128 Journal of the Mitchell Society {^December 



large tracts of such lands was " land poor," as expense of taxa- 

 tion, protection, etc., exceeded any hope of probable profit. 

 This condition was largely due to lack of transportation facili- 

 ties, insecurity of title, low price of naval stores and lumber, 

 lack of knowledge of the farming value of much of the land on 

 which these forests stood, and the belief that the forests were 

 inexhaustible. 



ISTow conditions have entirely changed. Railroads penetrate 

 every portion of the territory, titles have been cleared, prices of 

 naval stores have brought wealth to the operators, the lumber- 

 men from Michigan, Wisconsin, and other northern states 

 have turned from the rapidly disappearing white pine forests of 

 the north to those of the southern yellow pine; where forests 

 once stood farms have been developed which surpass in fertility 

 any other portion of the southern states, and a clear knowledge 

 has been gained that the forests are by no means inexhaustible. 

 Furthermore, the spirit of conservation of natural resources has 

 made itself felt in this field as well as in those of minerals, 

 water power, etc. 



The consequence of these changes has been a very rapid en- 

 hancement in the value of such holdings. And with increased 

 valuation comes naturally the desire to protect and use con- 

 servatively. Unquestionably, the stand of virgin forest will still 

 further diminish, for the demand for farm lands is active, the 

 call for lumber imperative, and the danger of tropical storms 

 along the Gulf Coast ever present. With such diminution in 

 supply will come still further enhancement in values and still 

 more conservative methods of operation. 



So much for the present stand of virgin forest. If the situa- 

 tion were limited to this alone, the outlook might be considered 

 gloomy. But it must be remembered that there are vast tracts 

 of cut-over lands in portions of the southern states whose clay 

 sub-soil lies so deep that the lands are not suited to agriculture. 

 On such lands the longleaf pine, with its long tap root, prospers. 

 Magnificent forests once covered every acre of such lands and 

 fortunately tree planting is not required to reproduce such 

 forests. ISTature alone will again cover this territory with a 



