70 SUEVEYS OF FOREST RESERVES. 



erally good. It Las suffered very severely from the tramping out of 

 its seedlings, in different parts of this slope, by the hoofs of pasturing 

 sheep. 



The lowland fir (white fir) is a tall tree, with clear trunk in good 

 situations, and good reproduction throughout. 



The mountain white pine (silver iiine) occurs at moderate elevations 

 in mixture with the Douglas spruce and various firs. It is a tall tree 

 with long, clear trunk, of great value for lumber and with good powers 

 of reproduction. 



Tiie larch reaches a diameter of from 4 to 5 feet. A tall tree with a 

 very short crown, it reproduces itself admirably, seeding up many 

 burned areas, if not interfered with by sheep, to the north of the Meto- 

 lius Eiver. 



Lodge pole, or black pine, here, as elsewhere, is a small tree with 

 remarkable powers of reproduction. It occupies situations avoided by 

 more valuable trees, but is apt to disapi)ear and be replaced by grass 

 and brush as the result of repeated fires. 



Engelmaun spruce occurs chiefly in hollows and basins. Its reproduc- 

 tion is excellent near seed trees, and the young seedlings bear shade well. 

 In places it is an important factor in the forest. 



The black hemlock is a subalpine tree with good reproduction, but 

 without commercial importance at present. 



The white bark pine occurs on the summits of the mountains, and need 

 not be considered here. Other trees are the western cedar, amabilis fir, 

 and western hemlock. 



FIRE, EASTERN SLOPE. 



Fires have done more injury in this reserve than all other causes put 

 together. It is believed that fire has occurred in every township within 

 the reserve and in nearly every section, and it is evident that many 

 hundred thousand feet of timber have been destroyed. Fires increase, 

 in general, proportionately to the extent of human occupation of any 

 region up to the time when a change of public sentiment takes place. 

 After that time the safety of the forest increases in proportion to the 

 density of population. Protection against fire is made difHcult at 

 present by the absence of trails and by the nature of the forests. 



The larger number of fires on this slope are said to be kindled by 

 campers and Indians. Sheep men have undoubtedly been responsible 

 for many fires in the past, and, as noted by JMr. Goville, the broken 

 character of the forest which permits them to graze their herds on this 

 reserve would not have existed without the agency of fire. 



Fires started in heavy timber are often exceedingly difficult to extin- 

 guish. Such a fire was burning in the vicinity of the Lake of the 

 Woods, in the southern part of the reserve, August 27 and 28, J 896, and 

 was carefully studied at that time. At p. m., although it was said to 

 have been started on the morning of the same day, it had already 

 burned holes from 2 to 3 feet deep, following the roots of dead trees, 

 and was slowly spreading along the surface. The vegetable litter on 

 the ground was dry; but, except for the dead timber stauding'and pros- 

 trate in the woods, this fire would have died out of itself. It was kept 

 alive and enabled to spread chiefly by the fallen logs. Where such a 

 log lay on the ground the fire either crept along its under surface near 

 the ground if the bark had fallen, or if the bark remained it moved 

 usually beneath it, reappearing at intervals along the trunk and ignit- 

 ing the dry humus and litter within reach. Half-rotten logs carried 



