12 



TIMBER PINES OF THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. 



of Southern timbers, the Longleaf Pine, now being replaced by Cuban and Loblolly Pines; (2) the 

 rolling ]>ine hills, or pine barrens proper, with a width of 50 to 120 miles, tin' true home of the 

 Longleaf Pine, which occupies it almost by itself; (3) the belt of mixed growth of 20 to (iO miles in 

 width, in which the Longleaf Pine loses its predominance, the Shortleaf, the Loblolly, and the hard 

 woods associating and disputing territory with it; and (4) the Shortleaf Pine belt, where the 

 si)e(;ies i)redominates on the sandy soils, the Longleaf being entirely absent and the Loblolly only a 

 feeble competitor, hard woods being interspersed or occupying the better sites. Within the terri- 

 tory the species that occur occupy ditt'erent situations. Thus the Cuban, which accompanies the 

 Longleaf, usually occupies the less well-drained situations, together with the Loblolly, which, 

 although it can accommodate itself to all soils, reaches its best development in the rich lowlands 

 and is s|)ecially well developed in the Hat woods which border the coast marshes of eastern Texas, 

 where it associates with the Shortleaf Pine it also seeks the moister situation. 



The Longleat and vShortleaf ])ines are, in quantity and (luality combined, the most important, 

 while the Loblolly or Oldlicld Pine, as yet not fully apjueciated, comes next, occupying large areas. 

 The Cuban Pine, usually known as Slash Pine — always cut and sold without distinction with the 

 Longleaf Pine — a tree of as fine ijuality and of more rajiid growth than t-he Longleaf Pine, is associ- 

 ated witli the latter in the coast pine belt, scattered in single individuals or gronjjs, but api)ears to 

 increase in greater proportion in the young growth, being by its manner of development in early 

 life better fitted to escape the dangers to which the aftergrowth is ex])osed. 



P>esides these four most im])ortant pines, there are a number of others of less significance. 

 The White Pine {Finns stroMis) of the North extends its reign along the higher mountain regions 

 of North Carolina into (ieorgia, forming a valuable timber tree, but of small extent. The Spruce 

 Pine, to which a. short chapter is devoted in this bulletin, develops into timber size, but is found 

 only in snnill (juantities and mostly scattered, and has therefore as yet not received attention in 

 lumber markets; but its cpudities. and especially its forestal value, being a pine which endures 

 shade, will probably be appreciated in the future. The other four species of pine found in the 

 South, which ai)pear in the table below, which gives their botanical distinctions, do not develop 

 into timber trees of value, excepting that the Scrub Pine, occupying large areas of abandoned 

 fields in Virginia, furnishes a considerable amount of firewood. 



BOTANICAL DIAGNOSIS OF THE FOUR PRINCIPAL PINES OCCURRING IN THE SOUTHERN STATES. 



The greatest confusion exists with regard to the vernacular names ol' these pines, in conse- 

 quence of which information regarding them, given by the native ])opulation, must always be 

 carefully scrutinized to determine exactly to what species it refers. l<]ven in the lumber inaiket 

 and among wood consumers, engineers, andntects, and carpenters the same confusion exists; 

 Longleaf and Culian ])ines are never distinguished ; Shortleaf and Loblolly i)iues are mixed indis- 

 criminately, and often "Southern Pine," or "Yellow Southern Pine,"' satisfies the specification of 

 the architect and may come from any of tiie four species. 



