The northwestern region. extends from Ohio to Iowa and Minnesota, inclusive. In its original state it had every variety of forest feature repre sented, from the heavy forests of broad leaved species of the Ohio bottoms and the dense Ctm(ferz forests of Michigan, through every gradation of lighter forests, openings and belts, along the streams, to the grassy prairie and the treeless plains which everywhere terminate this district on the west. It is represented by about 105 to 110 species, about sixty-eight or seventy of, which may reach a height of fifty feet. In southern Ohio and Indiana, the forests are of broad leaved species; oaks and various hard woods grow to magnificent size and of good texture, while black walnut, bass wood, white wood (or tulip tree), attain here their greatest development. The pineregion may be said to begin in northwestern Ohio and extend across 1 ichigan and Wisconsin to northern Minnesota. The northern parts of the three States last mentioned now furnish a larger quantity of sawed lumber than any other part of the country. The census of 1870 gave the total production of sawed lumber in the United States at 12,750,000,000 feet, and of this Michigan furnished over 2,250,000, and Wiscon sin over 1,000,000, the two States producing upward of one-fourth of the whole yield of the country. The Chicago Lumberman's Exchange gives as the receipts of lumber at that city over 1,000,000,000 feet for each of the three years following that census. This is sawed lumber, exclusive of laths, shingles, and all forms of hewed timber. A prominent journal devoted to the lumber trade, gives the production of logs , for a single river during the winter of 1873-'74 as 433,000,000 feet, and deplored the dull trade, as shown by such a short crop. To illustrate the capacity for sawing lumber, it may be stated that a single mill in Michigan, on June 3, 1874, as a test of capacity, sawed 179,718 feet of lum ber in three working hours, the actual running time being two hours and forty minutes. (This was given on the authority of a local journal.) Many mills boast a capacity of 50,000 to 150,000 feet per day. But these examples of production tell a story of destruction also ; and great as is the supply of pine in this region, it is so rapidly diminishing under the demands of the growing cities of the West, that serious apprehensions are awakened of a scarcity within a comparatively few years. The data for northeastern Minnesota are very meagre. Between the pine forests and the treeless plains, the prevailing trees are of broad leaved species, sometimes forming forests of considerable density and size. Sometimes the limits of prairie and woodlands are well de fined ; at others there is a regular gradation, through glades and openings. from the actual forest to the prairie. It must be remembered that the uncolored portions of the map are by no means always treeless. A region with less than forty acres woodland per square mile, if sparsely settled, may have sufficient timber and wood for the ordinary wants of such a population. Again-, there are other regions without actual trees, but with low shrubs, sufficient for fuel and many other uses. The prairies of this region are the typical prairies of the country. Respecting their origin and the conditions which have rendered them treeless there have been many theories, which it is not necessary here to discuss. Periods of ex cessive drought, fires, the physical texture of the soil, are the lead ing thetries, some advocating one, and some another. Where the prairies are uncul tivated or have at most but a sparse population, the patches of wood (where they occur) are doubt less diminishing in number and area through man's agency. Where, however, a prairie region is largely occupied by settlers and a considerable part Is under cultivation, the amount of wood is doubtless rapidly increasing. This is brought about in part by checking the fires which would otherwise kill the trees while young, in part by fostering in various ways any spontaneous growth of wood that may occur, and in part by actual planting. In some places the aspect of the coun try has been entirely changed in this character by the settlement of the country ; and in the more fertile regions there seems no good reason why a future supply of wood and timber may not be produced on lands originally treeless, whenever the price is sufficiently enhanced to make a successful growth profitable. The south western region extends from Kentucky and Mis souri to Alabama and thence westward to the western edge of the timber in Texas. Originally the eastern and southeastern portions were heavily wooded, prairies, however, occurring far eastward in the district, increasing in num ber and area westward, until the dry and tree less plains