218 GEOLOGICAL SUKVEY OP THE TEEEITORIES. 



reason why a system of canals may not be constructed which, would not 

 only afford water for irrigation, but also a means of transportation, un- 

 less it be that it would not be remunerative. At present, such projects 

 are impracticable, the population of that section not requiring them, 

 and the slow movements of this mode of transportion are not adapted 

 to present requirements. But the day may, and probably will, come 

 when a canal from the upper waters of the North or South Platte, or of 

 the Arkansas, to the Missouri or Mississippi, will justify the transpor- 

 tation of minerals and products of the Eocky Mountain regions, which 

 would otherwise be valueless. It is possible a difficulty would be ex- 

 perienced on account of the porosity of the soil, but so far as tried for 

 irrigating ditches no difficulty, so far as I am aware, has been experi- 

 enced in this respect; but these, it is true, have a much greater descent 

 than could be given to a canal intended for transportation. But in sum- 

 ming up the resources of this portion of the country, these should not 

 be overlooked because they would not at present be remunerative. 



FORESTS, TIMBER, ETC. 



We may state, as a general fact to which there are but few exceptions, 

 that west of the one hundredth meridian there is no other useful timber 

 than pine and fir until after we have crossed the Sierra Nevada Eange, 

 and if for the California side we add the celebrated redwood, we em- 

 brace nearly all the important timber in the western part of the United 

 States. While the Territories and Pacific States have many advan- 

 tages of which they may with proj)riety boast, it is useless and unwise to 

 shut our eyes to the fact that the general scarcity of timber is a serious 

 drawback. West of the one hundredth meridian the timbered land . 

 cannot be fairly estimated at more than one-twentieth of the whole area. 

 This is the estimate given for California by C. F. Eeed, esq., president 

 of the State board of agriculture, and is as high an estimate as can 

 fairly be made for the entire western section of the UnioD. And if we 

 exclude from the calculation Oregon, Washington Territory, the north- 

 ern parts of Idaho and Montana, even this would be too high. As a 

 matter of course, if we look at the mountain region of California and 

 Northwestern Wyoming, the Uintah and Colorado Mountain groups, 

 Northwestern Montana, Oregon, and Washington Territory, this esti- 

 mate will appear to do injustice to the country. But when we take into 

 consideration the broad, treeless plains stretching eastward from the 

 base of the main range, the naked hills, valleys, mesas, and plains of 

 New Mexico, Arizona, and Western Utah, the barren plain of Green 

 Eiver, treeless expanse of the Laramie Plains, the smooth and rounded 

 hills and slopes of Southern Idaho and Southern Montana, and com- 

 pare their extent with the narrow, timbered strips that skirt their streams 

 and occasionally flank the elevated ridges, we will be apt to think the 

 estimate rather too high. But for fear I may be accused of doing in- 

 justice to this country in these remarks and others I desire to make on 

 this subject, I will quote the very appropriate and timely remarks of 

 C. P. Eeed, esq., president of the California State board of agri- 

 culture, published in the Transactions of the California State Agricul- 

 tural Society for 1868-'69 : 



" We have frequently called the attention of our agriculturists to this 

 subject, (tree and forest culture,) and have at different times urged 

 action in its behalf by the legislature. No more important subject can 

 be named for legislative encouragement or for energetic action on the 

 part of the people. We are all interested in whatever affects the com- 



