BUBEAU OF F0EE8TKY. 523 



in Oklahoma to include the Wichita Mountains, which consist of sev- 

 eral low ranges separated by high prairies or parks. For the most 

 part the valleys at the foot of the mountains and the higher slopes 

 are covered by a scattering growth of hardwoods, consisting princi- 

 pally of Post and Black Jack oaks. The land until 1901 was con- 

 trolled entirely by Indians, who used it for grazing, and was regularly 

 burned off each year for the improvement of the range. In the longer 

 settled portions of Oklahoma, wliere originally there were similar thin 

 stands of oak, a dense growth of young oaks sprang up at once after 

 the settlement of the country and the end of the fires. The chief pur- 

 pose of this investigation was to find whether such reproduction is to 

 be expected in the Wichita Mountains. 



A large number of silvicultiiral and reproduction surveys were made 

 on the Wichita Forest Reserve, which includes the principal moun- 

 tains, and evidence was gathered which shows that if fires are kept 

 out of the reserve and grazing somewhat limited a strong though not 

 perfectly distributed reproduction of species such as Post and Black 

 Jack oaks and Red Cedar may be expected. A map of the reserve 

 was made showing the various types of reproduction and areas where 

 timber is -wanting and can not be expected except by planting. This 

 is an important feature of the investigation, since there are large tracts 

 of this kind of land in the reserve. Full information in regard to 

 planting and concerning suitable locations for nursery sites has been 

 obtained. 



A general reconnaissance was made of the timber belts of Oklahoma 

 and surrounding regions for the purpose of finding whether they are 

 extending since the settlement of the country. The opportunity 

 which this investigation afforded to study the planted timber of the 

 region was used. As a result of this investigation a report was sub- 

 mitted on forest extension and planting in Oklahoma. 



KEPKODXJCTION OF THE WESTERN YELLOVT PINE ON THE PRESCOTT 



FOREST RESERVE. 



Because of the small amount of useful timber in central Arizona 

 and the great need of lumber for the rapidly growing mining and agri- 

 cultural interests a study of the reproduction of the Western Yellow 

 Pine was made on the Prescott Forest Reserve. The purposes of this 

 study, as of that made in Oklahoma, were to find (1) how far suffi- 

 cient reproduction exists, (2) whether by artificial means this repro- 

 duction can be increased, and (3) whether planting is practicable on 

 any portion of the reserve. 



Reproduction surveys showed what portions of the reserve have now 

 a sufficient stand of young timber, and some of the causes of the fail- 

 ure of reproduction were ascertained. Abundant evidence is present 

 to show that the vital seed which reach the soil at a seasonable time 

 have a high percentage of germination. Tests in seeding are advisable. 



WHITE PINE REPRODUCTION IN NEW ENGLAND. 



White Pine reproduces itself abundantly on abandoned fields and 

 pastures in certain localities in southern New England, but the dis- 

 tribution of the young trees is not good. A study to discover meth- 

 ods of improving reproduction began in the summer of 1902 and 

 continued far enough to indicate its practicability. The study was 

 carried on locally in Worcester County, Mass., and Cheshire County, 

 N. H. It showed that seed years for the White Pine in that region 