are reached which skirt the whole western border. It has about 112 to 118 'species, sixty to sixty-five of which attain a height of fifty feet. The belt of pine of the southeastern States extends into this region near the gulf of Alabama, thence running west and leaving the coast, extending into the Indian Territory and Texas. This belt is not continuous, however, west of Mobile bay, and there are other detached areas of considerable extent with valuable pine lands. In this district are swamps having an immense growth of cypress. Although so much of Contferce may be found, broad leaved species constitute by far the most abundant element of the forests, embracing both hard and soft woods, and some species, which are shrubs or small trees elsewhere, attain in this district large dimensions. Sassafras, which is but an insigni ficant tree in New England, in Missouri becomes a tree sometimes three or more feet in diameter, equaling camphor-wood for the manufacture of chests for household use. Black walnut is also abundant in places and grows to great size, and various species of timber trees are abundant over large parts of this district. This region has not furnished so much wood or timber to commerce as either of the districts before con sidered. This is not due to any deficiency in quantity or quality of its woods but entirely to other causes. In this district, as in the north western, the woods diminish westward, and finally fade out in the oak openings and cross timbers of Texas and the fringes of wood that follow the streams far beyond the other trees into the plains west. Over most of this district, particularly the better wooded portions, the area of woodlands is not seriously diminishing, but, as elsewhere in places most available for com merce, the better timber trees are disappearing. In the western borders, where the supply is at best sparse, it grows yearly less by the destruc tion or use of the scanty supply, and no efforts are made to replace it. West of the districts described, the treeless belt already spoken of, separates entirely the wooded portions of the two sides of the continent, a belt extending from Mexico to the Arctic ocean. It is fully 850 miles wide in its narrowest part, between latitude 36° and 37°, widening to our northern boundary where it is eight hundred miles wide, or wider if we include a few outlying patches of timber on some of the northern ridges and mountains. Different parts of this belt, theplains in common language, vary greatly in their aspect. Some times they are absolutely treeless, as far as the vision extends; in others a fringe of timber from a few rods to several miles wide skirts the streams, while the spaces between are treeless ; and again others, particularly northward, some of the intervening hills are dotted with scattered cedars, usually shrubby and crabbed, but in places attaining the size and dignity of trees. The Black Hills have heavy forests of pine and spruce, and appear like a forest-island three hundred miles long rising out of this sea of plain far from the forests of either side. A few other similar though smaller detached forests occur in this--treeless waste. The causes which have left this great area so bare are, without doubt, mostly climatic. Although in places the character of the soil is unfavorable, the great cause is doubtless the scanty or capricious rain fall of the region. What can be done toward clothing this with trees by artificial means is an entirely' unsolved problem. The Rocky Moun tain region lies near the chain so-called and north of latitude 36°. From the Columbia river northward to Alaska, forests clothe the whole mountain belt, except where too high or on limited parks and prairies. On our northern boundary the treeless plains suddenly cease at the eastern base of the chain, (about longitude 113° 40' west, and heavy forests are almost continuous thence westward to the Pacific south of the Columbia river (about latitude 38°, north) the forests of this chain are everywhere separated from those near the Pacific by dry and treeless plains and valleys of greater or less width. The forests of the northern part of the chain are continuous from Alaska southward to about latitude 42°- 40' north, where a net r y treeless belt about a hundred miles wide cuts entirely through them from the bare plains east to the more barren ,basin in the interior. South of this belt, forests begin again and extend southward from southern Wyoming across Col orado and into northern New Mexico, more than four hundred miles, with a width of two hundred to two hundred and fifty miles. This forest is of varying degrees of density and inter spersed in it, are many treeless, or nearly tree less valleys called parks. This forest is sur rounded on every side by treeless