THE FORESTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 571 



" The Aquarius plateau is said by Sevier Valley stockmen to be abundantly timbered with pine, balsam, and 

 pruce, but Boulder valley (latitude 37 55', longitude 110 30') was destitute of standing timber, save cedar and " 

 poplar on its foot-hill fringe. The country was visited by fires, the Mormons told me, in 1872-'73, which 

 destroyed large areas of the forests in the region southeast of the Grass Valley country. The whole section of 

 Utah lying east of the Sevier valley to the Eio Colorado is better timbered, butVrom its rough and impenetrable 

 location the timber is of no avail to most of the settlers, but only to such as penetrate the high valleys of Grass, 

 Boulder, Potato, etc., lying adjacent to the timber. Fencing on Grass and Eabbit valleys, western Pinto ciounty,' 

 IS cheaper than in Sevier valley, but farmers and stockmen are so poor that they are forced to avail themselves of 

 the no-fence law when breaking ground for crops. 



" In the Paria Eiver region fencing is very limited and lumber expensive, as timber is hard to get out of the 

 mountain canons. 



"In the Kanab River region fencing at the settlements of Upper Kanab and Lower Kanab, Kane county, is 

 said to be expensive, as material is difficult to obtain, the canons leading to the vallev affording a meager supply 

 of cedar and black and white balsam, while some red fir and yellow pine is said to "grow on the Sevier plateau 

 (latitude 370 30'); this, however, seldom reaches a market in the settlements, owing to the isolated situation of 

 these forests. 



" Considerable scrub oak is found on the slopes of the Oquirrh and Onaqui mountains, above referred to, in 

 Tooele county, and many cedar thickets of considerable extent. In Tooele valley some fencing with cedar and panels 

 of balsam occurs. Eush vaUey contains some bull fences of trunks of cedar, costing $1 25 per rod, showing the 

 <iost of even poor material. 



" It will be observed that outside of the Wahsatch mountains no building timber of value has been noted in 

 Utah. The supply in this range has been largely consumed from the easily-approached canons and slopes. 



"In summing up my observations, which were made wholly with a view of investigating the fencing of pasture 

 areas and cost of same, it may be stated that Utah seemed very generally lacking in serviceable material for fencing 

 or building. The country settled for thirty years has drawn upon the near supply of standing timber, so that now 

 lumber is obtained by great exertion and expense in most of the valley settlements. The labor and cost of fencing 

 caused Brigham Young to enact the no-fence law, which enabled the destitute settlers to break ground, irrigate 

 and raise grain without the provision of any barrier against stock inroads, the cattleman being held responsible 

 for the damages of his herd. This law in itself is a commentary on the scarcity of timber in Utah." 



NEVADA. 



The tree growth of Nevada, except in a portion of Douglas county, in the extreme western part of the state, 

 which the forests of the California sierras just reach, is confined to the low ridges of the central and southern 

 part of the state. The most important of these-the Humboldt, Toiyabe, Monitor Creek, Timpiute, Hot Creek 

 Kawich, and probably others bear near their summits, in sheltered ravines, scattered patches of stunted white 

 pine {Pmus flexths) of suflBcient size to furnish saw-logs. The lower slopes of the mountains of this region are 

 often quite thickly covered with small nut-pines and groves of the mountain mahogany (Cercocarps), here attaining 

 Its greatest development. Below the nut-pine low, stunted junipers cover the foot-hills, often extending, in the 

 central part of the state, across the narrow elevated valleys which separate the low mountain ranges. 



The great development of the mining interests of Nevada has already nearly exterminated its scanty and 

 stunted forests. The white pine has been cut in the neighborhood of mines from all the mountain ranges, and 

 the most accessible nut-pine, juniper, and mountain mahogany have been converted into cord- wood or made into 

 charcoal. The forests of Nevada are nowhere reproducing themselves, and a scarcity of fuel, even for domestic 

 purposes, must soon be felt. 



A considerable amount of lumber is manufactured in the neighborhood of lake Tahoe, in Douglas county, and 

 sent in flumes down the eastern slopes of the sierras to supply Carson City and Virginia City. The lumber- 

 manufacturing interests of the remainder of the state are necessarily small and unimportant. Their entire 

 extermination, with the forests which furnish them material, cannot be long delayed. 



During the census year 8,710 acres of woodland were devastated by fire, with a loss of $19,000. The fires 

 were traced to hunters and Indians. 



IDAHO. 



The western slopes of the Bitter Boot and Cceur d'Alene mountains, which form north of latitude 46 the 

 eastern boundary of the territory of Idaho, are covered with dense, extensive, and valuable forests of fir, pine, and 

 larch. The ridges of the Eocky mountains, wliich below latitude 46 occupy the eastern border of the territory 

 and the extreme eastern development of the Blue monntHins of Oregon, just entering it from the west, are less 

 heavily timbered with a scattered growth, in which yellow pine and red fir are still the prevailing trees. The 

 great central region occupied by the Salmon Eiver mountains is unexplored. These mountains are more or less 

 timbered, but nothing is known of the composition or character of the forests which cover them. Judging, 

 however, from the general elevation and climate of this region, its forests cannot be very important, nor capable of 



