SUBTET- OF FOEEST EESEBVE-. 61 



fiairly adapted to agricnltnre. The trade relations of tlie Black Hills 

 have 50 far depended almost entirelr on mining and its related indus- 

 tries. A^icnltnre "has been sapxxirted by a demand created by the 

 mines, and the extensive forest "[estmction which has taken place Las 

 had for the most part tbe same jreneral cause. 



THE FOREST. 



The forest of the Black Hffls. except in the northwest portion, is 

 rather open. There Is commonly some grass under the trees. The 

 principal and almost the only tree of commercial importance is the 

 western yellow X'iue. In the eastern part of the hills there is some 

 white sjjmce, and burned areas hare been exteiisively occupied by the 

 quaking aspen. The forest is broken and irregular, with a very large 

 per cent of ui sound and mis.shaped trees. In some cases, as the result 

 of fie-, nearly every tree on a considerable tract is unsonnd. Fifty j>er 

 cent of defective timber is not uncommon. The amount of standing 

 timber jier acre, almost throughout the forest, has been greatly reduced 

 by the long prevalence of forest fires. The dead standing timber 

 throughout the hills is estimated at firom 3 to 4 per cent of the whole 

 forest. 



The yellow pine here reat-hes average dimeusions as follows: Height. 

 70 feet: diameter. IS inches: length of clear trunk, .5.5 leet. It occurs 

 in the Black HiUs without regard to the character of the soiL In 

 nearly all cases the timber, reduced by successive fixes, is by no means 

 np to the standard which the soil is capable of producing. 



There are three classes of old trees which differ in development and eharacter. 

 The first c] ^-r is found on rich soil and in protected situations. The trets average 

 abont 20 inchf s in diaiLe wr and have a Tnai-imiim size of 3 feet. This timber reaches 

 a height of lOP, Lut is on theaveragenotover>^l feet high, and the sterna are stiaiflii 

 and clear of limh~ for 30 to -50 feet. >uch timber is grown in crowded stands. For- 

 est of this character is fonnd, in jjlaces. on the divide west of Spearfish Canyon, on 

 South Box Elder, at the head of Spring Creet, on -oldier. Cold Srring?. and Sand 

 creeks, and elsewhere in small amounts. It has a yield of 4,*XjO to 8,C<X» board feet 

 per acre, on an average. 



The second class of original timber is that which covers the greater portion of ' 

 the Black Hills. It has abom the same develoi>ment in diameter, bnt is not as tall 

 as class 1. It averagTS about So to 70 feet in height and has a clear length of 25 to 

 i>: iticX. The forest has not grown as dense as that above described. This kind of 

 forest is fonnd in sitoations more exposed to external dangers, and ha^ >'een more 

 subject to injnrybyforest fires than class 1. The for^ts aoo-:t Cnster and Hill Citv 

 are repr^ntations of this class of timler. 



The third elass of timber is fonnd on ridges and steep slopes, and is toTh s_ aller 

 and shorter than the first two classes . The average dian.ct*r : s alont 14 to 17 inches 

 and the height not over 60 feet. (From the report of Mr. Grave-, j 



Large areas of second growth occ-ur throughout the Hills, with an 

 average density probably not fer from seven-tenths of the normal, whOe 

 that of the original growth is u.sually flve-tenths or less. 



The average yield of the original Ibrest is less than 4.IXK) feet per acre. 

 A careful summary of the standing timber in the different watersheds 

 leads to the following: result: Area of staiiding timber, 2.0.><J square 

 miles; area already cut. 40-5 square miles: standing merchantable tim- 

 ber in board feet, 1,440,000,000; ftiel and small wood, 13.1.50,000 cords. 



Careful countin g of annual rings by the special field assistant assigned 

 to this reserve, Mr. H. S. Graves, indicates that, in general, lumber 

 trees with an average diameter of IT inches on the stump can not be 

 produced under one hundred and fifty years, nor mine timbers in less 

 than eighty or one hundred years. The greater part of the young 

 growth now standing in the Black Hills is of two ages — 40 to 50 years 



