SURVEYS OF FOEEST RESERVES. 113 



neighborhood of Lake Chelan, some pasturage land which is now used 

 for the grazing of sheep. It is not believed, however, that any but 

 nomadic cattle raising can be extensively developed. The revision of 

 the eastern boundary should exclude considerable areas of the grass 

 land in the Methow Valley, just mentioned, but provisions will still be 

 required to enable residents to run their cattle in the forests under 

 suitable restrictions. The information available at present indicates 

 that the grazing of sheep in this reserve should not be permitted. 



WESTERN SLOPE. 



The western slope of the Washington Forest Eeserve differs conspic- 

 uously from the eastern slope in its forests, climate, and commercial 

 possibilities. It is an area of high mountains, excjessively rugged in 

 its western portion, and with steep slopes throughout. It is well 

 watered, and includes the upper drainage basin of streams which flow 

 through rich agricultural regions farther west. Hitherto its timber has 

 been little used except for mining, and, to some extent, for shingles and 

 lumber, but on the whole the development of the forests has not yet 

 begun. 



THE FOREST, WESTERN SLOPE. 



The heavy rainfall which the westerly winds bring and deposit upon 

 the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains is the chief cause of the 

 wonderful luxuriance of forest growth in this part of the reserve. Its 

 forests are dense, tall, moist, difficult to penetrate, and exceedingly rich 

 in valuable trees. Beginning near the crest of the range with the 

 black hemlock, species after species of useful kind.s is added as the land 

 descends, until in the lower portions forests of Douglas fir (red fir), 

 cedar, and western hemlock grow to an average height of not far from 

 200 feet. Kapid in growth, these forests are also rapid in reproduction. 

 They form a part of the great woodland of the northern Pacific slope, 

 which is the richest coniferous forest of the earth. 



Black hemlock is little used for timber. It occurs only in the higher 

 parts of the reserve, and usually without associates. Its reproduc- 

 tion is fairly good, both in the open and under cover of old trees. 

 The average dimensions of mature trees may be given as follows: 

 Height, 50 feet; diameter, 2 feet; length of clear trunk, 15 feet. 



The lowland fir (white fir), so called because it is widely distributed 

 in the lower regions to the west, occurs at lower elevations than the . 

 preceding species. It reaches average dimensions as follows : Height, 

 125 feet; diameter, 3 feet; length of clear trunk, 50 feet. Occasionally 

 it occurs in dense groups, almost pure. 



The western hemlock is a large tree thriving while under dense shade 

 in youth, and with excellent reproduction in the forests. In the open 

 its reproduction is less vigorous, but still satisfactory. The average 

 dimensions of mature trees may be given roughly as follows: Height, 

 125 feet; diameter, 3 feet; length of clear trunk, 40 feet. 



The western cedar or Pacific arbor vitse is a large tree of the first 

 economic value. Its average dimensions at moderate altitudes are: 

 Height, 150 feet; diameter, 6 feet; length of clear trunk, 25 feet. Its 

 reproduction under cover is good. Young trees are less common in the 

 open. Thi8 tree is extensively used for shingles and for the finer kinds 

 of lumber. It is one of the most highly useful constituents of the Pacific 

 coast forests. Cedar shingles have begun to invade the markets of the 

 East. 



S. Doc. 189 8 



