FOREST CONDITIONS OF MISSISSIPPI. 41 



cultivation, but the abrupt slopes and narrow ravines are 

 still covered with forest growth. 



On the upper slopes and ridges longleaf and shortleaf 

 pines predominate, mixed with upland hardwoods and some 

 loblolly pines. On the lower, more fertile slopes, the pines 

 give place to oaks, hickory, ash, and sweet gum. Longleaf 

 pine steadil)' becomes less abundant toward the west until 

 in the loess bluff country, bordering the flood plain of the 

 Mississippi River, it disappears altogether. The best stands 

 of shortleaf in the type contain from 8,000 to 12,000 board 

 feet per acre, while an average would be from 5,000 to 7,000 

 feet. 



The original forest in the loess hills was composed en- 

 tirely of hardwoods. Since logging operations began, lob- 

 lolly and shortleaf pines have extended their range into 

 these hills, and most of the old fields are now covered ex- 

 clusively with these trees. The soil of these hills is very 

 fertile and the level portions were among the first lands in 

 the State to be cultivated. The forest cover now, therefore, 

 is confined chiefly to the very steep slopes and narrow 

 ridges. Practically all of the virgin timber has been cut 

 except in the most inaccessible locations, but cut-over areas 

 have generally grown up with thrifty young timber. 



At the northern border of the longleaf pine region the 

 surface is usually rolling, but in no place is it as hilly as in 

 the country bordering the pine}' woods on the west. Long- 

 leaf occurs in more or less isolated tracts on the high, sandy 

 flats and ridges. It is usuall}^ accompanied by shortleaf 

 pine and a small admixture of oaks, hickory, and sweet gum. 

 The forest of the lowlands is comprised of hardwoods and 

 loblolly, shortleaf, and spruce pines. The soil of the low- 

 lands is usually a loam of considerable fertility, while the 

 ridge soil is almost invariably light and sandy. The steep 

 slopes and ridges, when tilled, often become badly eroded. 



Bottom-land Type. — The bottom-lands of the larger 

 streams of the region often contain two distinct soil and 

 forest types. In many localities, close to the rivers, the 

 surface is covered with water for several months of the 

 year. Only species able to endure wet conditions can exist 



