BIG TKEES OF CALIFORIS'IA. 9 



area a hundredth part of that which the redwoods cover exchisively. We are quite 

 unable to state the number of square miles or acres on which the Big Trees grow, 

 except for two of the groves, the Calaveras and Mariposa, both of which have been 

 carefully surveyed by our parties. It may be roughly stated, however, that this 

 area does not, so far as yet known, exceed bO square miles, and that most of this is 

 in one patch, between Kings and Kaweah rivers, as will be noticed farther on. 



The Calaveras Grove is the most northerly, and one on the south fork of the Tule 

 is the farthest south of any yet known to us. They are also quite limited in vertical 

 range, since they nowhere descend much below 5,000 or rise above 7,000 feet. They 

 follow the other trees of California, in this respect, that they occur lower down on 

 the Sierra as we go northwards; the most northerly grove, that of Calaveras, is the 

 lowest in elevation above the sea level. 



There are eight [ten as now constituted] distinct patches or groves of the Big Trees — 

 or nine, if we should consider the Mariposa trees as belonging to two different groups, 

 which is hardly necessary, inasmuch as there is only a ridge half a mile in widtli sepa- 

 rating the upper grove from the lower [now counted as one grove]. The eight groves 

 are in geographical order from north to south: First, the Calaveras; second, the 

 Stanislaiis [or " South Calaveras " Grove]; third. Crane Flat [or Tuolumne Grove]; 

 fourth, Mariposa; fifth, Fresno; sixth, Kings and Kaweah rivers; seventh. North 

 Fork Tule River: eighth, South Fork Tule River. 



Two small groves, the Pierced and Dinky, and six trees, called the 

 '"North Grove,'- in southern Placer County, must be added to the 

 above list. Mr. AVhituey's description of the first eight groves is as 

 follows: 



CALAVERAS OR " MAMMOTH " GROVE. 



The Calavera.«i Grove is situated in the county of that name, about 16 miles from 

 Mur])hy 's Camp, and near the Stanislaus River. It is on or near the road crossing the 

 Sierra by the Silver Mountain Pass. This being the; first grove of the Big Trees dis- 

 covere<I," and the most accessible, it has come more into notice and been much more 

 visited than any of the others; indeed, this and the Mariposa Grove are the only 

 ones which have Ijecome a resort for travelers. The Calaveras Grove has also the 

 great advantage over the others that a good hotel is kept there, and that it is accessible 

 on wheels, all the others l^eing at a greater or less distance from any road. (See Pis. 

 I, II, lY, XIV, and XV.) 



This grove occupies a belt 3,200 feet long by 700 feet broad, extending in a north- 

 west and s<)Utheai?t direction, in a depression between two slopes, through which 

 meanders a small brook which dries up in summer. There are between 90 and 100* 

 trees of large size in the grove, and a considerable number of small ones, chiefly on 

 the outskirts. Several have fallen since the grove was discovered, one has been cut 

 down, and one has had the bark stripped from it up to the height of 116 feet above 

 the ground. (See PI. II, fig. 2.) The bark thus removed was exhibited in different 

 places, and finally found a resting place in the Sydenham Crystal Palace [England], 

 where it wa.s unfortunately burned in the fire which consumed a part of that building 

 a few years since. The two trees thus destroyed were perhaps the finest in the grove; 

 the tallest now standing is the one called the "Keystone State;" the largest and 

 finest is known as the "Empire State." The height of this grove above sea level is 

 4,759 feet. 



STANISLAUS OR " SOUTH CALAVERAS " GROVE. 



The next grove south of the one just noticed is south of the Stanislaus River, near 

 the Vxjrders of Calaveras and Tuolumne counties. It has been described to us as 

 Ijeing about 10 [now estimated to be 6] miles southeast of the Calaveras Grove, 

 on Beaver Creek, a Vjranch of the Stanislaus. It is said to contain from GOO to 800^ 

 tree?i, but none as large ad those already described. 



TUOLUMNE GROVE. 



About 25 miles south ea.<?t of the last-mentioned grove is another, which may be 

 called the Crane Flat Grove, as it is from a mile to a mile and a half from the station 

 of that name on the Coulterville trail to the Yosemite, in a northwesterly direction. 

 It was visited by our jjarty in haste, and its extent was not ascertained nor the num- 



*The former owner of this grove, Mr. J. L. Sperry, gives the number as 101. 

 'The former owner, Mr. J. L. Sperry, places the number at 1,380. 



