The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-13
Geological Survey Gives Data
Gathered This Summer.
GREATEST OF TIMBER STATES.
Estimate Of stand of Each Kind of
Wood TO BE Found Here and the
Amount In Each County-Ntne-
Tcnths of the whole Number of
Feet u to ne Found In the
Western Countfes Of the state.

During the past summer the United
states geological survey has been en-
gagged in gathering data regarding the
crossings of Washington timber. an esti-
mate or the amount standing and much
other Information regarding this indus
try, which II has recently published to-
eether with maps showing the classifcs-
ton or lands and the distribution of the
timber The work has been under the
supervision OF Henry Gaunet, who has
also done the same work in a number OF
other Western timber states. and IL said
TO be the fullest and most complete re-
port that has ever been made on the tim
Der resources OF this state. In the intro
duetion to his report Mr.. Cannot says
that with the exception Of 1.-THE redwood
Forests or California the forests OF West
ern washington are the densest. heaviest
and most continuous OF any In the United
States
With the exception OF a few prairie
openings and where removed by fire and
the ak, he says the forest formerly COW
cred the country as a thick mantle from
line high up on the Cascade range
westward to the shores Of the Pacific. In
al this region he continues, only the
Oiympics rear a few SUBMITS above the
forests. Not only are the forests dense
overhead bus there is \ thick under
growth. In a brief description Of the
trees themselves he says they are large
ana measure twelve to fifteen feet In al
ameter and from go feet upwards In
height with clear trunks for q hundred
feet or more. The timber is classified
mainly as red or yellow Ar. mingled with
spruce, hemlock and cedar
The amount OF standing timber in this
state has long been a matter of much
speculation and many wild guesses have
been hszarded As Is usual In such cases
they have come far from the mark. with
no data on which to base an estimate
the tendency has been to exaggerate
Altogether cruisings Of more than .ooe.ooo
acres have been msde by Mr. Cannot.
They are scattered widely over the state
and represent well the stand Of timber
under all the conditions OF rainfall, tenn
perature, soil slope. exposure and al;i-
tude. From these data the stand OF tim
Der In the state. under the washington
lumber practice. Ii estimated at ia. IT'S
100000 feet. board measurement. or this
amount more than nine-tenths or 100. 504,-
0o,on feel 10 west OF the Cascade range.
the remainder u,2H. 10000 feet being on
the Eastern slope and IN the northern
and eastern portions 81 the state
The Timber Dtviding LINE.
Washington. the report says. IL natural
~ divided into two parts which diner
from each other widely In respect to
Uuoef kr6Wtn. Inc line OF division Is
the crest Of the Cascade range. running
from the north to the south line OF the
state. West OF II the country Is heavily
forested, or was before numbering opera
tons began. In this part of the state
the areas naturally devoid OF timber are
few and small. and altogether trifing
In proportion to the total area East OF II
the land Is mainly without timber, and
where timber exists II Is sparse and It's
quality IL inferior Moreover. there Is a
great difference In the species. West OF
the Cascade range the prevailing species
which form nearly two-thirds Of the
entire forest, In red or yellow fir This
with cedar. hemiock and spruce. COM
poses the entire forest. Fir 10 found I'm
almost all parts OF this region. and
throughout the Sound valley little OF
any other species Ia found, the forests
being almost pure ir. East OF tho Cas-
cade range the forests consist mainly of
pine principally yellow pine. though
IN the northeast corner OF the
state a little white pine is intermin-
eled Red Ar h found scattered through
the pine forests In considerable proper
ton. and In the northeastern part OF tho
atate iarch IA abundant. Small proper
tlons OF hemlock and cedar are also
found, and a trihing amount OF oak ana
spruce
The following table gives the stand OF
timber OF the species recognised by the
mmharmcn. with the percentage which
each bears 20 the total amount;