104 A STUDY OF FOREST CONDITIONS 



teau extends westward into the county and is occupied 

 by mixed longleaf and shortleaf pine. This longleaf hills 

 type quickly passes into the hardwood hills type as the 

 land becomes lower and more level, and as the soil becomes 

 influenced by the silty loams. The section west of the 

 longleaf uplands, which comprises practically the whole 

 county, was originally covered with hardwood of fine qual- 

 ity, much of which has long since been cleared. A large 

 part of this section, however, has grown up again to lob- 

 lolly and shortleaf pines. Approximately 146,000 acres, 

 or nearly 52 per cent of the county, is classed as cleared 

 land. The assessment of cleared land averages $4.50 

 per acre and uncleared land $4. 



This was once a region of magnificent hardwoods, but 

 much timber was cut and destroyed in clearing the land. 

 Fifty years ago the whole region, except the swamps and 

 longleaf uplands at the extreme southeast, was in a thor- 

 ough state of cultivation, and plantations covering thou- 

 sands of acres were common. But since the war much 

 of the land has grown up to old field pine. Reproduction 

 is prolific, and the growth exceedingly rapid, so that land 

 once cleared but not now actually in cultivation, is covered 

 with old field pine, either scattered or in fairly even stands. 

 The average stand is about 2,000 to 3,000 board feet per 

 acre, though some stands exceed 10,000 board fe-.-t. This 

 land is being bought up by lumbermen and others for 

 purposes of speculation. 



Small mills have been operating for many years where 

 the haul to the railroad is not too long. A great develop- 

 ment of lumbering is about to take place in eastern Jef- 

 ferson County, with the opening up of the Mississippi Cen- 

 tral Railroad through Franklin County and a possible 

 branch line into Jefferson County. It is probable that 

 within a few years lumber companies will be logging ex- 

 tensively throughout the eastern half of the county. Until 

 recently there was no market for shortleaf or loblolly pine, 

 but with the scarcity of longleaf pine and the consequent 

 rise in prices of lumber, practically all the pines will be 

 extensively logged in the future. 



