t of these settlers were
killed by the Apaches, and I am unable to say whether these farms are
now occupied or not. In any case, the conditions along the tipper Blue
are entirely unsuited for successful farming.

Perhaps the most serious menace to the successful preservation of game
on this tract is its proximity to the White Mountain Indian
Reservation. This reservation not only takes in some of the finest game
country immediately bordering the timber reserve, including Ord and
Thomas peaks, but is often visited by hunting parties of Indians.

During spring and early summer, all of the yellow pine and fir country
in this section is subjected to a plague of tabano flies, which are
about the size of large horse-flies. These flies swarm in great numbers
and attack stock and game so viciously that, as a consequence, the
animals are frequently much reduced in flesh. The Apaches take advantage
of this plague to set fire to the forest and lie in wait for the game,
which has taken shelter in the smoke to rid itself from the flies. In
this way the Indians kill large numbers of breeding deer, and at the
same time destroy considerable areas of forest. While on a visit to this
district in the summer of 1899 Mr. Pinchot saw the smoke of five forest
fires at different places in the mountains, which had been set by
hunting parties of Indians for the purpose. The only method by which not
only the game but the forest along the western side of this reserve can
be successfully protected will be to have the western border of the
forest reserve extended to take in a belt eight to twelve miles wide of
the Indian reservation. This would include Ord and Thomas peaks, and
would serve efficiently to protect the country about the headwaters of
the rivers from these destructive inroads.

The northern border of this section of the reserve is about one hundred
miles by wagon road from the nearest point on the Santa Fe Pacific
Railroad. Seven miles from its northern border is the town of
Springerville, with a few hundred inhabitants in its vicinity engaged in
farming, cattle and sheep growing. From Springerville north extends the
plains of the Little Colorado to St. Johns, the county seat of Apache
county, containing a few hundred people. To the south and east of the
reserve there are no towns for some distance, except a few small
settlements along the course of the San Francisco River in New Mexico,
which are far removed from the part of the rese