18 FOREST BELTS OF WESTERN KANSAS AND NEBRASKA. 
been blown from trees on the opposite side of the canyon, not less 
than a quarter of a mile distant. On another area 15 by 24 feet, in 
Monroe Canyon, 291 trees, ranging from 4 inches to 5 feet in height, 
were counted. <A plot 20 by 25 feet, on a steep north slope in Sow- 
belly Canyon, contained 380 seedlings from 6 inches to 6 feet in 
height. This plot is an excellent seedbed, as there is plenty of humus 
in the soil and a fair covering of leaves on the ground. The densest 
growth observed was at the head of Hat Creek. An area of 1 square 
rod at this place contained 317 seedlings, or at the rate of over 
50,000 per acre. This is an unusual case, but could be duplicated on 
several small plots. 
RATE OF GROWTH OF ROCK PINE. 
In order to determine the rate of growth of the young pine, meas- 
urements were made in various localities. Table II gives the results 
for representative Pine Ridge situations. 
TaBLE IIl.—Average height growth of young rock pine on Pine Ridge. 
| = | | Diame- | | Heigl 
‘ Trees | ; | eight 
Place. | measured. Age. | terat | Height. | growth, 
ground. 1901. 
Years. Inches. | Feet. Inches. 
Crawford, Dawes County, Nebr--------- | 12 10 | 1.8 2.4 4.5 
Bordeaux, Dawes County, Nebr------ ae 15 | 10 1] 2.8 5.5 
Belmont, Dawes County, Nebr - -- ; : 12 12 1.5 3.1 | 8.0 
White Clay Creek, Dawes County, Nebr 12 13 13 | 3.6 3.9 
Valentine, Cherry County, Nebr : : 10 14 1.8 | Aa | 10.0 
Georgia, Cherry County, Nebr. -.---- : 10 | 17 | » 0) 4.6 11.0 
Irwin, Cherry County, Nebr-...---.----- 10 19 22 3.9 "0 
None of these trees show a remarkable rate of growth; indeed, 
most of them are making branches rather than stem, yet all are now 
past the period of early youth, when growth is naturally slow, and 
promise to develop much more rapidly in the future, 
OCCURRENCE OF THE RED CEDAR. 
The red cedar has been so completely cut out that it 1s rare to find 
a thrifty tree of merchantable size. Young growth is abundant in 
many places, but the older trees are extremely scrubby. The latter 
are found on the slopes and among the rocks; many are partially 
dead, and the form of all is inferior. They have a multitude of 
branches and very little clear length, although their low, bushy 
form gives some of them very large diameters. A cedar in Banner 
County, 15 miles sonthwest of Gering, which has long been used as a 
Government landmark, is 5 feet in diameter breasthigh, and has a clear 
