22 LOBLOLLY OR XOETH CAKOLIXA PINE. 



The original forest was formed of longleaf pine wliicli, after lumber- 

 ing, turpentining, and repeated fires iias now nearly or entirely disap- 

 peared. The loblolly pine is not uniformly distributed; it occurs as 

 scattered dense groups varying from a few trees to several or many 

 acres in extent. (Plate YI, A.) In the open spaces the ground is cov- 

 ered with thick grass (chiefly wire grass) 1 to 2 feet high. The irreg- 

 ularity of the stand and its open condition is due to periodic fires, which 

 are particularly damaging where the growth of grass is heavy. Small 

 trees of various kinds of hardwoods, especially black gum, roundleaf 

 blackjack oak, southern red oak, and white and sand hickories occur 

 with the pine in greater or less abundance. A few longleaf pines occur 

 in places, especially south of the Xeuse Kiver. Table 4 shows the 

 comi^osition of this type based on measurements of nearly 700 acres, of 

 both logged and unlogged forest. 



After logging loblolly pine, usually the same species restocks the 

 ground and generally overtops the hardwoods. In many places, how- 

 ever, the hardwoods by their dense cover tend to prevent the reproduc- 

 tion of the pine after lumbering. (Plate YIII, A.) 



Under the best conditions the trees attain a height of from 120 to 125 

 feet and a diameter of 25 to 30 inches when 150 to 200 years old. Usu- 

 ally, however, the height ranges from 95 to 110 feet, and the diameter 

 from 18 to 25 inches. The rate of growth is that of Quality II (Tables 

 14 and 18, column 3.) The trees are generally sound, but the upper 

 logs in those more than 150 years old are likely to be affected by red- 

 heart. Groups of trees are found 200 years old, which possibly origi- 

 nated in the first extensive breaks in the longleaf pine forests made 

 by the early settlers, such as around old turpentine-distillery sites and 

 upon tar-kiln mounds. When the trees are solitary they are short 

 bodied and yield only coarse lumber; in groups the stems are longer 

 and clear. Logs are largely of Grades II and III. Under management 

 these stands will produce about 600 board feet per acre a year. The 

 lumber sawed from a 60-year old stand will grade 35 per cent ISTo. 1 and 

 Xo. 2. 



LOBLOLLY FIXE WITH HARDWOODS IN^ SWAMPS CHIEFLY IN THE COASTAL 



PLAIX. 



This type is largely confined to the coastal plain and occurs in clear 

 water swamps which are seldom flooded deeply or for a long period. 

 The soils are silt clays, marls, or fine-grained, stiff loams or fine sands of 

 the best quality, particularly of the Portsmouth series. These swamps 

 are one of the most common habitats of the loblolly pine, affording the 

 optimum conditions for the development of the individual tree. The 

 pine is associated with water oak, swamp chestnut oak, deep swamp ash, 

 yellow poplar, sweet gum, beech, red maple, holly, cypress, water ginn 

 and other less abundant species. The pine occurs either in groups of a 

 few trees which are usually even-aged, or more generally as single trees 



