FOREST CONDITIONS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON 411 



ary in a narrow fringe to its southeast corner, where the forests 

 of the Blue mountains cover a considerable area. Altogether I 

 estimate that out of the total area of the state 47,700 square 

 miles, or 71 per cent, are wooded. All this is not, however, 

 covered with merchantable timber, inasmuch as much of it is 

 inferior in character, and other large areas have been cut or 

 burned and are now growing up again. 



From the data collected T estimate the total amount of standing 

 timber in the state to be in the neighborhood of 187,000,000,000 

 feet, of which amount more than two-thirds, or 137,000.000,000 

 feet, are found west of the crest of the Cascade range, the re- 

 mainder, 60,000,000,000, being upon its east slope and in the 

 northern and eastern portions of the state. This is the amount 

 as estimated upon the basis of the practice of the lumbermen of 

 the west coast, where the standard for lumber is extremely high 

 and the practice in cutting very wasteful. For instance, in this 

 region no tree is cut unless it will furnish at least two sticks each 

 20 feet in length, and each of which will square 15 inches, or 

 have a diameter on the trunk of at least 2 feet, nor is anything 

 used which is at all knotty, only clear lumber being cut. The 

 remainder of the tree, after selecting the parts above described, 

 is left to rot or to add to the conflagrations which sweep through 

 the region every summer. - . 



The forests west of the higher parts of the Cascade range are 

 composed of 62 per cent of red fir, 16 per cent of cedar, 14 per 

 cent of hemlock, and 8 per cent of spruce. The fir is found 

 most abundantly in the depression between the Cascade and 

 Coast ranges, where the forest is almost entirely composed of it. 

 Its range extends up the mountains to an altitude of about 3,000 

 feet, where its place is taken by hemlock and cedar. Toward 

 the Pacific coast the proportion of fir diminishes and its place 

 is taken by spruce, which is most abundant immediately on the 

 coast, and by cedar. Hemlock is found mainly upon the moun- 

 tain slopes, which it climbs to a much greater altitude than fir. 



Yellow pine is found only east of the crest of the Cascades, 

 but throughout this region it is the predominant growth. At 

 considerable altitudes its place is taken, to a large extent, by 

 lodge-pole pine (Pinus murrayana), which throughout this region 

 is regarded as of no possible use, although farther east, where 

 timber is scarce, it is considered to be of value. 



The portion of Washington west of the crest of the Cascades, 

 concerning which I have the fullest data, is one in which lum- 



