LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Division of Forestry, 

 Washington, 1). V., May L>6, 1896. 

 Sir: I have tlio honor to submit herewith for publication a series of monographs on the five 

 pines of economic importance in the Southern Tiiited States, a result of many years' study by 

 Dr. Charles Mohr, the well-known autliority on the botany of tiie Southern States and agent of 

 the Division of Forestry . 



The first draft of these monographs was prepared several years ago, but it was then found 

 that in order to make them fully satisfactory and useful to the practitioner much additional infor- 

 mation was needed, especially regarding the rate- of growth and other sylvicultural as well as 

 technological questions. This infornuition has been gradually accumulated as our facilities have 

 permitted. The extended investigations carried on in this division may be considered (piito 

 exhaustive, especially in regard to the mechanical projierties of the wood of these pines. An 

 interesting chapter on the wood structure by !Mr. Filibert lloth has been added, and a compar- 

 ative study of the economic, sylvicultural, and technical characteristics and value of the pines 

 under consideration^a resume'', as it were, of the contents of the monographs — is to be found 

 in the introduction by the writer. 



The pineries of the South furnish now, or will in the near future, the most im]iortant staples 

 of our lumber industry. According as they are treated, carefully or wastefully, they will continue 

 for a longer or shorter time to be a wealth-producing resource of the South. To aid in securing a 

 true conception of the extent, condition, and value of this resource, and of the nature, development, 

 cliarMcteristics (botanical, sylvicultural, and technological) of tliese pines, these monogra])hs have 

 been written, with the hope of inducing rational forestry methods in their use and rei)roduction. 

 Eespectfully, 



B. E. Fernow, 



Chkf of Uicision. 

 Hon. J. Sterlincj Morton, 



/Secretary of Agriculture. 



