90 



TIMREK PINES OK THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. 



rise to a considerable lninl)eriiig industry. Tliese forests are, however, rapidly decimated along 

 the Mempliis and Charleston Kailroad, where the products of the null (ind ready market 

 throughout nortli Mississippi and at Memiiliis. Through the northern half of Mississipjii, on the 

 divide which separates the waters flowing into the Mississippi Kiver from those of the Tombighee, 

 extends a region of undulating ui)lands of oak, hickory, and Shortleaf Pine over an area little 

 short of "),(»()() sipiarc miles; on this long, narrow belt the Shortleaf Pine can be said to form I'J to 

 1.") i)er cent of the tree covering. These forests furnish an ample supply of i)ine lumber for local 

 demands. It appears, however, that in the eastern Gulf States generally the existing .supplies of 

 Shortleaf Pine aic scarcely sullicient tocover home demand. On these uplanils the Shortleaf Pine 

 takes rapid ])ossession of tlie openings in the forest and the old lields. Here, as lias been 

 elsewhere observed in the central and northern i)arts of these States, this tree can truly be 

 considered the timber tree of the future. Since it is rarely found in compact bodies, but associated 

 with other trees widely s(;attered, any attemi)t at an estimate of the amount of the timber standing 

 in tlie.se States mu.st appear futile. The amount of timber cut can also hardly be approximated, 

 since it forms only a i>art of the cut of the mills in these States. 



West of the .Mississipi)i Kiver, north of the region of the Longleaf Pine, the Shortleaf Pine 

 is found most abundant and in fullest perfection. It is in these Western forests that the Short- 

 leaf Pine liuds its best develoi)ment, and forms i)ure forests, extending over many hundreds of 

 sfjuare miles with but little interruption. The forests of Shortleaf Pine in northwestern Louisiana, 

 Aikansa.s, southern .Missouri, and northeastern Texas are scarcely surpassed in their timber wealth. 

 The Tenth (!ensus (sstimates the amount of merchantable timber of Shortleaf Pine standing in 

 l.SSO in these Western forests at 87, (1(1(1,(100,00(1 feet, board measure, exi;lusive of the forests in 

 .southern Missouri and the Indian Territory. 



In Louisiana the Shortleaf Pine is unecpially distributed over the ui)lands north of the Longleaf 

 Pine region between the Ouachita Kiver and the eastern boundary of Texas, embracing an area of 

 a little over 8,000 scjuare miles. Along the northern extent of the Louisiana and Texas State line 

 this pine forms pure ftjrests, and also jirevails in many localities on the upland along the border of 

 Arkansas. The resources of pine timber in these mixed forests of oaks, hickorie.s, and Shortleaf 

 Pine, removed as tliey are from the highways of traflic, have been but slightly drawn upon. 



In Arkansas, in the hilly and mountainous region on both sides of tlie Arkansas Kiver, over 

 10,000 square miles in extent, the Shortleaf Pine forms a large part of the tree covering of the 

 siliceous rocky .soil and frequently extensive forests on the wide table lands. On the uplands of 

 yellow loam south of the bills the tree |)rcdominates, especially on the low ridges of gravel and, 

 loam, the hard woods encroaching where the soil conditions become more favorable. 



The low ridges rising above the Loblolly Pine forests of the flood plain of the ( )ua(hita and Little 

 Mis.souri rivers are covered with oiteii forests almost exclusively of Shortleaf Pine, intersi)ersed 

 with a few White Oaks, Post and Spanish Oaks, rarely above medium size. In the vicinity of 

 Gurdon, in (Jlark County, upon one acre representing average conditions, :.'- Shortleaf Pines 

 have been counted from 12 to 2') inches in diameter, with no pines of .smaller growth among the 

 scattered unilergrowth of dogwood, hiu'klcberrics, scrubby oaks, P.lack (lum, and hickories. Of 

 this number, 8 trees measured from 21 to 25 inches; (i trees from IS to 20 iiudies; (! trees from 

 15 to 17 inches and 2 trees 12 to 14 inches in diameter breast high, indicating a .stand per acre of 

 about 0,000 feet, board measure. 



Five trees, representing the average timber growth of the forest selected for timber tests, were 

 found of the following dimensions: 



ileaeiiremenla of five trees. 



On the arid hills of flinty sandstone the trees are of inferior giowth, as observed in TTot S])rings 

 County, ill the vicinity of Malvern. Ou their steep slopes the piues are rarely louud to exceed 18 



