232 WEST VIRGINIA EXPERIMENT STATION. 



mansion, in Tucker county, which was built by Judge Dobbins 

 in 1856, for a private summer and hunting resort. 



In 1863 there was a great forest fire in the Canaan Valley, 

 which caused the death of the spruce timber on thousands of 

 acres of land. Other like "burnings" started by hunters, de- 

 stroyed large areas of timber in different sections of the spruce 

 region up to 1885. 



In 1877 a great storm commencing near the Dobbins man- 

 sion and proceeding in an easterly direction, through the heart 

 of the spruce forest in Tucker county, cut a path 50 to 400 yards 

 wide, and 6 or 8 miles long through the timber. Subsequent 

 fires started in this windfall caused extensive destruction of 

 timber. 



In 1881 and 1882 the timber along the survey of the W. Va. 

 Central R. R., was cut to Fairfax, in Grant county. A cutting 

 was also made here in 1881 to build camp Midway, which was 

 occupied by the cutters. This was followed by dying timber in 

 1883 and 1884. 



In 1882 it is reported that the region suffered from a severe 

 drouth, followed by a wet season in 1883. 



In 1883 the timber on the railroad survey was cut to Davis 

 and the railroad finished to that point in 1885. 



In 1884 a cutting of about 40 acres was made near Davis, and 

 an extensive burning was made in the windfall of 1877. 



In 1884 extensive timber operations were commenced in the 

 spruce on Shaver's Fork, of Cheat, in Randolph county, which 

 has been continued to the present time. 



In 1885 the timber was cut from the land where the town of 

 Davis stands. 



Soon after the W. Va. Central Railroad was finished to Davis 

 and Elkins, numerous and extensive lumber operations were 

 commenced in Grant, Tucker, and Randolph counties, which 

 have increased each year to the present time. 



In addition to all of these disturbing influences several severe 

 drouths have occured in the region since 1882. 



HISTORY AND PROGRESS OP DYING SPRUCE TIMBER IN THE SPRUCE AREA. 



The earliest information I have been able to obtain with 



