OF SOUTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI. 121 



911 the top of a ridge than from one in a hollow. Fewer 

 seed trees will be needed where there is plenty of young 

 growth. Trees with light, or winged seed, such as ash, 

 yellow poplar, and sycamore, will scatter their seed far- 

 ther than the heavy seeded oaks, and hickories, and con- 

 sequently fewer seed trees per acre will be necessary. Two 

 or three seed trees per acre of poplar or ash are sufficient, 

 while walnut, hickory or white oak will require more. It 

 is not recommended that all the seed trees be of one species 

 but a variety of the best species should be retained in order 

 to maintain the mixed character of the forest. 



Old Fields, grown up to loblolly and shortleaf, are a more 

 important part of this type than of any other, owing to its 

 older settlement and larger percentage of cultivated land, 

 though these old fields are a common subtype of forest all 

 over the region. Many areas that were regularly cultivated 

 up to the time of the war, and which have grown up to pine 

 since, are now being cut over for ties. 



Where ties are hewn it is often the practice to cut only 

 the larger trees, and so enough smaller ones are left to 

 form a second crop and seed up the openings. This is the 

 best way to cut this second growth pine, and even where 

 a saw mill is employed, the smaller trees can be left with 

 profit, unless the owner means to clear the land and put 

 it in cultivation. In cutting pine, loblolly should be favored 

 at the expense of the shortleaf, because of its more rapid 

 growth. 



Many old fields, especially in the western part of the 

 region, grow up to hardwoods only, because there are no 

 seed trees of pine in the neighborhood. The better species 

 are generally scattered, but should be encouraged. Where 

 an occasional loblolly pine occurs, it should be left to grow 

 to help seed up this area. Sometimes black locust comes in 

 on abandoned areas, and it is probably the most profitable 

 tree to grow on old fields where the soil is rich and deep. 

 It grows rapidly and is in great demand for fence posts. 

 After cutting, locust reproduces itself rapidly by means of 

 suckers or sprouts from the roots, which come up for con- 

 siderable distances around the stump. For this reason. 



