The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1920-10-02
x1AD III Rz1Z3 xxx


planting is to be carried on, extremes of condi'
tons have been sought that this early re,
stricted reforestation would in the years TO come
serve to point the way to carrying out more eA-
tensive operations.
One of the areas chosen lies upon the slopes
Of Pixies Peak and includes the tre-denuded poi
lions of those watersheds from which severa'
towns including Colorado Springs and Mantou'
secure municipal water reconnaissance study
has shown there twelve or fourteen THOUSAND
acres from which the forest growth was swept ny
fire in the early days before the growing dehiahu
for water brought realization OF the hlgh Vaue VI
tree growth as G water cOnserver. In adouoh
to the forest products which can be produced
fror, the lands and the value Of the tree growth
as water conserver, there is the high value OF
establishing trees eventually to heal the CHASTITY
fire scars upon the mountain slope, as Coioraoo
SPRINGS and Manitou. two cities closely related 70
each other represent of the greatest tourist
center1 in the West today.
This, conditions Of the locality were severe for
nlantirp The uneven distribution OF moisture,
high dry winds OF spring and summer and also In
winter when the temperatures are low, the lack OF
soil o,er much OF the area and the movement OK
the soil on the sleeper slopes made up these dlm-
culties The soil. composed OF large particles OF
gravel comes from the decomposition OF coarse
grained granite which forms me mountain nasees
Of the Pixies Peak group
Study of the refOrestation problems upon
pixies Peak was made by W. J. Gardner. This
study was very complete and weighed the dim
entities to be overcome in successfully estaDilsh-
ing tree growth upon the barren slopes ohe
very interesting point brought out In TINS study
xvas the date of the fires which devastated such
large areas in the vicinity OF Colorado springs
From the age Of the young tree growth ana me
unon trees injured by fire and yet not killed.
Mr. Gardner determined that greater part OF me
area devastated had been swept by ronnagra-
,ion of a series Of fires between the year 1871 anu
1S53 This date IL interesting as II SHOWS me
two which has elapsed since the destruction OF
the forest growth and how slow must be inc re-
turn of forest growth such lands by natural
noons In short the high demand for all water
Aow from the and the recreationai use theh
heine made and that which can be expecled I'D
tho near future, combined with the value ana use
of all forest products grown upon rms po'ena'a,
forest land so Immediately accessible. Justified
not waiting for natural reproduction but establish
ing such growth by artificial means
Relieving II best to produce the trees under
the same conditions in which they were to be
nlanted two nursery locations were CHOSEN hlgh
On the big mountain. the land cleared. shade
frames erected and seed sown. Then 5OOOO vel
Low nine seedlings were brought In from western
Nohraska and planted In Cementine Gucf. about
,wo and a half miles from one Of the nursery
,.os There are no records TO show what weather
conditions prevailed at the time or followed this
nIanting careful search over the area IN the
fall Of 1907 resulted in the discovery OF but enc
Seeding alive.
,,s reason for this practically total failure
-. o,ven as largely due to the fact that seedlings
raised at Halsey were notable 10 withstand the
sudden change to the higher altitude. II was
nroved later that seedlings Of any sizes or from
snv other localities with markedly different
climatic conditions were not strong enough TO
srrv,ve the rigorou. conditions found here; that.
49,. q Womb take transplants OF the more
vigorous type to produce results These expert
rrents showed tina. while there was some ad-
vantage IN growing the plants under the same
s conditions 10 which thes would be set out, many
noint. which would offset this advantage would
be gained In having the nursery located Al