56 



SCHOOL AGRICULTURE 



broad leaved species, with conifers intermixed, gradually 

 changing to the westward into the prairie country. To the 

 west of the prairie belt lie the plains and semi-arid regions, 

 where tree growth is almost entirely absent. Into this type of 

 country the Rocky Mountain forests protrude. These forests 

 are principally coniferous. Parallel to the coast from north to 

 south extends the Pacific Forest, along the mountain slopes of 

 the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and Coast Range. These forests 

 have trees of most magnificent development, with only a few 

 broad leaved species. Here grew the famous "big trees" now 

 rapidly vanishing before the lumberman. 



Scene in Forest Reeserve. 



From this vast forest domain the federal government has 

 set apart nearly two hundred million acres, as great national 

 reservations. These reserves are controlled by expert forest- 

 ers, whose policy as here-to-fore explained, is that of careful 

 usage of all the forest resources. All of these reserves are in 

 the far west, but since the federal government last winter ap- 

 propriated about twelve million dollars to purchase eastern 

 reserves, we may hope soon to have some of the national for- 

 ests in West Virginia. * 



PRACTICAL EXERCISES. 



1. Map Studies of Forest Areas of the United States. Consult 

 the maps of the United States in the School Geographies. Note the 



