106 A STUDY OF FOREST CONDITIONS 



Pierre and extending to the Big Black River, the hills are 

 steeper and the country more broken, and there is a larger 

 portion of forest land. 



The old growth forest with an average stand of about 

 4,000 feet per acre is all hardwood, the chief species being 

 white oak, hickory, yellow poplar, sweet gum, water oak, 

 and elm. Occasionally some old trees of loblolly are mixed 

 with the hardwoods, which, together with the second growth 

 shortleaf and loblolly already established, furnish seed for 

 the reforestation of abandoned fields. The hills run out 

 so close to the rivers both north and west that there is a 

 relatively small area in bottom-lands, and hence there is 

 very little cottonwood. Most of the bottom-land that is 

 dry enough has been cleared for agriculture. 



Local lumbering by small mills does not exceed an an- 

 nual cut of two and a half million feet — nearly all old field 

 pine. An average stand for old fields will not run over 

 3,000 to 4,000 feet per acre. An average stumpage price 

 for second growth pine is about $1 a thousand, and the 

 product sells for from $10 to $11 at the mill. The cutting 

 and shipping of hardwood logs for export is the largest 

 timber industry of the county. Many carloads go out 

 each month over the two lines of railroad. Nearly the 

 ejitire county is accessible to either rail or water communi- 

 cation, and at the present rate of cutting it cannot be very 

 long before all the export timber is cut out. White oak 

 staves are being cut to a considerable extent, and good, 

 accessible stave timber is becoming scarce. Stumpage 

 for stave wood runs from $1 to $2 a cord, and a stand of 

 1 to 2 cords to the acre is considered fair. 



The only land in this county which can profitably be 

 kept in permanent forest growth is that too steep for cul- 

 tivation — the land which is now furnishing most of the 

 export and stave timber. These two industries demand 

 only the larger trees, so that, as a rule, all the smaller trees 

 are left standing. With proper care in felling the timber 

 and adequate protection from fire, these forests should 

 yield a sufficient supply of timber for all local needs. 



