14 FOREST BELTS OF WESTERN KANSAS AND NEBRASKA. 
trees are SO feet in height. Larger trees, thriftier growth, and better 
reproduction are to be found north of the Niobrara than south of the 
North Platte. A well-preserved stump in Monroe Canyon, mm Sioux 
County, measures 49 inches across the top and has 380 annual rings. 
Measurements of 10 pines on top of Scotts Bluff showed an average 
height of 21 feet and a diameter of 10.5 inches breasthigh, with a 
stand of about 20 trees to the acre. These figures indicate the size 
and density of much of the timber yet left in that section. 
In a canyon some 15 miles southeast of Scotts Bluff is one of the 
few places where the timber has been unmolested in recent years, and 
as a result some excellent trees are developing. Ten thrifty trees at 
this place average nearly 18 inches in diameter breasthigh and 40 
feet in height. 
The better growth of the Pine Ridge region north of the Niobrar: 
is shown by the measurements of 10 trees at the head of Willow 
Creek, in Dawes County. These averaged 57 feet in height and 25.4 
inches diameter breasthigh. All are fine trees, with clean, straight 
stems. They stand on one-fifth of an acre, and there are several 
acres in this vicinity that average 50 equally good trees. 
REPRODUCTION OF ROCK PINE, 
The reproduction of pine on the areas included under the pine 
type is fairly good, though it is much less abundant south of the 
North Platte than on Pine Ridge. It was observed in 1901, however, 
when a field party of the Bureau of Forestry was at work in this 
region, that there was in many places a striking lack of seedlings 
less than 3 or 4 years old. To secure accurate information, ‘as to the 
facts and their possible explanation, a number of detailed studies 
were made of the seeds and seedlings from different seed trees. In 
the case of five trees dry cones were collected and the seeds examined, 
with the following results: 
Tree No. 1.—Diameter breasthigh, 7.7 inches; height, 22 feet. 
The tree was in healthy condition, and had made a height growth of 
10 inches during the season,’ but stood practically solitary, and the 
eround upon which its cones fell was covered with grama-grass sod, 
affording unfavorable conditions for the start of seedlings. Cones 
of various ages covered the ground beneath the tree. Those which 
had apparently fallen within the two previous years were counted 
and examined. They numbered 351, and were scattered over an area 
of 15 by 20 feet. The seed are usually dropped before the cone 
falls, but 212 seeds were obtained from the 351 cones, not one of which 
was capable of germinating. Although there was some indication 
of insect injury, ¢ careful examination showed that a majority of the 
aThe examination was m: ae in ean 
