22 



dying and dead ones in the forests near St. Helen, all of which showed 

 evidence of having been killed or injured by a Buprestid larva, while 

 the great numbers of dead hemlock in Clatsop County, Oreg., were 

 sufficient evidence of the destructive powers of the Geometrid. 



The white or grand fir. — This is a very common tree, which would 

 be of special value for the manufacture of pulp but for serious injuries 

 by one or more species of Scolytus and Hylesinus, which infest the 

 living trees, causing a decayed condition of the wood of some and 

 the death of many others, so that the fir is often in an unhealthy 

 condition and the dead and decaying trees contribute to destructive 

 forest fires. It also has a number of other Scolytid, Buprestid, and 

 Cerambycid enemies which infest the wood and bark. The same 

 caterpillar that was found attacking the foliage of the red fir was also 

 found feeding on the leaves of this fir. 



The noble fir. — This is, as its name indicates, a most noble tree, 

 found in its perfection at moderate altitudes. It has a serious enemy 

 in the Buprestid, similar to, if not identical with, that which attacks 

 the red fir and hemlock. While I did not have an opportunity, 

 owing to deep snow, to make extended observations regarding the 

 condition of this timber, it would appear from what was seen in the 

 Cascade Reserve that many of the finest trees have died and that an 

 unhealthy condition prevails. 



The 'Western larch. — This larch, unlike its Eastern representative, 

 grows chiefly in dry sandy or gravelly soils and attains a diameter of 3 

 or 4 feet. It appears to me to be a very hardy tree, often retaining 

 its vitality for months after it is felled. It has a common enemy in 

 Dendroctonus similis, which, as previously stated, is capable of doing 

 considerable harm to this tree and the red fir. Many dead trees 

 were found showing evidence of having been killed by it, and the 

 beetles were common, entering the living bark of recently felled trees 

 in the vicinity of Kootenai, Idaho. A Buprestid bark borer, probably 

 Jlelanophila, was found in all stages of the bark in felled trees, and 

 Scolytus unispinosus was common in the inner bark of the tops and 

 branches of trees felled in the summer of 1898. The number of dead 

 trees observed and the common occurrence of dead branches on living- 

 ones indicated that considerable damage had been done by its insect 

 enemies. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON SOME FOREST PROBLEMS OF THE 



NORTHWEST. 



My interest in forest subjects in general and previous studies of 

 the forest conditions in West Virginia led me to make some general 

 observations on the forest problems of the Northwest which are in 

 any way related to insect depredations, such as the influence of farm- 



