1902. 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 



283 



REPRODUCTION OF RED CEDAR ON LEE ISLAND, FREMONT, NEBRASKA. SEED-TREE IN THE 



FOREGROUND. 



mens are found for the same reason 

 given in other regions : they have been 

 cut for posts and other purposes. In 

 the course of time a limited supply of 

 valuable post timber can again be cut 

 from these areas. 



In Scotts Bluff and Banner Counties 

 some of the best growth is found in 

 moist places in the canyons. There is 

 also fair growth in more exposed areas. 

 The reason for the better growth in the 

 canyons is due, perhaps, to the protec- 

 tion given by the cliffs. Some very 

 large specimens originally grew in this 

 region ; the largest now standing is five 

 feet in diameter and 40 feet in height. 



The Red Cedar is not abundant in the 

 Pine Ridge region. For two hundred 

 miles along the Niobrara River, in the 

 northern part of the state, only scatter- 

 ing and isolated specimens are found. 

 Some of the nearby canyons contain 

 much young growth, and in many places 

 the bluffs are dotted with cedar stumps, 

 showing that formerly there was a dense 

 growth of this species here. During 

 the early days large quantities of tele- 

 graph poles, ties, and posts were cut 

 along this river and shipped to various 



points in the state. So completel}' has 

 the cedar been removed, that were it 

 not for the remaining stumps, one could 

 scarcely believe that there had been, 

 originally, a dense growth of timber 

 anywhere along this stream. 



Less than thirty years ago the canyons 

 east of Anselmo were filled with a mag- 

 nificent growth of Red Cedar. Many 

 scrubby specimens still remain in this 

 region, but only one gives us aii}^ knowl- 

 edge of the character of the timber that 

 once grew here. This is a lone tree, 

 60 feet high and 18 inches in diameter. 

 Telegraph poles, posts, etc., have been 

 hauled from this locality a distance of 

 35 to 40 miles. Man}' other instances 

 might be given setting forth the original 

 condition of the Red Cedar in Nebraska, 

 but those mentioned above will suffice 

 to give a somewhat general idea of the 

 primitive supply of this valuable timber. 



Owing to the present scarcity of Red 

 Cedar in most localities, it is rather diffi- 

 cult to thoroughly test the rate of 

 diameter and height growth of the older 

 class of trees. The better growth is on 

 private land, and it is seldom that per- 

 mission can be obtained to cut for analy- 