areas, the limits usually sharply defined except along the southern and southwestern edge, where they shade off more gradually in density. The north western part of this forest is continuous with the forests of the north slope of the Uintahs, and these again with the forests of the Wasatch of Utah. Southwesterly in New Mexico and Arizona, are detached forests of similar charac ter, clothing in each case mountain chains. These forests are everywhere of Conifem. The whole tree vegetation consists of twenty-eight or thirty species, about one-third of which are broad leaved kinds and two-thirds conifers, the latter constituting the forests. Of the former, box-elder (-Yegundo aceroides) occurs most shun dantly along the eastern base of the mountains; two kinds of cottonwood, along the streams of the plains or in the parks; alders along streams but higher in the mountains; the aspen as a small tree (locally known as Asp) in the moun tains and on the margin of time parks. No oaks occur as trees, but a scrubby form, (Quercus alba, var. Ounnis mdi,) rarely more than ten to twenty, feet high sometimes occurs on the foot hills of the south. These and a few other species known to the botanist but not abundant as wood, and usually here as stragglers from some other region, make up the teu or eleven broad leaved species. The great Colorado forest spoken of consists essentially of five species of conifers, viz., Pines ponderosa, (called here yel low pine.) P. contorta, (called tamarack, and red pine,) Abies Enyelmanni, (really a spruce, but called white pine, as it is a soft white wood,) A. Mengiesii, (called here balsam,) and A. lasii, (called by a variety of names). These five species are by far the most abundant, large areas often being covered almost exclusively by but one or two of them. Other species not here named, are frequently met with; not rare, as the botanist would say, but of vastly less economic interest than the species enumerated. On the outlying spurs and ridges Which extend into the woodless region on every side, scrubby cedars are found, and in the drier valleys the nut pine or pinon (P. edulie) is abundant, particularly southward— a low, scrubby tree, usually less than twenty and rarely more than thirty-five feet high. These, with a few others, make up the eighteen or twenty species of Coniferce. The timber of this region is diminishing much faster than a legiti mate use demands. Where one tree is cut
for use, ten perhaps are killed by fires, which destroy great forests nearly every year, kindled by the ,carelessness of the whites, or perhaps as often by the Indians, who sometimes fire the forests to drive out game, sometimes to annoy an enemy, anti sometimes no one knows why. Whatever may be the cause, blackened trunks disfigure many hundreds of square miles. For that portion of the Rocky mountain region lying between the forty-third and forty-ninth parallels accurate 'information is, as a whole, rather meager. For Idaho and the Yellowstone region, they are more complete and reliable, but for the region north and east of the Wind River moun tains they are scant and unsatisfactory. The species of the northern Rocky mountain region are perhaps the same as those south, but varying in relative abundance. The two magnificent firs Abies yrandis, (called white spruce, but in Ore gon yellow fir,) and A. amobalis, become more abundant. In the northern part, particularly in the Kooskooskie region, heavy pine forests are reported. West of the Rocky mountains is another treeless or sparsely wooded region, which extends from the Columbia river to Mexico. Its northern portion narrows northward, but forms an important part of the valley of the Columbia and its tributaries; it embraces the whole of the great basin except insignificant edges of the rim; it throws out an eastern branch entirely through the Rocky mountains, and southward it is con tinuous with the treeless or sparsely wooded region which extends across the continent along our southern frontier. In this area occur the driest and the most inhospitable deserts of our country. It is of too varied character to admit here of details. Some portions are grassy prairies, some are plains of lava, others are deserts of drifting sand, others are half naked rock cut by canons, others are alkali plains and short valleys, others are great areas covered with sage brush and grease-wood, others pass into chapparal, in fact, there is every gradation, from naked barrenness to great forests. Some of the mountain chains found in this area are as bare of trees as are the valleys themselves;' others have large shrubs of scrubby pines or cedars, while others are clothed with forests. Tlfe extreme northern part consists largely of lava plains. South of this the Blue mountains of Eastern