The herald., 1897-02-14

of tamaracks, pines, frs and cedars In
the range, full popular and botanical
description of which was made by Prof.
Lennon, and which can be found in the
second and third reports of the board.
The big trees (sequoia gigantea) are
scattered through the central and south
ern portion of the Sierra in island-like
groves. The original Calaveras and
Mariposa groves are small. Those in
Fresno and Tulare county are large.
Commencing a the northern line of the
Yosemite the whole block of the Sierra
forest to the south, as far as Walkers
pass, is now a splendid forest reserve
1t comprises the Yosemite, the Sequoia
National park the General Grant and
the Mt. Whitney military reservation.
There are also two Indian reservations,
the lines of which touch the forest re-
serve.
The irrigation waters of Central Cali
fornia flow from this Sierra forest re-
serve. A considera BILE portion Of 1t is
patrolled by federal cavalry, and thus
far the former destructive forest fires
have not REQUIRED within the districts
patrolled.
There is no district in this country bet
ter adapted to an educational establish
ment for all forest questions. 1t offers
the following live questions for imme-
diate study: Timber exploitation, for
est fires, pasturage of both sheep and
cattle, torrent action, mining and irri-
cation reservoirs and the preservation
of springs, together with free treatment
under widely varying conditions, from
SUBMITS of $4,000 feet to low alluvial
plains, and with a rainfall from 60 inches
or more in some parts to an uncertain
precipitation of or to 10 inches in
others.
The two official forest reserves of San
Gabriel and San Bernardino form one
national reserve, taking in the Sierra
Madre range, from which nearly all the
flood and irrigation waters of Los Ange-
les, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura
and Orange counties have their source.
The present main producing areas of
Southern California look to this range
for both dangerous flood and for sum-
mer water. Most of the range is rugged
and very difficult of access, and so has
found a protection in it's topography. A
little mining is done here and there, and
in the San Bernardino section consider
able timber has been taken out, as is
also the case in the adjacent unreserved
San Jacinto mountains. LAUNDERING in
| these ranges has been for some time dis
| continued on account of no profits.
| The Sierra Madres rise sheer and sud-
| den from the rich valleys of the south
; and are more easily penetrated from the
| Mojave desert to the north, SO much the
| more deSolate by contrast with the
| southern valleys.
| The San Jacinto mountain, like Mount
| Whitney in the main Sierra, has it's tre-
| mendous precipitous rise from the east
| ern desert.
! ] know of no more impressive noun
tains than these, as seen from the desert
| at their eastern base, hundreds of
| feet below the sea level.
| There is in this southern reservation
absolutely no guardianship or attempt
| at protection Of any kind. A company OF
| two of troops pending the establishment
| of some permanent forest system, could
| do great good here. The experience OF
| the officers of the cavalry patrol of the
| Yosemite addition indicates that the
| soldiers were improved not only as SOL
diers, but as men, both physically and
morally, by their forest duty.
| The state board of forestry was abol-
| ished, and the Sierra club. since formed
| in some measure takes its place The
| people of the state are very generally In
! favor of forest policy and Of the for.