66 GEOIvOGICAI^ SURVEY OF NEW JERSEY. 



as much wood per acre as the original forest. Some of the best 

 timber here is on the slopes, but, on the other hand, more slopes 

 have thin soil, and there are more bare-rock ledges than on the 

 central plateau, and these have only a stunted growth or none, 

 but they do not exceed one-third of the entire slope area. Flat 

 hill-tops and ravines are well timbered as a rule, although 

 some ridges are quite bare of soil on the top, and the forest is 

 correspondingly poor. 



The larger trees noted were two hemlocks, one mile south- 

 west of West Milford, which measured 30 and 36 inches in 

 diameter and about 60 feet high ; a red oak at the same place 

 measured 42 inches by 40 feet ; an oak one mile north measured 

 54 inches by 70 feet, and another, one and one-quarter miles 

 north, 42 inches by 45 feet, being a very beautiful tree. Near 

 the same place we observed two chestnuts 42 inches in diameter 

 and 40 and 60 feet high ; a maple 42 inches by 80 feet ; another, 

 in a swamp, 48 inches by 70 feet ; an elm 30 inches by 75 feet, 

 with a beautiful spread of weeping branches. A chestnut near 

 by measured 36 inches by 50 feet, and one at Midvale, 54 inches 

 by 50 feet ; a pine at Wanaque measured 30 inches by 50 feet. 

 No very large trees were observed on the high part of the Passaic 

 range. 



Not much reliable data could be had as to values. In the 

 vicinity of Greenwood lake estimates ranged about as follows r 

 Stump land, I5 ; 20-years' growth, $20 ; 30-years' growth, $30. 

 At Midvale, stump land, $5 ; 20-years' growth, $10 to $20 ; 30- 

 years' growth, I15 to $25 ; large oak and chestnut, $60 to |8o 

 per acre. 



We have noticed that a large amount of Highlands forest ranges 

 from 30 to 40 years old, and only a very small amount exceeds 

 45 years. All recent cutting also seems to have been of timber 

 about 30 years old or younger. It would appear that much of 

 the forest now standing, or which has been cut in recent years, 

 dates from about 1850. Up to about that date there was a very 

 large consumption of timber for charcoal to supply forges and 

 furnaces, as well as for other kinds of fuel. Recently the cutting 

 of timber less than 20 years old appears to have been somewhat 

 checked. Most of this young timber was cut for charcoal, fuel 

 and hoop-poles. The reason for this check is mainly to be found 



