590 



FOREST RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 



Mr. S. B. Ladd, in reporting to Professor Hayden^ upon the topogra- 

 phy of the Middle Park division, embraced between latitude 39° 3(y 

 and 40° 20', and between longitude 104° 45' and the Park range, which 

 forms the western boundary of the Middle Park, mentions — 



The ridges and mountaius as well timbered, mostly -with yellow and white pine 

 {Pimts jwndcrosaniid Abies Encj elm mini), and the parks and valleys as bearing a fine 

 growth of scattered timber. In the vicinity of the mining towns a great deal of tim- 

 ber had been cut, and in places over large districts, it had been destroyed by fire. An 

 area of 1,200 square miles was timber-bearing, and the remainder either above timber- 

 line, or else taken up in the open valleys and parks. The western division, including 

 the Middle Park, drained by the Grand River and its tributaries, was well timbered on 

 the spurs thrown oqt from the main range, especially in the eastern half of this sec- 

 tion. The hills formed by the metamorphic rock grew timber, mostly white pine, al- 

 though on the western slopes it is smaller than on the eastern. The amount of this 

 granite timber area is about 675 square miles. The lignite areas, which comprise a 

 large portion of the park, are essentially timbered, but the quality is very inferior to 

 that growing on the metamorphic rocks, and the southern slopes are generally bare. 

 Over large areas the timber has fallen, making it often difficult to travel away from 

 the trails. This class of timber land might be estimated at 425 square miles. The 

 regions covered by the lake-beds are, as a rule, totally destitute of timber. The areas 

 covered by Cretacious No. 1 bear timber, while the remainder of this formation, occu- 

 pying the lower valleys and partially covered by the lake-beds, does not represent a 

 timber country. This is illustrated in the valley of the Blue, where the timber growth 

 follows the outcrop of Cretacious No. 1 across the valley. Tliis class covers about 150 

 square miles of country. The bills capped with lava, grow timber. All told, there aie 

 about 1,250 square miles of timber laud in this western subdivision. 



The timber-line is reported within the boundary of this exploration as 

 follows : 



Some very successful examples of evergreen planting may be seen in 

 Denver and its suburbs. The plants are taken from the mountains, be- 

 ing carefully lifted by spades, and laid upon coarse canvas, which is 

 then bound firmly around the ball, and the trees are taken to the place 

 where they are to grow. The auspicious time for this operation is just 

 after the new growth has started, and while the functions of life are 

 most active. This at Denver occurs about the early part of June. The 

 plant should be abundantly watered as the roots are adapting them- 

 selves to their new conditions. 



The lumber business of Denver in recent years has been as follows : 



1872. Planing-mill products $115,000 Lumber trade $950,000 



1873. Planing-miU products 256,000 Lumber trade 809,000 



1875. Planing-mill products 305, 000 Sash, doors, and blinds 275, 000 



General lumber business. . 320, 000 



1876. Lumber, sash, and doors. . 578, 000 Wood manufactures 95, 000 



Arapahoe Comtty.— The trees commonly cultivated about Denver are the cotton wood 

 (3 varieties) and box-elder that are native, and silver maple, white ash, elm, and 

 honey and black locusts that are introduced. The mountain ash and sugar-maple fail. 

 The willow and cottonwoods come in of themselves in some places, without irrigation, 

 where stock is kept out. — ( Wilson Perrin, Denver, Colo.) 



^Geological and Geographical Survey of Colorado, 1873, p. 661. « Estimated. 



