118 TIMHEli PINKS OF THK SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. 



For well seasoned wood, the followiiifj figures represent tlic avcriige of linndnuls of tests on 

 Bi)ecinieus specially collected for tbis jturpose: 



LbH. per Bq. inch. 



MoiliiIiiH of ilastirity 1 . 050, 000 



Transverse .streiifjth 10, IflO 



Coiiipre.sKiciii endwise (i, 500 



.Sliiarinj; witli the liber (i!IO 



Since tlu' average weight of tin- test i)i('c,cs was 4(1 iiomids per ctihic foot, being liea\ifr than 

 the average weight of tlie wood, these liguies must he taken about one sl.xtii lower than giscn 

 above to represent the true average for the wood of the 8i>ecles. 



Like the wood of most conifers, that of Loblolly dries easily and rapidly. In doing so the 

 green lumber loses a large amount of water, dcix-iulcnt cliicily on the ])ro))ottii>n of sapwood. 

 Though (juite variable, the water in fresh sapwood commonly forms .">() toOO percent of the weight, 

 while in heartwood it little exceeds 25 per cent. 



The shrinkage coiisecpieiit on di'ying amounts to 11 to 12 per ecMit of the volumes; is greater in 

 tlie lumljer of the butt than in that fnun the toi) logs, varying in this respect from I.'l per rent at 

 the butt to about 10 per cent in tlu^ top, a ditl'erenee wliiili appears due to the dill'erence in the 

 weight of the wood of the difl'ei'ent sections. As in othei' pine, about twothii'ds or sevi^n-eights 

 per cent of this shrinkag(! falls to the tangent (i.e., is along the rings) and about 1 to ~> per cent 

 to the radius. 



In kilndrying, the wood may be taken fre.sh from the saw and behaves exti-emely well, suffering 

 no great injury, a- fact which has greatly eidianced its value by facilitating its exploitation. 



For the details of wood structure, consult the comjiarative study by Mr. Eoth appended to 

 these monographs. 



PROGRESS OF DEVELOPMENT. 



The croi)s of seed are produced quite abundantly every year and co])iously disitersed over the 

 vicinity of the mother trees by the wind, the ottspriiig (juickly taking possession of old fields ;ind 

 clearings in the forest. 



Tiie seeds germiinite in the early spring. The (mds of the cotyledons remain for a short time 

 after gernunation inclosed in the endosi)crm. I'lie 7iuurber of the germinal leaves (cotyledons) is 

 mostly six, rarely seven. At the time of the unfolding of the cotyledons tiie lower (hypocotyle- 

 donary) part of the axis of the plant is about 1 inch in length. The rootlets are half that length, 

 and are jnovided with several acropetal secondary rootlets. The caulich^ grows rapidly, and is 

 soon covered witii the stilf, needle shaped, and strongly serrulati^l primary leaves. Del'ore the 

 spring season has passed the bundles of secondary or foliage leaves make their ai)i)eaiance in 

 the axils of the forniei-. At the close of the summer season the ])Iantlet has attained a i)eight of 

 from G to S imdies, the npfier part of the stem coveied with foliage leaves, the acerose primary 

 leaves of the lower part having completely withered. In examining a large niind)er of young 

 plants never less than three leaves in a bundle have been found during this or any subse(|uent 

 stage of the growth. With the second year the i)rinniry leaves have all become reiluced to tlie 

 ordimiry form of the leaf bract — lanceolate, acuminate, with fimbriate white hyaline edges and tips. 



In all the specimens eAannned it was found that the growth of the main axis ]>roceeded l(;ss 

 rapidly during the second session, but produced a regular whorl of from three to foui- lateral axes. 

 At the close of the .second year the main stem rarely exceeds 10 inches in height. 



At the end of their third year the i)lants are from IS to L'O inches high, the stem being from 

 one-fourth to five-.sixteenths of an inch in thickness. The branches, forming regular whorls, are 

 erect and ])rodnce in their turn whorls of secondary order. The root system shows a correspond- 

 ing increase, the taproot being from G to 8 inches long, with numerous stout lateral roots. 



RATE OF GROWTH. 



With the fourth year the Loblolly I'iiie enters seemingly u])on the period of (piickest growth. 

 As ascertained by many measurements, the trees at the eml of their fourth year average .5 feet in 

 height and from one-half to seven-eighths of an inch in diameter, and at the end of the tilth year 

 measure nearly ."> feet and from 1 to LJ inches in diameter. At the beginning of the .seventh year 



