to express 

 his thanks to Mr. W. J. Gardner, of the Forest Service, through whose encouragement the 

 personal observations were made possible, and a part of whose general data were drawn 

 upon for this digest. 



