20 THE BLACK HILLS BEETLE. 



ment of the laws relating to its shipment out of the State, the 

 destructive beetle could have been brought under complete control 

 and millions of feet of valuable timber saved without cost to the 

 Government. 



APPLICATION OF THE METHOD IN COLORADO. 



Pursuant to our recommendations, a large number of trees were 

 felled during the past summer (1905) on private lands in and around 

 Palmer Lake, Colorado, where between 500 and 1,000 trees had been 

 killed within recent years over a comparatively small area. Observa- 

 tions by the writer in October, and explorations by Ranger Edmon- 

 ston in that vicinity, indicated a very slight new infestation this year. 

 It is evident, therefore, that the efforts of the town board and of the 

 citizens in cutting and barking the infested trees has had the desired 

 effect in partially, if not completely, checking the destructive work of 

 the beetle. If this good work is supplemented with a like effort on 

 the part of forest officials during the coming winter, there is every 

 reason to believe that the trouble in this vicinity will be brought under 

 complete control, and that with a little well-directed effort each suc- 

 ceeding year it can be kept within normal bounds. 



The same method was adopted by General Palmer and others, under 

 the direction of Professor Bruner, in the vicinity of Colorado Springs 

 and the Colorado pinery on the Platte and Arkansas Divide. The 

 operation of barking and felling the affected dead and dying trees 

 extended over an area of probably 150,000 acres, and between 600 and 

 800 trees were felled and barked, and the bark burned with the tops. 



A thorough examination of this area by the writer indicates quite 

 conclusively that the forces of the enemy have thus been sufficiently 

 weakened to make their -complete subjugation a comparatively easy 

 matter, especially if the principal areas of present infestation in the 

 reserve receive the proper treatment between now and the first of 

 May. 



It is evident to the writer that in both localities considerable unnec- 

 essary expense was involved in the cutting of old dead trees from 

 which the enemy may have escaped and of those which might have 

 recovered, as well as in burning the bark and tops, peeling the stumps, 

 etc.; but it is plain that the losses from such unnecessary expen- 

 ditures are of little consequence as compared with the great good 

 accomplished. 



