528 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 
the area, and I have made a calculation based upon this fact, giving 4,430 acres as the 
amount of timbered land along the Missouri from eight miles below this post to twelve 
miles above. 
2d. The lines of natural drainage: These are constituted from south to north by 
the Cannon Ball River, Mule Creek, just below the post and on the east bank of the 
Missouri, and Lone Lake Creek, opposite this point. All these streams run generally 
east on the west side of the Missouri, and in the reverse direction on the other side. 
Besides these, the country is intersected by many wet-weather ravines running per- 
pendicular to the Missouri, with secondary gulches emptying at right angles to them. 
3d. The elevation, whether ascertained barometrically or otherwise, and the rain- 
fall, and the manner in which both have been ascertained: The elevation at this point 
is 2,200 feet above the sea level; it was ascertained barometrically by some engineer 
ofticer whose name is not recorded. Appended is an abstract marked A (see Ap- 
pendix), giving the rainfall and average yearly temperature from May, 1870, to No- 
vember, 1877. This has been compiled from the meteorological records of the post 
hospital. It will be seen that nearly all the precipitation takes place from April to 
November, and, what is not shown on the abstract, more than half of the rainfall occurs 
in May and J une. It will also be noticed that the rainfall is increasing rather than 
diminishing. 
4th. The various characteristics of the timber, and the extent, condition, and 
growth of such timber, together with any information of interest connected with the 
general subject of the forestry of the country: There are only four varieties of timber 
useful for fuel or lumber in the forest area above mentioned, viz., cottonwood, elm, 
ash, anda very small proportion of oak. Of these, cottonwood constitutes nine-tenths 
of the forest, and if well-seasoned makes excellent fuel and fair lumber, but in its 
green state it retains water like a sponge, will not burn, and warps in the most re- 
markable manner. The cottonwood grows very rapidly, but decays very soon after 
reaching a diameter of two or two and a half feet. Most of the forest, as before 
mentioned, consists of comparatively young trees which are repairing to some extent 
the waste among the older ones. With such a rainfall as we have had for several 
years past, there is no reason why trees should not grow on the prairie if properly 
transplanted. 
5th. The rate of decrease in the amount of timber and the cause of such decrease, 
as, for instance, by fire or through the agency of man: Timber in the bottom lands 
of the Missouri is seldom if ever injured by fire, because at the time when prairie 
fires generally occur out here the grass in the bottoms is not dry enough to burn to 
any extent, and even if it does, the heat is seldom great enough to destroy even the 
undergr owth. 
The destruction of timber in this country is chiefly through the agency of man— 
cutting wood for posts and for steamboats. ‘There are other agencies, however, which — 
may be mentioned, such as the undermining of its banks by the Missouri River, which 
annually swallow 8 many acres of fine trees, converting them into dangerous snags or 
soggy drift-wood. The annual spring ov erflow of the river leaves the bottoms in 
many places waist deep in water until the middle of summer, thereby hastening the 
process of decay in such trees as are already affected. The high winds of spring y and 
autumn generally prostrate a large number of trees which have passed the vigor of 
their growth. To thesé might be added the destruction caused by beavers on such 
streams as they inhabit, e. g., the Cannon Ball. 
It is almost impossible to state with any mathematical certainty the rate of decrease 
of timber, but in my opinion at least one-fourth more timber is annually destroyed 
than is replaced by a new growth, and it is the agency of man which throws the bal- 
ance on the losing side, the process of nature pro and con being in equilibrium. 
6th. Whether the planting of trees has been resorted to ; “and if so, whether by 
shoots or transplanting, and with what success: Except inside of garrisoned posts 
I know of no general attempt to plant trees. Transplanting has been successful at 
this post, many of the cottonwoods on the parade being taller than the houses, and 
from four to ten inches in diameter after five or six years’ growth. The great ‘aiffi- 
culty in setting out trees on the open prairies is the certainty. of being blown down by 
high winds before they have acquired sufficient root to support themselves. Quite a 
larze tree was destroyed in this way inside of the garrison in 1876. 
The only way to make transplanting successful out of the bottoms would be to begin 
along the ravines and bottoms and gradually extend toward the prairie as the trees 
become numerous enough to offer a barrier to the wind. I know nothing of setting 
out shoots, and do not Delieve it would succeed. 
FORT A. LINCOLN. 
Latitude, 46° 46’ 17’; lengitude, 100° 50/ 57’.. On the right bank of 
Missouri River. The average monthly rainfall from November 1, 1876, 
