60 Condition of Forests on the Public Land*. [244 



public lands entered under it, less than 1,000,000 

 acres have been patented to the entry-men for com- 

 pliance with the law. That is, not over 50,000 acres 

 have been successfully covered with young tree plan- 

 tations. 



Before considering the effect of these laws, it may 

 lead to a better comprehension of the subject to out- 

 line the general location, character and condition of 

 the public timber lands. 



Of all those magnificent forests that covered the 

 fertile lands of the middle West and surrounded the 

 Great Lakes, which were originally the property of 

 the government, almost none belong to it now. For 

 this priceless forest treasure the government received 

 nothing, the land alone being regarded as valuable. 

 These forests were attacked with fire and axe, as 

 obstacles to civilization to be disposed of as rapidly 

 as possible, and the government did not interpose the 

 slightest objection to prevent this destruction. 



Here and there in the Southern States there are 

 still considerable timber areas belonging to the Uni- 

 ted States, but these are relatively unimportant, both 

 in extent and for climatic and other reasons. At 

 present the forest bearing lands of the United States 

 are situated either high up on the sides of the great 

 mountain chains that form the back-bone of the con- 

 tinent, or along the slopes of the northern half of 

 our Pacific Coast. These forests are generally re- 

 mote from settlement, but are becoming less so every 

 year, as the tide of population sweeps over the west 

 and absorbs vast quantities of the more desirable 

 portions of the public domain. 



In their natural conditions these regions differ 

 widely. The central mountain region is arid, con- 



