The Black Hills Forest Reserve (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 Excerpt: ... industries of the region are mining, lumbering, farming, and stock raising. Compared with the northern hills, mining can not be said to be an important industry in this section. There are many men living within the district who spend their time prospecting, and throughout the region are seen test pits and quartz blow-outs, but the mines which are actually operated further than doing merely the annual assessment work are few. There are several mica mines, of which one is being worked; and there is one dredge placer mine west of Custer. Throughout the western portion of the French Creek district there are numerous ranches scattered along the parks through which the branches of the creek flow. The soil is a rich loam and is exceedingly productive, and much of the land now used for grazing would be very productive were it possible to secure water for irrigation. There are between 2" and 30 ranches within the district. The chief products are oats, potatoes, and hay. There is a considerable amount of stock, which ranges over Custer Prairie and through the open forests in that vicinity. This stock is owned mostly by ranchers, and, comparatively speaking, stock raising can scarcely be called an industry of any importance in this district. District No. 16.--Head Of French Creek. Rock: Granite, schist, quartz. Soil Fairly deep loam on bottom lands; on slopes, gravel. Humus One-half inch. dnsiderable areas grassed over. Fokest At extreme western end, an unlumbered forest of veterans, averaging 20 inches in diameter and 70 to 80 feet high, with a clear length of about 25 to 33 feet, mixed with secondgrowth low poles about 50 to 60 years old. At eastern end. best lumber removed. Density 0.5 to 0.6. Reproduction Very good except near parks. Dead Timber 3 to 5 per c...