THE FOREST FROM A SILVICULTURAL STANDPOINT. 



23 



more. Scattered through these groups by single trees, or forming 

 open groups and clumps by themselves, are oaks, gums, and other 

 hardwoods, while both pine and hardwood reproduction is fairly 

 abundant throughout. This reproduction is generally in the form of 

 thickets from five to ten years of age, which prefer as a rule the more 

 open spaces. While the reproduction of the pine ridges is usually a 

 mixture of pine and hardwoods, on the flats the young growth occurs 

 to a large extent in pure groups; that is, the thickets are either com- 

 posed entirely of young pine or entirely of hardwoods. 



The future of this type of forest, after lumbering and the removal of 

 all merchantable pine above 12 inches in diameter, will be very similar 

 to that of the pine ridge type, with the exception that the pine repro- 

 duction will not be hindered to such an extent by the hardwoods, as 

 the latter are less numerous in the reproduction of the flats. If a few 

 Loblollies over 12 inches in diameter are left standing on each acre as 

 seed trees, the reproduction of the pine will be sufficiently cared for, 

 and after cutting has admitted the light, seedlings of pine and hard- 

 woods will rapidly develop. This reproduction, on account of slight 

 variations in the nature of the soil and the characteristic grouping of 

 the old trees, will tend to form itself into groups of pine and groups 

 of hardwood, the latter composed almost entirely of oak. 



Here again the all-important question is that of lire. What the 

 future forest will be depends to a great extent upon the protection 

 afforded. In this case, as on the ridge land, in spite of lumbering, 

 fire, and the struggle with hardwoods, pine is bound to be the ruling- 

 species in the end, for the locality is natural pine land. It is simply 

 a choice between fire protection, with a valuable future stand of pine, 

 and no protection, with an inferior stand. 



From the 229 valuation surveys taken on pine flats the average 

 stand of merchantable pine per acre was found to be as follows: 



Table No. 9. — Average stand of merchantable pine per acre on (he pine flat type, for Short- 

 leaf and Loblolly Pine and the two species combined, for trees over 1J inches in diameter 

 breasthigh. 



Species. 



Merchant- 

 able con- 

 tents. 



Board feet. 



Loblolly Pine MM 



Short lea" 1 'i ne 2, 172 



Total 6, 646 



HARDWOOD BOTTOM. 



Lying in narrow belts on either side of the creeks and larger 

 streams are the hardwood bottoms. They vary in width from a quar- 

 ter of a mile along the smaller water courses to over 2 miles along 



