Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-08-07
SOUTHWESTERN PINE TIMBER.
Timber Area Of New Mexico and Arizona
The Sierra Madre's Forests.

The Sierra BIadre's Forests.
In a general way 1t can be stated that
the genus Pinus tapers toward the south,
whereas the Picea comes upfrom Mexico
and runs out in Arizona. OF the former,
P. Murrayana and ponderosa are most
esteemed as building lumber, p. edulis
(the ~Pinon') is hardly good for any
thing but firewood and small beams.
For posts, the red cedar and the jumpers
u. occidentalis and Californica) are
prohtably used. While smaller conifers
extend into the plain, the Pinon grows
ON extensive mesas or table mountains
also, as weH as on lower slopes; the
stately yellow pine covers crests and the
higher deelivities and lines mountain
torrents in deep ravines. Dense forests
enjoys rather widespread timber area
to what is called "Tierra amarillo" gel
low land or soinS and the plateau of the
Zuni range, between Fort Wingate and
Nutria, beats a fine growth of stately
trees. Many canons are well stocked
but, on the whole, denuded and treeless
expanses vastly predominant.
Arizona exhibits similar proportions.
The pine regions around the Sierra
Blanca are everywhere bounded by
naked ranges, basins and plateaux, and
so are the San Francisco mountains.
Towards the south all chains become
more arid, and therefore, in appearance
at least, abrupt and forbidding. There
is, in place of lofty trees thorny shrub
berry, composed of species which, under
favorable circumstances, also assume
aboreal proportions, like the mezquste
| (Prosopis julifora) the palo-verde or
green wood (Parkinsonia Torreyana) the
red madropo (Arbutus Xalapensis), but
conifers are scarce, except in isolated and
not very steep chains, like the Sierra
Huachua and the Sierra Santa-Rita,
south of Tucson. Both are very high,
the latter eliminating at 10000 feet. II
is well-known fact thai the timber
line of Arizona in latitude SO to 81 de-
grees north is several hundred feet
lower than that of Colorado in latitude
3S to 80 degrees, but these are local con
ditions. Under the parallels Of 81 to 81
degrees, In Colorado also, the timber
line is, on AN average, 1000 feet below
that of only one degree further north
600 feet below tie uppeymost tree-limit
of the Arizonian White mountains, anG
LOO feet lower than on the San Fran
cisco range.
No part Of our southwestern territories
has any thing that equals in magnitude
the vast area, covered with coniferou!
forests, of the Sierra Madre of chihuahua
and OF Sonora. The Sierra Madre be
gins In latitude 80 degrees 40 minste!
| about, and as its slopes ascend, th'
growth Of timber thiekens and becomes
more stately. The interior of the chair
is, as far as latitude 30 degrees, vas
elevated basin, thickly studded witt
pines, among which varieties Of Pice;
are prominent. 1t is well watered, de
| lightfuuy cool in summer, not too colo
in winter. Game abounds, for along tn,
water-courses grows luxuriant grass
But the region is inaccessible as yet, TO
80 long as Apache outbreaks occur, s.
long will the savage make this his strong
hold, his place of refuge. The creates
wealth. OF the basin, aside from mine
many of which are yet problematical
consists in its timber. Approach to i
must come from the east, as the western
entrances are few, tortuous and oftel
barred by nearly unscalable heights
New York Post.