
147 
SIERRA COUNTY. 
(Area, 3,200 square miles; estimated forest area, 250 square miles. ) 
This county is situated in southwestern New Mexico. Its surface 
includes mountains, valleys, and mesas. The Rio Grande River, its 
most important stream, traverses the east-central part from north to 
south, and its broad valley embraces a large section of arable land. 
The county is well watered, and the table lands of the western por- 
tion afford good pasturage. 
The forests are mainly situated in the Black Range at the northwest. 
Pine and Fir are the predominant trees at the higher elevations; Juni- 
per and Oak are found on the foot-hills and mesas, and a growth of Ma- 
ple and Walnut borders some of the streams. 
When the forests have been destroyed they are rarely, if ever, repro- 
duced. The second growth is usually Serub Oak. 
The large streams are not as continuous in their flow as they were be- 
fore the timber in the mountains was cut off. There are more floods and 
longer periods of drought. Many of the small streams have wholly 
failed. 
SOCORRO COUNTY. 
» (Area, 16,500 square miles; estimated forest area, 2,050 square miles. ) 
This county has several classes of lands—the agricultural, which are 
found on the Rio Grande and other streams traversing the county; the 
uplands or mesas, especially adapted to grazing; and the mountain 
ranges, upon which the forests are mainly situated. In addition to the 
above, the San Augustine Plains, centrally situated, cover an estimated _ 
area of 2,000 square miles, and are wholly destitute of trees. In the 
eastern part of the county is a wide extent of desert, embracing barren 
plains, lava beds, treeless mountain ranges, and “ Mal pais.” 
From one-third to one-half of the county is sparsely covered with for- 
ests, if all classes of growth are considered. Along the northern slopes 
of the Pinion and Datil Mountains, upon the Magdalena Mountains, 
the San Francisco and Mogollon Ranges, and on the higher portions of 
the Black Range are forests composed mainly of the Yellow and White 
Pine and Red, or Douglas, Fir. Extensive tracts of large Pines are 
rare, although there are a few in the western part of the county. 
About four-fifths of the entire forest area consists of a small growth of 
Pine, Cedar, Juniper, and Oak. Burned tracts of limited extent are 
common, but they are usually confined to the scrub growths. Aspen 
covers large areas in the mountains. Other species native to the re- 
gion are Mountain Mahogany, several varieties of Oak, Walnut, Mes- 
quit, Box-elder, Water Maple, Cottonwood, Willow, and Wild Cherry. 
| After the destruction of the forests, from any cause, there is hardly 
| any chance for their renewal. Tracts burned over ten years ago are 
still barren. 


