OF SOUTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI. 127 



Injury from fire is not so serious in the hardwood types 

 of this region as in the pine types, though much damage 

 is done every year. There is no sentiment against setting 

 fire to the woods or old fields, and the landowners realize 

 that it is a most difficult and nearly impossible task to 

 prevent it. For the present, undoubtedly the best remedy 

 is to create a good, healthy sentiment against fires. 



Protection from Stock. — Fire, although the chief danger, 

 is not the only serious menace to the forest. The ranging 

 of stock, especially of hogs, does great injury in some places. 



The question of restricting the right to graze animals 

 in the open woods is usually one that solves itself with the 

 increase in population and the general developemnt of a 

 region. Settled communities demand that animals shall 

 be enclosed. 



Throughout the woodland region of Mississippi, however, 

 it does not yet seem necessary for farmers to keep their 

 cattle under fence. It would work a hardship on small 

 owners if their cattle could not graze at large, and no law 

 to prevent them from making use of the splendid growth of 

 grass in the woods is yet needed. Cattle do comparatively 

 little injur\^ to pine reproduction, and throughout the hard- 

 wood region they are usually kept within fences. 



When hogs range ovef the woods in large numbers they 

 destroy considerable seed of different species, greatly 

 hindering reproduction. Where pine seed trees are scat- 

 tered and seed is only produced abundantly once in four 

 to eight years, which is the case with longleaf pine, it is 

 readily seen that hogs, always on the lookout for pine nuts, 

 will soldem give them a chance to germinate. Also, as 

 food becomes scarce late in the winter, hogs dig up and 

 eat the roots of the young pines. No hardship would be 

 inflicted by compelling owners to fence their hogs, but 

 rather a real benefit to the farmer as well as to the timber- 

 land owner would result. In some parts of the yellow pine 

 region hogs are not listed for taxes, because they are con- 

 sidered as practically valueless property. Large numbers 

 of them are swept away by disease each year, and it is 

 only in good seed years that there is mast enough to fatten 



