90 SURVEYS OF FOREST RESERVES. 



Irrigatiou has no importaace in this region of heavy rainfall, but 

 floods are common, and, with the progress of settlement, threaten to 

 become exceedingly destructive. The beds of the larger streams, so 

 far as I am acquainted with them, show evidence of torrential action, 

 while stories of their destructive floods are everywhere current. It is 

 a common thing for ranchers to set fire to the great drifts of timber 

 which accumulate in the bends of the streams, in order to i)revent the 

 flooding of their ranches by back-water from these natural dams. Trees 

 whose diameter is several times the average depth of the streams at 

 ordinary stages are transported and piled up during floods, and only 

 the densely timbered slopes of the upper watersheds prevent these 

 inundations from attaining still more formidable size. 



MINING. 



Mining does not appear to have reached any development of conse- 

 quence, nor is there any clear promise of its future extension within 

 the reserve. ' 



AGRICULTL'KE. 



The heavily timbered land in the lower valleys of the streams is 

 capable, when cleared, of producing agricultural crops. Wheat may 

 be raised, but it is so soft as to be unfit for the manufacture of flour. 

 Hops, vegetables, and other crops are produced, but the labor exi^ended 

 in clearing such land is altogether out of proportion to the results. 

 Merely to fell and burn the standing trees, without extracting their 

 stumps, would often involve an expenditure for labor, if the latter had 

 to be hired, of more than $150 per acre, while the land itself, after clear- 

 ing, is worth but a fraction of that sum. The destruction of timber for 

 this poor result is appalling, especially since a considerable proportion 

 of the fires started in clearing extend far into the uncleared forests. 

 Natural prairies, undoubtedly caused by repeated fires, exist here and 

 there, and these are the only lands in the reserve known to me which 

 may fairly be called agricultural. 



Grazing has little importance, nor will it probably develop much 

 beyond the small number of animals owned by settlers. Clearing may 

 eventually transform parts of this region of heavy rainfall intodairy 

 lands of some importance. This change may take place on lands held 

 by private individuals, but the forest destruction it involves is so 

 enormous in comparison with the results obtained, that clearing for 

 such purpose within the reserve should not be permitted. 



FOREST FORCE. 



The forest force required to take care of this reserve on the same 

 scale as that hitherto recommended should include 1 forest rano' r 

 located at Port Townsend, from which point the dift'erent portions of 

 the reserve are most easily accessible, and 5 forest guards, at Lake 

 Cushman, Clearwater, Bogachiel, Wineton, and McDonald's. Fifty 

 fire watchers should be engaged in different parts of the reserve. 



