42 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE 



here. Cypress is the prominent tree of the type and is 

 usually accompanied by sycamore, ash, and tupelo gum. 

 On the higher, better-drained hummock lands or second 

 bottoms, the stand is composed of loblolly and spruce 

 pines, water willow, and cow oaks, sweet gum, magnolia, 

 and beech. 



The estimate on a tract of 20,000 acres of virgin tim- 

 ber land in the bottom-lands of the Pascagoula River in 

 Jackson County shows an average stand of 8,000 board 

 feet per acre. Tupelo and red gum are about equal in 

 numbers, and together form 70 per cent of the stand. The 

 oaks are not so abundant or of as good quality in the river 

 bottoms of southern Mississippi as in those of the northern 

 part of the State. Extensive cane brakes in the bottom- 

 lands afford excellent pasturage for cattle during the entire 

 year. 



The forest of the river and creek bottoms of southern 

 Mississippi differs from that of the Mississippi River flood 

 plain chiefly in the absence of willow and cottonwood and 

 in the presence of loblolly pine. Tupelo and red gum 

 form a much greater percentage of the stand in the bot- 

 toms of the interior rivers and creeks than in the delta 

 forest. 



A great deal of bottom-land forest is included in the 

 holdings of the large lumber companies, but very few of 

 these companies cut hardwood lumber. As in all other 

 parts of the State, the finest cypress, yellow poplar and 

 white ash trees have been cut and floated down the rivers 

 to the mills, and much of the best oak has been taken for 

 stave and heading manufacture. 



General Economic Conditions . — When the great white 

 pine forests of the northern States began to be exhausted 

 many lumbermen went south to the yellow pine forests and 

 acquired extensive holdings. As a result the greater part of 

 the timber land in southern Mississippi is controlled by 

 large lumber companies, and the lumber i-^ cut almost 

 entirely in large mills. Before the advent of these lumber- 

 men this land had been held chiefly for grazing and the 

 production of naval stores, and the value of the timber was 



