TIMBER. , 323 



The wood of the white elm is well known ; that of the burr-oak resem- 

 bles white oak, is strong and tough, and will prove valuable for many pur- 

 poses. 



In the elevated portion of the interior of the Hills, especially along 

 the valleys in the limestone formation, extending from Custer Peak to 

 Floral Valley, and on the headwaters of Rapid, Castle, Elk, Bear, Butte, 

 and Spearfish Creeks, two varieties of spruce, resembling the black and 

 white spruce of the Northern States, are quite abundant. The trees are 

 tall, growing thickly together, and will furnish logs quite uniform in diam- 

 eter throughout their whole length. In the canons, where the soil is rich, 

 the white spruce attains a height of 100 feet, and is occasionally 2 feet in 

 diameter at the ground. Usually, however, these trees are from 8 to 15 

 inches through, and will prove very valuable in constructing trestles and 

 small bridges on account of the strength of the timber. The wood is white, 

 fine-grained, and remarkably tough and elastic. The small slender spruce- 

 trees are much sought after by the Indians, who visit the Hills in the spring 

 for the purpose of procuring them for lodge-poles. 



It is difficult to estimate accurately the area covered by valuable tim- 

 ber in the Black Hills. Taking into consideration that the foothills are 

 but sparsely wooded ; that there are extensive parks and valleys in the 

 interior destitute of trees, or where there are only scattered groves of pine; 

 that over an aggregate area of several hundred square miles the timber has 

 been destroyed by fire, I estimate that one-half the surface included within 

 the timber-line is covered by forest of more or less mature growth. 



By careful measurements of the map, the area within the timber-line 

 or outer boundary of the forest at the edge of the plains is three thousand 

 eight hundred square miles. One-half of this, or one thousand nine hun- 

 dred square miles, is covered by woods, including the large forests of young 

 trees, as well as the sections of valuable timber. 



Portions of this area are difficult of access, or the timber is wind-shaken 

 and injured in quality, and the forests of small pine are relatively more 

 extensive than the tracts of timber of a mature growth. Hence I estimate 

 that one-fifth the above area of the Black Hills, or nearly eight hundred 



