The Red Cloud chief., 1900-10-12
CALIFORNIA; BIG TREES.
"Swayed In tho sierra Breetes when
Christ walked the Earth.r

"Swnyed tn tho sierra breeEea when
Christ walked the Earth"
The Department OF Agriculture has
issued n report on Investigations of
the big trees of California that brings
out some interesting and new conclu-
sions. II shows that the dimensions
of the big trees are unequaled and
that their age makes them the Oldest
living things. They are described by
the report as "the graudest, largest,
Oldest and most majestically graceful
OF trees and "the scarccst of known
tree species. with the extreme scicn-
tlfic value of being the best living rep.
rcsentntiyes OF q former geologic age
The report says the bark OF the big
trees often is two feet thick and al
most non .combustible. "Thc Oldest
specimens felled," 1t says. "arc still
sound ut the heart. and fungus Is an
enemy unknown 20 1t. Yet the big
trees apparently have not increased
their range since the glacial epoch.
They have only just managed to hold
their W on the little strip Of
try where the climate Is locally favor
able"
Continuing. the report says: 1.-THE
only grove now thoroughly safe from
destruction il the Mariposa. aud this
Is far from being the most interest
ing. Most Of the other groves IRE
either In process OF or In danger of
being logged. The very finest Of all,
the Calavcras Grove, with the biggest
and tallest trees, the most uncontami-
mated surroundings. and practically all
the literary and scientific associations
of the species connected with 1t, has
been purchased recently by a lumber
man. who came into full possession
on April 1, 1900. The Sequoia and
General Grant National Parks, which
are supposed 10 embrace and give Sc
curity TO a large part of the remain
ing big trees, are eaten into by n
sawmill each and by private timber
claims amounting to a total of 11I3
acres.
"The rest of the scanty patches Of big
trees are in a fair way to disappear
in Calaveras, Touloma, Fresno, and
Tulare Counties they are now disap
pearing-by the axe. In brief, the ma
jority Of the big trees of California
certainly the best of them, are owned
by people who have every right nnt
in many cases every intention, to GU
them into lumber"
The most recent Investigations. &C
cording to the report, confirm the es
Inmates that these giant trees probabl.
=, live 5000 yc"rs or more. though few
, Of ever the larger trees are more thai
: half as old. The average rate o
growth is estimated ut II inch Of dl
ameter for every twelve years. TIL
report also corroborates the state
ments of one authority who says tina
@ one tree, on which he counted 400
n rings, was undoubtedly In its prime
"swaying in the Sierra winds, whe
Christ walked the earth" The repoi
states among other things as the +,
suit of the official Investigations:
& 1.-The only place In the world whei
+ the big trees exist Is In ten isolate
l. groves on the west slope of the Sierr
Nevada Mountains. The species, how
r ever, represents a surviving prehistor
k genus of trees once growing widel
over the globe. The Southern grove
show some reproductions throug
which there is no hope Of perpetuatin
M these groves. In the Northern grove
the species hardly holds It's own"
New York Times.