62 PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE 



Suit is now pending in the United States Court for a sum 

 aggregating $1,000,000. If the United States Court 

 upholds the decision of the Court of Appeals, further 

 exploitation of these timber lands will be prevented. 



A conservative system of management of the school 

 lands in Mississippi is most advisable. Sixteenth sections 

 should be carefully examined by the State Forester and 

 an agriculturist, and classified as to their best use, whether 

 for agriculture or for forestry. The agricultural lands 

 should be leased to farmers. The forest lands should be 

 managed for the purpose of making them grow successive 

 timber crops. The returns from the sale of timber and 

 other privileges should go to the counties for school pur- 

 poses. 



SUMMARY. 



1. Mississippi lies almost entirely within the Costal 

 Plain, and though the surface is generally rolling, compara- 

 tively little of it is hilly. Its climate is mild and very 

 favorable for agriculture and for tree growth. 



2. Eight forest regions are distinguishable. 



The northeastern hill region is extensively forested, 

 though the virgin timber has been cut in most localities. 

 There are many thousand acres of second-gro^vth, short- 

 leaf pine stands which have come up on old fields and cut- 

 over lands. 



The black prairie region contains comparatively little 

 forest land, and forestry there is a matter of woodlots on 

 the poor hill areas and the overflow bottom-lands. 



The Pontotoc Ridge region was extensively cleared 

 of forest cover many years ago for agriculture. In parts 

 of the "red hills" the soil has washed badly, and forest 

 planting is most desirable. 



The fiatwoods region is a country of poorer soils than 

 most of the State, and is for the most part covered with 

 forests. It is a region pre-eminently suited to forestry 

 because pines and some hardwoods flourish there, while 

 the land is of comparatively little agricultural value. 



The north central plateau was once the richest agri- 



