418 C. S. Sargent—The Forests of Central Nevada. 
where its highest peak, “Table Mountain,” reaches an eleva- 
tion of 11,200 feet, and offered an excellent opportunity to 
examine the timber supply of that central portion of Nevada. 
The forests of this portion of the State are composed of but 
seven species. Of these, two, the Red Cedar (Juniperus Vir- 
giniana L.) and the Aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) 
extend across the Continent; two, Pinus Balfouriana Murr. 
and Pinus flexilis James, extend along the mountain ranges 
from the Rocky Mts. of Colorado to Mt. Shasta in California ; 
two, Pinus monophylla Torr. and Juniperus Californica Car- 
riére, var. Utahensis Engelm. are endemic to the “Great Basin ;” 
while Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt., although occurring as a 
shrub both in the Rocky Mts. and in California, only here 
becomes a valuable tree. 
Neither the Red Cedar nor the Aspen needs be considere 
here. A single small plant of the former was noticed; and it 
is evidently so rare throughout this region that it adds but 
little to the value of its forests. The Aspen borders all the 
mountain streams above 8,000 feet elevation, but, rarely sur- 
ssing fifteen feet in height and a few inches in diameter, is 
ractically without value for its products. Further east in the 
ahsatc ts. this species is sometimes seen with stems two 
feet through; and it is largely used by the Mormons, who 
consider it valuable for flooring, turnery, ete. 
Juniperus Californica, var. Utahensis, is the most common, 
and the most widely distributed of the trees of this region. 
It is found at lower elevations than any other tree, and alone 
descends into the valleys, where, at an elevation of 5,000 feet, 
it is often abundant, but less so than on the mountain sides, 
over which it spreads up to 8,000 feet elevation. It is a low, 
is moderately hard, pale colored, and slightly aromatic, fur- 
nishes the common and cheapest fuel both for domestic use and 
Junipers (as pointed out by Dr. Engelmann) by its 4-6-coty- — 
y. 
ledonous embryo. Without fruit it may be easi 
‘with Juniperus occidentalis Hook., which species, however, has 
not been detected in Central Nevada. Like all the trees of the 
“Great Basin” this Juniper is of exceedingly slow growth. 
specimen before me four and one-half inches in diameter shows 
