142 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



Says another : 



The General Government should set apart one section in each county that is organ- 

 ized, to be under tho management of the county authorities, as an experimental farm 

 or station, and largely devoted to forestry. 



Says the fourth : 



The Government will he powerless while the people send to Congress and the legis- 

 latures pine-land speculators and timber-thieves. All stumpage laws should be re- 

 pealed, and timbered lauds unlit for agriculture should be withdrawn from homestead 

 and pre-emption, and disposed of as States dispose of school lands. 



In the matter of production of mills, the reports show that in 1882 

 there were cut into boards and other sawed lumber 440,464,817 feet, and 

 in 1883, 467,523,000 feet, being an increase of 27,060,183 feet over 1882. 



Laths in 1882, 108,336,000, and in 1883, 110,570,000 ; an increase of 

 2,134,000 over 1882. 



Shingles in 1882, 161,188,000; in 1883,161,460,750; an increase of 

 272,750 over 1882. 



CALIFORNIA, OREGON, AND "WASHINGTON TERRITORY. 



This abstract is compiled from a special report of the Hon. Eobert 

 W. Furnas, upon the investigations of forestry in California, Oregon, 

 and Washington Territory, west of the Cascades. 

 The varieties of timber of most importance as hi commercial value: 

 Fines. — Four kinds : The sugar, common, silver, and black-jack. The 

 sugar pine grows 250 feet high and 8 to 10 feet in diameter ; common, 

 170 to 180 feet high and 4 to 5 in diameter; silver, 150 to 160 feet high 

 and 3 to 4 in diameter; and black-jack, 50 to 75 feet high and 1 to 3 

 feet in diameter. 



Firs. — Four kinds : The white, noble ; . lovely, and yellow. White and 

 yellow are most abundant and of most importance commercially. The 

 yellow grows over 300 feet high, with a diameter of 12 J feet; white, 200 

 feet high and 5 to 6 in diameter ; noble, about the same as white, while 

 lovely, being less pretentious, grows to 100 feet in height and 2 to 3 in 

 diameter. 



Tide-icater Spruce. — This variety grows 200 feet high and 8 to 10 in 

 diameter. 



Hemlock. — The Mountain variety grows to 100 feet high and 4 to 5 in 

 diameter ; Mertinsiana exceeds it in height 50 to 60 feet, with about the 

 same diameter. 



Tamarack grows 150 to 160 feet tall and 5 to 6 in diameter. 



Larch is small. 



Cedars. — Thin bark, thick bark, and Port Orford. The first is more 

 common and grows 200 feet high and 5 to 6 in diameter ; thick bark 

 grows 100 feet high and 4 to 5 in diameter; Port Orford is very valu- 

 able and very limited. It is only found in some sections of Oregon, and is 

 characterized by its durability and perpetual odor, and is proof against 

 house moths and insects ; in consequence of which it is in great demand 

 for manufacturing chamber furniture. It grows 200 feet high and 6 to 8 

 in diameter, and the lumber is worth $60 per thousand feet at the mills. 



Sitka cedar is also limited; beiug rare, it is very valuable. It is 

 brought from Alaska. 



Oaks. — Live, white, black, and chinquapin. Oaks on the Pacific slope 

 are not so valuable as in other portions of the United States. The wood 

 is coarse and brittle, the trees are low and inclined to spread, seldom 

 reaching over 50 to 70 feet high, with short trunks; the principal use is 

 for fuel. 



