Reforestation of Brush Fields 19 



to the small amount of precipitation, high summer temperatures, 

 and a high degree of insolation. The west slope, being in the path 

 of the humid winds from the ocean, has a more equable climate ; 

 that is to say, neither the daily nor the seasonal extremes of tem- 

 peratures are as great as on the east slope. The statistics of the 

 United States Weather Bureau show that for the same eleva- 

 tion and same latitude on both slopes there is from 10 to 25 

 inches more rainfall on the west slope; the mean monthly tem- 

 perature for January is from 3° to 5° higher and the mean 

 monthly temperature for July is from 1° to 4° lower than on the 

 east slope. The average date of the latest killing frost is from 

 10 to 12 weeks earlier in the spring on the west slope and the 

 average date of the earliest killing frost is from two to five weeks 

 later in the fall. This makes the average growing season about 

 200 days on the west slope, as against only 135 on the east slope. 



SEI.KCTING PLANTING AREAS 



For the purpose of this experiment in reforestation two dis- 

 tinct plantations were made — one on the east slope and one on 

 the west slope of the Sierras. The seedlings were shipped from 

 the Pilgrim Creek Nursery at McCloud, California. Regarding 

 the site and the shipments, the following is of interest: 



East Slope A rea West Slope A rea 



Elevation 5,600 feet 5,000 feet 



Area 18 acres 18 acres 



Aspects Northern and north- Northern 



eastern Northwestern 



Western 

 Southwestern 

 Southern 

 Soil Fine, deep loam Sandy loam with grav- 



elly areas 



Density of brush 50 per cent medium 33}^ per cent open 



50 per cent dense 33 >^ per cent medium 



33}^ per cent dense 



Stock: Yellow pine 13,500 (1-1) 12,500 (1-1) 



Yellow pine 1,000 (1-2) 



Sugar pine 1,000 (2-1) 1,500 (2-1) 



Incense cedar 500 (1-1) 1,000 (1-1) 



Method of shipment Express Freight 



Shipment by rail 131 miles 201 miles 



Hauled by team 100 miles 15 miles 



Total days en route 7 days 113^ days 



