250 



TIMBER OF THE PARK. 



"Black or bastard fir is far the largest variety of timber now growing in the 

 park, and usually found scattered through forests of smaller timber near the 

 Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Falls, Upper Yellowstone, and other elevated 

 terraces. It is often found from three to five feet in diameter, and one hundred 

 and fifty feet in height, and is not unlike the eastern hemlock in the irregular 

 form of it branched top as well as the coarse grained, shaky, and inferior quality 

 of its timber. 



" Black spruce, growing on the moist, sheltered slopes of the mountains near 

 the snow, though having a smaller trunk, is fully as tall as the black fir, and is 

 a statelier tree and more valuable for timber or lumber. 



" Bed fir is the next in size (which nearly equals that of the Norway pine 

 of Michigan), and the first in value of any tree in the park for hewn timber for 

 building bridges, etc., for which purpose it is admirably adapted. It is abundant 

 in all except the very elevated regions. 



" White pine, rivalling in symmetrical beauty the white pine of the east, but 

 much inferior in size, and somewhat in quality, is the prevailing timber of most 

 of the elevated terrace groves, and occasionally of the narrow valleys and canon 

 passes of the mountains. It grows very densely, often rendering travelling 

 among it on horseback exceedingly difficult when standing and utterly impossi- 

 ble when burned and fallen, as it is over large areas of the park, proving one of 

 the greatest impediments to exploring as well as to improvement by roads and 

 bridle paths. It is the best material found in the park for lumber, shingles, 

 small timber, rafters, fence poles, etc. 



' Balsam fir, somewhat different from that of the Alleghanies, is abundant and 

 very beautiful, singly or in dense groves or isolated clumps scattered over the 

 grassy slopes, just below the mountain snow-fields. 



" Cedar of a red or spotted variet} 1 ", growing low, and very branched, but with 

 timber valuable for fence posts, is abundant. 



" Poplar or aspen is found in dense thickets among the sheltered foot-hills., 

 dwarf-maple with leaves often scarlet with fungus, is sparingly found, and 

 innumerable dense thickets of willow ; the main value of all these last named 

 varieties being for the food use of beaver or for bait." 



ACT OF DEDICATION. 



The Act by which the Yellowstone Park was dedicated or set apart is as 

 follows : 



An act to set apart a certain tract of land lying near the head waters of the 

 Yellowstone River as a public park. 



Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 

 States of America in Congress assembled, that the tract of land in the Territories 

 of Montana and Wyoming lying near the head waters of the Yellowstone River,, 

 and described as follows, to wit : Commencing at the junction of Gardiner' s- 

 River with the Yellowstone River and running east to the meridian passing ten 

 miles to the eastward of the most eastern point of Yellowstone Lake, thence 

 south along the said meridian to the parallel of latitude passing ten miles south 

 of the most southern point of Yellowstone Lake ; thence west along said parallel 

 to the meridian passing fifteen miles west of the most western point of Madison 



