(PURVEYS OF FOREST RESERVES. 105 



striking in size, beauty, and value. Four principal forest types may 

 be distinguished. 



Lowest of all is the forest of gray pine, which is distributed in alti- 

 tude from 500 to 4,000 feet above the sea. Very little of the reserve 

 is occupied by forests of this type. Higher up is the main pine belt, 

 characterized by the sugar and yellow pines, growing with the red flr, 

 incense cedar, and sequoia, and mingled with considerable quantities 

 of the amabilis flr, which descends out of the higher zone it distinguishes 

 to mingle with the lower forests. Xext above is a forest type, charac- 

 terized by the white and amabilis flrs, which are found up to an altitude 

 of 9,000 feet, and still higher is the subalpine forest, occupied by four 

 pines of little economic value and other mountain forms. 



The gray pine is found within altitudinal limits of 500 to 4,000 feet. 

 It reaches an average size of 40 feet in height and ^ feet in diameter, 

 with a length of clear trunk of 15 feet. Its peculiar method of branch- 

 ing gives it to some extent the shape of a deciduous tree, while its small 

 size and the coarse and knotty character of its wood prevent it from 

 reaching economic value. 



The knob-cone pine is chiefly interesting from its curious ability to 

 protect its progeny against fire. Its cones persist upon the trees and 

 remain closed for years, until the heat of a forest flre opens them and 

 allows the seeds to scatter. A young growth thus springs up after the 

 parent trees have perished, and the perpetuation of the species is 

 assured in the face of difflculties under which almost any other tree 

 would succumb. This pine grows at elevations from 1,500 to 2,000 feet, 

 and reaches an average size which may be roughly stated as follows: 

 Height, 30 feet; diameter, 1 foot; length of clear trunk, 10 feet. 



The sugar pine is not only the most beautiful tree of its genus on the 

 globe, but perhaps the most valuable economically as well. It flourishes 

 between altitudes of 3.000 and 7,000 feet, and reaches average dimen- 

 sions, under favorable circumstances, of 2l0 feet in height, 6 feet in 

 diameter, and lOO feet in length of clear trunk. Where transportion is 

 available it is extensively used for lumber, which fetches an extremely 

 high price. Elsewhere, large numbers of trees are felled for the manu- 

 facture of shakes (rough, hand- made shingles), which bring prices 

 sufBcient to lead to the destruction of great numbers of superb trees. 

 The shake industry is wasteful in the extreme, since but a small per 

 cent of each tr< e felled is used, and very often, when a fallen giant is 

 found to split indift'erently, the per cent of waste reaches lOO. The 

 reproduction of the sugar pine is abundantly sufficient to secure the 

 perpetuation and increase of the species under skillful treatment. 



The western yellow pine, distributed in altitude from 2,000 to 10,000 

 feet, is by some botanists separated into two species. Its average 

 dimensions at moderate elevations are as follows: Height, 175 feet; 

 diameter, 5 feet; length of clear trunk, 50 feet. The yellow pine is a 

 lumber tree of the flrst economic value in other portions of the United 

 States, but is here less considered because of the great supplies of stiU 

 better m aterial which are at hand . Young growth is common at moderate 

 altitudes. 



The Douglas flr (Douglas spruce, red flr) occurs chiefly in the lower 

 portion of the yellow-pine belt. It reaches here an average height of 

 175 feet, an average diameter of 5 feet, and an average length of clear 

 trunk of 50 feet. It may be remarked thafmany of the trees of this and 

 other species in the Sierras, standing, as they do, more or less free from 

 crowding, have a less height of clear trunk than the same species in 

 other localities. 