Oregon have heavy forests of pine, fir, and spruce of the same species found in the northern Rocky mountains. Still south of this are the sage plains and deserts. In Nevada the valleys are treeless, (with very rare exceptions,) the ridges sometimes bare, sometimes dotted with shrubs and scrubby pines, the actual amount of wood being small, yet of inestimable value to a country so rich in minerals and so poor in wood. Over parts there is a crabbed, shrubby growth, becoming in places, chapparal, but oftener of scattered shrubs, attaining in favorable places the size of small trees. One of these, called mountain mahogany, (Cercocaipus ledifolies,) is often over thirty feet high, with a base two feet in diameter, the wood very hard, close-grained, dark-colored, and taking a beauti ful finish when wrought. The shrubby vegeta tion of the region, including as it does the sage bushes, grease-woods, creosote bush, etc., is of great interest to the botanist, but can hardly claim further notice here. South of latitude 35° are a few species of small trees of much greater value. Of these, first in importance is the mes quite, (Prosopis(Algaroba)glandulos s.) thriving in hot, dry places in the valleys and on the mesas, but is rare on the steeper slopes. The tree has a spreading habit, rarely more than thirty feet high and twelve inches in diameter. The very hard and durable wood is used for a great variety of purposes. Posts in use for fifty years are still sound, and its value for railroad ties must ultimately be great. The fruit, of eight to twelve beans, in along, sweet, pulpy pod, like that of the carob (or St. John's bread) of the Old World, is a valuable food for animals, and even for man, while in Western Texas a considerable trade has sprung up in mesquite-gum, which is similar to gum-arabic. This species extends from California to Texas, and in the future will doubtless be extensively planted and cultivated. The tornillo or screw-pod mesquite (Prosopis pubescens) is smaller and of more restricted range, but of similar use Another small tree, called arbol de hierro, or iron wood (Olneya te-sota) is of much local value, and may become a commercial wood. Other broad leaved trees occur; cotton woods and sycamores are common along the streams. In parts of this region are several Ca ti and one Yucca, attaining a tree-size, more picturesque in the landscape than useful to man.
The higher mountains of Arizona are well timbered with conifers. The prevailing species are red spruce (Abtes Doug! ii) and yellow pine, (P. brachyptera). The most notable of these forests (the limits of which have lately been demonstrated by the explorations of Lieut. Wheeler) extends nearly 400 miles. Other isolated forests, occupying mountains, are indi cated on the map. On many of the lower ridges, the riinon (Pious eduli.) abounds, furnishing food to the Indians and fuel to the whites. It is a crabbed shrub, rather than a tree, usually less than twenty or twenty-five feet high. Other trees occur of more limited range or abundance, the actual number known to botanists in the whole of this vast region amounting, to about thirty-five species. The Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains lie nearly parallel with the coast of the Pacific, with their eastern base 100 to 200 miles distant from it. This chain is nearly continuous from the northern frontier southward to latitude 35", a distance of about 1,000 miles, everywhere a broad and high chain, its summits far above the line of tree vegetation, often in the perpetual snow, culminating in the loftiest peaks in the United States. Its broad western slope is everywhere heavily timbered. Along the coast for the same distance are the Coast Ranges, a system of mountain chains more or less connected together, but broken by gaps and separated by valleys, and usually rather steep on tliG ocean side. They form a belt twenty-five to fifty miles wide, and are mostly between 2,000 and 4,000 feet high, but with numerous points rising to twice that height. The Coast Ranges are generally wooded. tween these two mountain systems a series of valleys extend their whole length, from Puget Sound to Southern California, cut across by a few ridges, so that it is not a single continuous depression, but rather a succession of valleys. North of the Columbia this valley is heavily wooded. The forests are open, but the trees are large, and little prairies are interspersed. Pass ing southward, the valley of the Willamette is largely prairie, but there is an abundance of wood for all uses. Between the Upper Willa mette and the Upper Sacramento, several ridges cross from the Coast Ranges to the Cascades, and forests and prairies alternate. The former are heavily timbered. The great central valley of California is by far the