PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 113 



grows in the valleys and lower slopes. Southward the Colorado & North- 

 western Railway wiqfcs about, as it ascends the mountain, is traced for many 

 miles. Upon the whole this region looks quite encouraging for the young 

 timber on the northern slopes. A hundred miles to eastward is seen the great 

 plain region, dotted with lakes and streams, as now the floods from fast-melt- 

 ing snow fills the streams to overflowing. 



Continuing west I found that the farthermost elevation of Baldy termi- 

 nated in a saddle, where from the head of Saint Vrain Creek a trail leads over 

 to North Boulder Creek. I took other views from this elevation near Arapahoe, 

 and then retraced my steps. 



DESTRUCTION BY FIRE AND AX. 



There are some locations where the entire mountain sides have been de- 

 nuded of trees, partly in clearing for the necessary work of mining, and partly 

 by forest fires. As every live tree is gone, there is no immediate prospect for the 

 mountains being reseeded, and of course they will be bare until either the State or 

 Nation or some benevolent individuals shall procure seed from other locations and 

 scatter it upon the bare tracts. While this is a slow process of forming a forest, yet 

 it is the only one practical for much of this mountain region. To plant small nurs- 

 ery-grown trees would be much better, but there is no likelihood of this being 

 done in Colorado on any extensive scale. In New York, Pennsylvania, or 

 more populous States with great wealth, this is the method now being adopted, 

 but Colorado has not the means for carrying out such a program. Yet Col- 

 orado can, if she will, collect and distribute seed for reclothing these barren 

 tracts with timber. 



There is absolutely no necessity for expensive surveys, map-making and 

 years of study, as to what trees will grow, how far apart they should be 

 planted, nor any other details. These facts are now well known to our citi- 

 zens. The thing to do is to appropriate funds for seed collection of such trees 

 as are well known to succeed at these altitudes, and are now in existence all 

 over the State with an abundance of seed going to waste every year. Then, by 

 distributing these seeds and having it scattered in those bare tracts, they will 

 in due time make trees and timber and lumber for the benefit of the State. 



During the year 1898, wishing to learn more of Rocky Mountain forests, 

 I engaged with the Colorado and Northwestern Railway. In the survey being 

 made in Boulder County, the line gradually climbed the rugged mountains, 

 from Boulder to and over the Divide, where it reached an elevation of 10,000 

 feet. While thus engaged, and upon an occasion when the party was at rest, 

 I ascended Mount Baldy, a great rounded mass at the base of the Continental 

 Divide, yet reaching 12,000 feet above the sea level. The magnificence and 

 grandeur of the views presented from this elevation so fixed themselves upon 

 my memory that I determined, when another opportunity afforded, that I 

 would again make this ascent. 



HIGH-LINE WHITE PINE. 



I find many young trees 20 to 30 feet high of this pine at Ward and on 

 the slopes of Mt. Baldy. The bark on young wood looks like that of silver 



