— 298 — 
Repeated cullings have thus reduced the number of older trees stand- 
ing upon an acre and repeated fires have prevented young trees from fill- 
ing up the blanks. As a result, the present stands show an average of 
only 33 to 43.5 trees per acre, although normal yield-tables for such hard- 
woods made up from fully stocked stands show that at least 130 trees 
per acre, or four times as many, should be present (see stand tables for 
sample acres at Alto Pass and Jonesboro, pp. 313, 314). This decrease of 
growing stock means diminished volumes in such stands and reduced 
growth per acre. 
The depletion of the stands has been stimulated by the excellent 
marketing and shipping facilities. Four lines of railway traverse this 
region in a north and south direction—the main line of the Illinois Central 
from Chicago to Cairo on the eastern side, the Mobile and Ohio through 
the center of the area, and on the west a branch of the Illinois Central 
and one of the Missouri Pacific running parallel from Leo Rock te 
Thebes. The nearness of these railroad lines makes it possible to ship 
logs, mine props, and railroad ties without hauling them any great dis- 
tance. Several veneer plants are located on the main line of the Illinois 
Central and various wood-using industries have been built up at Cairo 
and Mound City, which, while drawing the bulk of their logs from the 
Ohio and Mississippi rivers, yet use some local logs. 
FOREST TYPES 
We have divided the forests of this region into upland and bottom- 
land types, but no attempt has been made at further division on a basis 
of site. While we may use the terms beech-maple, oak-hickory, and the 
like, in distinguishing forests in this region we shall attempt no close defini- 
tion of their limits as it would be almost an impossibility to trace them. 
Writing of the forests of Alexander county, Ill., Dr. George D. Fuller 
(’22) very pertinently says: “The various types and their subdivisions 
merge into one another by gradations that are often almost imperceptible, 
presenting degrees of difference that are quite impossible to discuss or map 
in a preliminary survey like the présent study.” 
Of the upland types we have distinguished the following: 
Culled forest—text symbol, Cull*—Stands from which merchantable 
trees have been entirely removed, with occasional weed, or defective, trees 
left. There are 12,584 acres of this type. 
Saplings—text symbol, Sap—Stands in which the trees are not large 
enough to be merchantable, including growth coming in on old fields or 
after a previous cutting. This type has a distinct future value. There 
are 13,489 acres of this type. 
*The symbols given in this connection are used only in the text and tables, our map of the region 
being self-explanatory. 
