190] 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 





THE BLACK HILLS FOREST RESERVE. 



By Edward 

 Bureau of 



THE Black Hills Forest Reserve of 

 South Dakota contains approxi- 

 mately 1,215,000 acres including 

 the Wyoming portion, which was added 

 to the reserve by proclamation of Presi- 

 dent McKinley, September 19, 1S9S. 

 Within the limits of the reserve, there is a 

 population of about 25,000 who are chiefly 

 engaged in mining, the annual output 

 amounting to some $3,000,000. Lead 

 City, the principle mining center, where 

 the Homestake Mine is located, has a 

 population of S,ooo and is constantly grow- 

 ing, while Deadwood, its sister city, claims 

 5,000 people. 



Custer, Hill City, Keystone, and Spear- 

 fish, towns of from 1,000 to 2,000 in- 



M. ( ii:n 1 1 1 11. 

 Forestry. 



wood; and the Homestake Mining Com- 

 pany also operates :i narrow ^-iu- 

 from the eastern foothills to Lead. S 

 the cities, mines, and lumber mills have 

 excellent railroad facilities. 



The character of the country, > ii- name 

 implies, is hilly, the average elevation 

 being 5,000 feet, with Harney Peak 7. |x>8 

 feet, the highest point. Granite is the 

 prevailing rock on the easl side ol the 

 Reserve, and limestone on the v. 



Pimis Ponderosa, commonly called 

 Yellow or Bull Pine, composes at least 

 ninety per cent, of the timber, and is the 

 only species which reaches a merchantable 

 size. Spruce (P/cea canadensis} is found 

 in the gulches, and on some of tl e steepest 



A SAWMILL COMMUNITY IX BLACK HILLS, sol ..I DAI 



habitants, lie along the line of the Burling- 

 ton and Missouri Railroad which crosses 

 the Reserve from north to south. The 

 Northwestern Line has a railroad on the 

 east side of the Hills, which enters Dead- 



slopes, hut is too short and limber ' 

 any commercial value. Aspen | P 

 tremuloidcs) ernes 1 p readil) aft 

 and serves as an excellent nui-e fol the 

 young pines. 



