The Forester. 



Vol. V. 



JULY, 1899 



No. 7. 



Natural Reforestation in the Southwest. 



The Gradual Restoration of Tree=Growths on Denuded Lands. 



BY THE SPECIAL AGENT OF THE DIVISION OF FORESTRY, 

 DEPARTMFNT OF AGRICULTURE.* 



The importance of tree and shrub 

 growth in the mountain and foot-hill re- 

 gions of western America, adjacent to 

 irrigated regions, is evident. The for- 

 est reservations of the arid regions were 

 set apart by the National Government 

 for the purpose, primarily, of affording 

 protection to the farmer. Mountain for- 

 ests and chaparral, in acting as conser- 

 vators of moisture, need no better argu- 

 ment in confirmation of their value than 

 the present activity in Southern Califor- 

 nia regarding forest management and 

 reforestation. 



Recognizing the importance of forest 

 cover to irrigable lands, every public- 

 spirited citizen in that section has be- 

 come interested in forestry. A flourish- 

 ing association has been built up in the 

 five southern counties, and a subordinate 

 forest and water society has also been 

 established in each county. Knowing 

 well that the life of the country depends 

 upon the perennial flow of mountain 

 streams, every board of trade, educa- 

 tional association and city council, and 

 many private corporations as well, have 

 formulated petitions aimed at procuring" 

 the most effective service possible. 

 Some measures of this sort are neces- 



[*The wiiter of this article, who is the De- 

 partment's expert in tree-planting, has just re- 

 turned from a trip, of nearly three months dura- 

 tion, through this section of country. Ed.] 



sary, in order that the welfare of that 

 section of country may not be seriously 

 affected by inadequate protection, either 

 to the forests or the lesser growth cov- 

 ering the mountains. For the valleys 

 depend upon the mountains for a con- 

 stant supply of water. 



The financial loss entailed by a pro- 

 longed scarcity of water has had a great 

 influence in arousing public opinion. 

 The people of Southern California 

 justly consider the fine forest reserves of 

 that region as communal property; for 

 these reserves with their growth of Pine, 

 deciduous trees, chaparral, and grass 

 give an additional value to the agricul- 

 tural lands. 



The farmer depends as greatly upon 

 forest conservation as he does upon the 

 team which turns the furrow. Naked 

 mountains induce destructive floods, del- 

 uging the valleys with sand, mud, 

 gravel and boulders. Then there are 

 alternating periods, more or less pro- 

 longed, when the streams are dry or 

 greatly reduced in volume of flow. The 

 modifying influence is the forest, chap- 

 arral and grass covering of thi moun- 

 tains. 



It is a matter of general public knowl- 

 edge that the mountains are natural res- 

 ervoirs, but only so long as they are 

 covered with vegetable growth, with 

 forests as the basis of this growth. It 



