FORESTRY. 543 
"ip 
There are, however, considerable belts of timber on some of the hills and along the 
larger water courses for a like distance, or even greater, further west. The largest 
areas of timber in the Cherokee country are between the Grand and Arkansas Rivers 
on the west and the State of Arkansas on the east. Timber of considerable extent 
is also found on the Verdigris and Canadian Rivers and some of their tributaries 
within the same nation. 
‘‘There are two principal lines of drainage: the first is formed by the Arkansas 
River and its tributaries. Of the latter, on its northern side, mention may be made 
of the Verdigris, the Grand and Dlinois Rivers, and the Sallison and Deer Creeks; and 
on its southern side, the Canadian and Sans-Bois. The second line is that of the Red 
River and its confluents from the north, which drain the southern portions of the 
Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations. The growth on the hills and uplands embraces, 
according to locality, hickory, pine, post and red cak, and the usually small and 
scrubby varicty known in the familiar language of the country as ‘blackjack,’ and 
which perhaps covers a larger extent of country than any other single variety. Sugar- 
maple and white oak are also found in some parts of the country. Three varieties of 
hickory are found, known as the white, black, and scaly bark. In the bottoms and 
low lands are sycamore, softmaple, walnuty pecan, ash, cottonwood, elm (three kinds) 
several varieties of oak, lynn, birch, wild cherry, willow, coffee-bean, locust, and red 
birch. There are also found red cedar, chineapin, black gum, persimmon, pawpaw, 
wild plum, and various other trees of small growth, and shrubs. The pine, which is 
of the kind known as yellow or pitch pine, is in the Cherokee and Choctaw Nations. 
In the former the pineries are within thirty miles, more or less, of the Arkansas State 
line, and are in the hills bordering on the Grand and [linois Rivers, and Spavina and 
Lee’sCreeks. Those inthe Choctaw Nation, laminformed, are also inits eastern portion. 
As there have been several saw-mills in operation fer a number of years in the Chero- 
kee pineries, which have not been regarded as of much extent, their capacity for 
yielding lumber is materially reduced. The same remark, to a less degree, may apply 
to the Choctaw pincries. The black walnut is frequently of larger growth and 
superior quality for shingles and furniture. The pecan is also of large growth, and 
besides yielding its rich and valuable nut, makes excellent clapboards, fire-wood, and 
implements for which the hickory is so much prized on account of its toughness and 
elasticity. The post, white, black, and overcup oaks are also frequently of large 
growth, and are used for rails, house-logs, boards, and farming implements. Cotton- 
wood is of rapid growth and attains large size. It is used for rails, but is not much 
valued for any purpose. It is, however, the principal growth found on the streams 
after proceeding a hundred and fifty miles or so west from this place. 
__ “The Cherokees have laws designed for their protection of their timber, and which 
have been reasonably effective except on the Kansas border. Depredations there are re- 
ported as having extended several miles (eight or ten) into the nation. Notwithstand- 
ing this, however, and the considerable quantity of timber used for railroad ties and 
building purposes, I am of the opinion that the forest area is constantly extending in 
this country, and that the supply is ample for all the wants of the people, although it 
is not so generally distributed over fertile and desirable portions of the agricultural 
lands as would be available and profitable.” 
Mr. Vore, in his communication, says: 
‘“This Indian country, measured with the eye, is about four hundred miles from 
east to west, and about two hundred and fifty miles from north to south. From the 
eastern boundary, about 94°.50 west longitude, to the 97th degree, at least two-thirds 
of it is forest. From the 97th degree to the 100th the western boundary is nearly all 
prairie. A small skirt of timber, or rather a skirt of small timber, commencing south 
of the South Canadian River and running south, known as the Upper Cross Timbers, 
which is about 97°.50 west, and small skirts along the rivers and water-courses, is 
about all there is west of 97°. The forest in the eastern portion is principally of oak. 
It is the heaviest and largest in the valleys of the rivers and creeks, and consists of 
overeup, red, black, and water oaks. There is also in these valleys the cotton- 
wood, elm, pine, ash, black walnut, hackberry, box-elder, cedar, and birch. On the 
hills and mountains the timber is mostly post and blackjack oak. There is also some 
pine on the sides of the mountains, principally in the Choctaw country and in the 
southeastern portion of it; it is also found in the flats, none, however, west of 96°. 
North of the Arkansas there is none west of the hills bordering on the Grand River. 
As I stated, the forests in the eastern portion of the country are the largest, tallest, 
and densest, gradually growing smaller, shorter, and more scrubby, unsound and more 
wind-shaken, until you reach the plains. Much of the post-oak timber is unsound. 
The largest bodies of cedar are in the valleys of the Canadian and Arkansas Rivers, 
are full of limbs and knots, fit only for posts. 
“Pour-fifths of the country1s drained by the Arkansas River and its tributaries, and 
about one-fifth by the tributaries of the Red River. Commencing at the eastern 
boundary, near the Red River, you have the Little River with its mountain, and Roll- 
ing Forks, heading in the State of Arkansas, running southwest into the Choctaw 