largest of the series, and is treeless, or but sparsely wooded, for an area 420 miles long by thirty to sixty miles wide. The northern half of this has more wood than the southern, where large areas are absolutely treeless, except a very narrow fringe along the few streams. This region of mountain and val ley, as a whole, and in all its relations, eco nomic, scenic, and botanic, has, perhaps, the most interesting tree vegetation known. The whole number of species known to botanists amounts to eighty-eight or ninety, but a vastly smaller number are found in any oue botanical or commercial district. Many of the more noted species are very restricted in their range, and not more than three or four important tim ber trees extend the whole length of the region. It is therefore necessary to treat its parts more in detail than in the case of the other districts. In this district are, perhaps, the grandest forests on the globe. In Washington Territory. they are made up of but few species, of which Abies Douglasii, (called here red fir,) is the most im portant. Commonly 150,or more feet high, and four or more feet in diameter, but sometimes fifteen feet (in extreme cases even over twenty feet) in diameter and over 300 feet high, straight growth, the wood firm, elastic, holding spikes with great tenacity, it produces the most noted timber of the Territory. Oregon cedar, (Thuja gzVantea,1 yellow or punkin pine, (P. ponde r,sa,) yellow fir, (Abies grandis,) black spruce, (A. Menziesii,) are the next most abundant species, all attaining a great size. The popular names are much confused, the generic terms of cedar, pine, spruce, and fir are all very loosely and capriciously applied. The finest of the forests are about Puget Sound, and on the western flanks of the Cascades. On the Coast Ranges, the forests are denser, and with tangled undergrowth, but the trees not of such large average size. Regarding the wonderful quantity of wood produced, one authority, (for many. years Surveyor-general of the Territory) states that the whole region west of the summit of the Cascades to the Pacific, and north of the Colum bia, will yield an average of 32,000 feet per acre of merchantable lumber. He states that about one-thirty-second part of this area is prairie. The following extracts from the annual reports of the Commissioner of the General Land-Office of the United States relate to this Territory: The land will produce from 25,000 to 300,000 feet per acre, and there are, vast tracts that would cover the entire surface with cord-wood ten feet in height; there-are localities that would afford double. Again, the reports speak of the forests of pine, fir, and cedar which grow thickly, from one to fifteen feet in diameter and 200 to 300 feet high; and again, of the forests of red and yellow pine of gigantic growth, often, attaining a height of 300 feet and from nine to twelve feet in diameter. Similar testimony could be greatly extended. In the extreme northeastern part, and east of the Cascades, are forests of pine; these forests are in character more like those of the Rocky moun tains, with which they are continuous. Passing south of the Columbia river, the same species occur; but the forests are not so heavy, although individual trees may be as large. Prairies become more numerous and larger, and oaks and other broad leaved trees become more com mon in the valleys. In places, larch (Larix Occidentaiis) is abundant, and the yew (Tams brevifolia) attains in Oregon and Northern Califor nia a height of fifty or seventy-five feet, a greater size than is attained by any yew elsewhere in America. As a whole, Oregon is . very heavily timbered. Passing southward to California, the tree vegetation changes still more, and becomes the richest in species of any region west of the great plains, embracing a total of over eighty species. Some fifty species of Coniferte have been enumerated by botanists, embracing several species, and even genera, found elsewhere. All the conifers of Washington and Oregon are found here, but not in the same relative abun dance or size. The yellow pine (P. ponderosa) attains its greatest development, and is often over 200 or 250 feet in height, and four to eight (sometimes twelve) feet in diameter. The sugar pine (P. Lambe•tiana) is perhaps the most valu able pine of the State; is abundant, of excellent quality, and great size. There are four firs (Abies of the section Picea,) three large spruces, and about twelve species of piue, more or less abundant. (More than twice that number of supposed species have been described by botan ists.) The big trees (S quota gigantea) occur on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, and are too well known to need notice here beyond the remark that the ease with which they are propa.