NEWS AND NOTES. 



BUREAU WORK IN TEXAS. 



Early last month the large field party which was in Texas during 

 the winter returned to Washington. The work of making a work- 

 ing plan for the Kirby holdings has been about half completed. 



The following notes on the conditions there existing have been 

 kindly contributed by members of the party : 



Practically the only tract of virgin Eongleaf Pine i^Pimis pahis- 

 tris) land of any considerable size left in the United States, except 

 that in Western Louisiana, is the one controlled by the Kirby Lum- 

 ber Company of Houston, Texas. These holdings include thou- 

 sands of acres of Eongleaf timber-land scaling from, about 10,000 

 feet to 15,000 feet per acre, not allowing for cull. Many acres of 

 pine and hardwood land, not so valuable for its timber occur ; here 

 ^\\ox\\^?d V\\\& i^Pimis echmata) , Loblolly Pine {P. taeda), and 

 sometimes a little Longleaf are intermixed with various gums, 

 oaks, magnolias, beech, and hickories. The cypress swamps, 

 " where land and water meet," are occasionally found. By far 

 the most valuable and largest in area are the pure Longleaf lands. 



The thing which impresses one especially is the park-like ap- 

 pearance and exclusive character of the Longleaf Pine forest. 

 Mile after mile the Longleaf Pine ranges along with occasional 

 Black Jack Oak and Post Oak as undergrowth. This peculiar 

 park-like appearance is undoubtedly due to the high light require- 

 ment of the species. After a Longleaf stand has started no 

 younger generation can appear under the shade of the original 

 stand. Gradually the stand thins itself, and when maturity is 

 reached it is composed of comparatively uniform sized trees. The 

 purity of the forest is largely due to the soil ; the highly silicious 

 and porous soil so characteristic of the flat hills of southern south- 

 eastern Texas is able to support only Longleaf Pine. 



In the northern woods, after an original stand is removed it is 

 replanted by some other species; thus in Michigan, the White 

 Pine when removed is first replaced by birch, poplar and cherry ; 

 later among these species again appears the White Pine, and 

 eventually becomes the dominant species. Not so with the Long- 



