March 15, 1906] 



NA TURE 



475 



FORESTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. 

 ""THE United States Geological Survey has already issued 

 in the form of reports various papers dealing with 

 the conditions of the localities in the more important forest 

 reserves. Professional Paper No. 29 of the forestry series 

 of the department deals with the forest conditions in the 



ed Valley in the Woodland Area of the Lincoln Forest Re 



Absaroka division of the Yellowstone Forest Reserve, Mon- 

 tana, and the Livingstone and Big Timber Quadrangles. 

 This report first treats of the location, extent, and 

 topography of the Yellowstone Reserve. The forest itself 

 is almost wholly coniferous, consisting of pines, spruce, 

 silver and Douglas firs. A most interesting account is given 

 concerning the distribution of these 

 species, especially in regard to alti- 

 tude and aspect. As regards the ages 

 of the trees ' the greatest diversity 

 prevails. Age classes occur, varying 

 from 15 to 20 years, 75 to 100 years ; 

 also stands from 200 to 300 years 

 old are represented, this condition of 

 things having been brought about by 

 fire, the different age-classes corre- 

 sponding to burns of different periods. 

 The character and volume of mer- 

 chantable timber are next carefully 

 gone into. These naturally vary 

 according to the species of tree, as 

 well as the altitude and aspect in 

 which it is growing, and the report 

 brings out very interesting facts in 

 this connection. 



Like other forest reserves, the pre- 

 sent one is divided into a number of 

 smaller divisions called townships, 

 which are carefully described in detail. 

 Two useful land classification maps 

 are appended. 



A report of the forest conditions in 

 the Little Belt Mountains Forest Re- 

 serve, Montana, and the Little Belt 

 Mountains Quadrangle, forms Paper 

 No. 30 of the same series. Here 

 again the principal species are 



conifers ; but the chief value of the forest lies in its effect 

 on the conservation and regulation of the rainfall, hence it 

 is more in the nature of a protection forest than one pre- 

 served for its timber production. 



The forest conditions of the Lincoln Forest Reserve, New 

 Mexico, are described in Paper No. 33. This reserve was 



NO. 1898, VOL. J$] 



created by proclamation of the President in 1902. The 

 description of the included area is again given by town- 

 ships. The area is more or less mountainous, and, as a 

 natural consequence, the woodland growths are found to be 

 divided into zones determined by altitude. A very interest- 

 ing graphical representation of the various zones and species 

 occurring in them is included. Short descriptions of the 

 different species of trees are given, 

 among which the yellow pine (Pinus 

 potulcrosa) is the chief timber tree. 

 The conservation of trees in the re- 

 serve is of enormous importance in 

 connection with the irrigation of culti- 

 vated lands in its neighbourhood, or 

 vast areas that could be used for 

 agricultural purposes if a regular 

 supply of water were secured. Arti- 

 ficial tanks are at present employed 

 for the storage of intermittent surface 

 flows of water to be used for domestic 

 purposes and irrigation. 



Paper No. 39 consists of a report 

 of the forest conditions of the Gila 

 River Forest Reserve, New Mexico. 

 This reserve was established by Pr?si- 

 dent McKinley in 1889. The reserve 

 includes several prominent mountain 

 ranges, and on the whole the area is 

 well watered, the streams from the 

 mountains carrying a considerable 

 flow to a long distance beyond the 

 forest regions. The reserve is 

 traversed by fairly good roads and 

 trails which follow the valleys. Agri- 

 culture is extensively carried on along 

 N M . San Francisco River, but not to such 



an extent along Gila River. The 

 settlers formerly found a very ready 

 market for their produce in the mining camps at Coonev 

 and Mogollon, but several of these camps have been de- 

 serted within the last year or two, and the market has 

 become considerably restricted. Grazing is an important 

 industry in this region, but will require careful attention 

 and supervision to prevent the inevitable result of over- 



-Artiticia 



• Supply 



stocking, as this not only leads to a total destruction of 

 the grass roots, but also gives rise to drought at one period 

 and disastrous flooding at another. The yellow pine is 

 found to grow very well in this region, and will probably 

 form the principal species in re-stocking the land when the 

 older timber is removed. 



