OF THE TRADEWATER REGION. a) 
great a calamity as the total disappearance of those timbers. 
Besides, whenever a resort to such timbers does become neces- 
sary, then the same rates of disappearance will apply to them 
which are now found to apply to those timbers subject to a 
present drain. For the present, therefore, I shall speak chiefly 
of available white oak, and from this point of view. 
The valuable white oak timber of the Tradewater region is. 
to be found within one or two miles of Tradewater river, on 
either side, and low down on the larger tributaries of that 
river, where the streams are of sufficient size to float out the 
logs. The same may be said of all the other timbers which I 
have given as the valuable ones, with the possible exception. 
of the post oak, which grows abundantly along all the hill- 
tops. The question of immediate interest is, therefore, what 
is the presext timber supply, and what the rate of consump- 
tion in these available localities? If the supply seem inex 
haustible to one who rides hurriedly through miles and miles 
of massive white oak, sweet gum, hickories, etc., all the more 
impressive, if not alarming, is the truth which closer investi- 
gation forces upon him. Especially is this so of the white 
oak and liriodendron (yellow poplar). A careful calculation, 
extending along the whole available part of the Tradewater- 
river and its tributaries, convinced me that about 30 per cent. 
of the valuable white oak, which forms so large a proportion 
of the forest timbers in these localities, has been tut out within 
recent years, while the young forest will furnish only about 5 
per cent. of this timber to take its place. So that, since the 
drain upon the timber resources of the Tradewater region 
commenced, about 25 per cent. of the entire available white 
oak timber has disappeared. And even of that left standing, 
the timber found is larger and more valuable in proportion to. 
its distance from a stream capable of floating it. 
The effect of this drain upon the liriodendron (yellow 
poplar) is still more striking. In all the St. Louis limestone 
regions of Caldwell, Lyon, and Crittenden counties, along 
streams where yellow poplar ought to flourish, only now and 
then could a tree be found. When I inquired if it did not 
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