88 TIMBER FIXES OF THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. 



at present (ioubttii]. Its northern limit west of the Alleghanies can be described by a biic drawn 

 from th(i lower part of Wood County, in West Virj^iiiia. to Menifee County, eastern Kentucky. 

 Beyond the wide gap covered by the deciduous forests of the lower Ohio Valley and the Hood 

 plain of the Mississippi the tree appears on the southeastern spur of the Ozark Hills in Cape 

 Girardeau County, Mo., latitude ^1^ 30', and on tlie opi)osite side of tlie river on the lilufis in 

 Union and Jackson counties, III., the line dr()i)ping gradually half a degree southward to the 

 ■western limit of its range. (PI. XT\".) 



The Shortl(>af I'ine is a tree of the i)lain and the foothills, in the South rarely ascending to an 

 elevation over 2,.'>()0 feet, and at its nortlicrii confines not over 1,000 feet (in tlie Ozark Hills). East 

 of the Mississippi Kiver the tree appears sparsely scattered among the hard-wood trees; along the 

 border of the Carolinian and within the Austro-riparian zone it becomes more frequent, and often 

 the jiredominating tree. West of the Mississippi Kiver the Shortleaf Pint; linds its region of 

 greatest profusion, forming forests of vast extent on the uplands of the undulating plain and the 

 table-lands of the hill country, which in their timber wealth and economic im])ortance rival the 

 great lumbering regions farther south. 



CIIARACTEKISTICH OF DISTRIBUTION IN DIFFERENT REGIONS. 



On the Atlantic Coast, from southern New York to Virginia, judging from the statements 

 of earlier writers, this tree must have formed originally a considerable part of the forests of 

 coniferous evergreens covering the belt of light silicious soils of the Tertiary strata. A. ■Nlichaux 

 mentions tliis species "as not found beyond certain districts in Connecticut, it being multiplied in 

 the lower part of New Jersey, and still more on the eastern shore of Maryland and the lower part 

 of A'irginia." From the remarks of this writer on tlfe extensive use of the timber of the Yellow 

 Pine (Shortleaf) it appears that at the time of his writing — the beginning of this century — it must 

 have been quite abundant in those parts. 



This appears clearly by his statement that "in the Northern and iMiddle States (of tlie Atlan- 

 tic Seaboard) and in Virginia, where, to a distance of 150 miles from the sea, all houses are built 

 of wood, the lioors, chasings of doors, wainscots, and sashes are made of this species, as being 

 more solid and lasting than any other indigenous wood. In the upper part of the Carolinas the 

 houses are constructed wholly of Yellow Pine, and are covered with it." Further on we learn 

 that immense (juantities were used in tlie dockyards of New York, Phila(lcl])liia. and P.altimore, 

 and that Yellow Pine luiiilicr formed a considerable part of the exports to (heat Britain and 

 the West Indies. Since tliat time this tree has in the region mentioned not only long ceased to 

 be a source of timber, but has generally become (piite scarce. According to the information of 

 Dr. N. L. Brilton, "it grows on the coast of New York naturally only on Statcn Island, and 

 only about twenty-five trees arc to be lound in Pichmond County. It is fairly abundant in the 

 ])()rtioii of New Jersey from the Itaritan River to Delaware Bay, forming forests, on a tr;ict not 

 more than .S miles, and it is also found in Delaware on tln^ same Ibrmation outcrop of (Ireen Sand."' 



With the appearance of the Longleaf Pine south of Virginia the Shortleaf Pine recedes from 

 the coast and is found chiellyin the upjier (interior) part of the Southern coast pine belt, scattered 

 among the mixed growth of conilerous and decidunus trees. Above the ui)pt'r limit of tlic l>ongleaf 

 Pine belt the Shortleaf Pine extends, in the Southern Atlantic States, thnmghout the interior to 

 the lower ranges of the mountain region. 



West of the Alleghany Mountains, in western Virginia and eastern Tennessee, it occurs only 

 widely scattered, and hence is practically of no importance to the lumbering industry. 



In North Carolina the Shortleaf Pine is Ibiind from the coast to the mountains, thongli in tlie 

 lower districts enters more rarely into the composition of the upland forests. According to Hale's 

 report on the woods of North Carolina the trei' is found in the majority of counties of the State, 

 but is most abundant in \he middle district, where, with upland oaks and hickcuies, it is the 

 prevailing tree. 1 1 is found about Asheville, at an altitude of 2,.500 feet. The Shortleaf Pine used 

 to form 12.") per cent or more of the forest growth in many ])laces, but such areas are not now 

 fre(pient aitywhere. In the Litest report on the forests of North Carolina' it is stated that there 



'W. W. Aslio: TUo Forests. Forest Lands, and Forest liesonrces of Eastern North Carolina. Bulletins, Geol. 

 Survey, N. C, 1891, pago 41. 



