58 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF NEW JERSEY. 



to 12 inches in diameter and 25 to 40 feet high. There is some 

 coniferous growth, mainly spruce and hemlock. Continuing 

 southwest from Berkshire valley, on the road to Davenport 

 mine, it was noticed that some large oaks had been cut, ranging 

 from 94 to 99 years old, and from 21 to 31 inches in diameter. 

 From Davenport mine to Hopatcong, the timber ranges gener- 

 ally from 6 to 24 inches in diameter and 25 to 60 feet high. At 

 one place all trees large enough for railroad ties had been taken 

 out. Southwest of Lake Hopatcong branch of the Central rail- 

 road, over to the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad, 

 the timber is generally from 6 to 12 inches in diameter and 20 to 

 60 feet high, but there is some smaller growth only about 2 

 inches in diameter. 



The age and diameter of a number of stumps in this region 

 east of Lake Hopatcong were recorded, and become an index of 

 the rate of growth of the timber. We give following, first the age, 

 and then the diameter for different kinds of timber : Chestnut, 

 93 years, 32 inches ; 89 years, 13 inches ; 60 years, 14 inches ; 43 

 years, 12 inches ; 33 years, 9 inches. Oak, 99 years, 24 inches ; 

 98 years, 31 inches and 21 inches ; 95 years, 24 inches ; 94 years, 

 27 inches and 24 inches ; 79 years, 14 inches ; 78 years, 13 

 inches; 37 years, 9 inches; 33 years, 9, 11 and 14 inches; 32 

 years, 135^ inches; 30 years, 13 inches. Maple, 33 years, 14 

 inches. It was noted that several trees from 74 to 89 years old 

 had apparently grown rapidly and uniformly until 30 years old, 

 then very slowly for ten years, but after that more rapidly again. 



There is a general improvement in the cleared land and build- 

 ings in the neighborhood of the line of the Ogden Mine railroad. 

 This is, no doubt, partly due to better railroad facilities since 

 this railroad was connected with the Central Railroad of New 

 Jersey and partly to the recent extensive operations at Ogden 

 mine. Notwithstanding this improvement, however, little land 

 has been cleared for cultivation, but the old clearings are better 

 cultivated and cared for. Along the east shore of Lake Hopat- 

 cong there has been a considerable development as a summer 

 resort, but this has not been attended by much clearing-off of 

 forests, the trees being preserved so far as possible. 



From interviews with Mr. Titman, of Sparta, and others it 

 was learned that the greatest damage to forests in this vicinity 



