REPRODUCTION OF ENGELMANN SPRUCE 



AFTER FIRE 



By L. J. YOUNG. 



I. PARKS AND THEIR ORIGIN. 



^11011 of the beauty and picturesqueness of the extensive forests of spruce 

 and balsam that clothe the higher slopes of the mountains in south- 

 western Colorado is due to the many so-called "parks" that are scattered 

 throujih the timber. As locally used, the term means any grassy opening in 

 the forest, regardless of size, for they vary in extent from less than a single 

 acre to many hundreds of acres. That they have been rightly named, anyone 

 must admit, especially if seen in early July just after the snow has left them. 

 Then they are covered with thick, fresh grass and an abundance of brightly- 

 colored blossoms from the big, gorgeous columbine of the Rockies to the 

 delicate, little, blue bells of the aconite flower. The whole effect of the grass, 

 the flowers, and the little scattered clumps of trees cannot be excelled for 

 quiet, peaceful beauty, placed as it is in the midst of the big, dark forest, which 

 offers its long, mysterious vistas as a background to the scene. A park in a 

 citv is onlv an imitation. 



However, these parks have much more than beauty to their credit, for 

 it is upon them that the stockman depends for a great part of the summer 

 range, which he must have to maintain his great flocks and herds that mean 

 meat and wool and hides to the people of the East. So we see that the park 

 has also a considerable economic significance that is not to be despised. 



Upon seeing these parks for the first time, admiration is pretty apt to be 

 closely followed by curiosity as to the reason for the existence of such open- 

 ings, where the conditions of soil and moisture are, so far as it is possible to 

 see, the same as in the dense forest just alongside. Inquiries among the 

 people do not give much satisfaction on this point, for all they are so wise in 

 many things not known to ''tenderfeet." But the story is there for anyone 

 who has a chance to read it. A summer's work in the Engelmann spruce of 

 the La Plata Mountains in southwest Colorado gave the opportunity for 

 observations, the conclusions from which form the basis of this paper. 



It is so simple that the pictures alone can almost tell it. But it will 

 doubtless be much clearer if a few remarks are added to furnish the con- 

 necting links and bring out certain facts that the pictures do not show. 



Figure 1 shows part of a stand of fire-killed timber, where the damage 

 has been comparatively recent, since most of the trees are still standing. Not 

 only has the timber been killed here, but all the young growth, together with 

 the forest floor, has been destroyed. After such a catastrophe, one of two 

 things usually happens. Either grass gains possession of the ground soon 

 enough to seriously hinder the return of the spruce by seeding, or the light 

 seeds of the aspen blow into the area in large numbers and establish a dense 

 stand before even the grass has had a chance. The picture shows the grass 

 and shnilts a[)pearing in this particular case, as well as a few spruces in 

 the background that have come up since the "burn." 



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