4-1 



mine timbers, and virtually every species is utilized down to very low 

 diameters. As a consequence the forests in this region are over-cut. 

 growth does not equal the cut, and the amount of growing timber per 

 acre steadily diminishes. An average acre based upon a tally of all trees 

 6 inches D. B. H. and up, on a strip (56 feet wide totaling nearly 2li miles 

 in length and equivalent to 181.66 acres, gives the average number of 

 trees per acre as 37 and the average contents as 886.7;! cubic feet. The 

 same acre fully stocked with trees of the sizes present should have 108 

 trees and total 2,586.95 cubic feet of timber. Alexander. Union, and 

 Jackson counties contain over 100,000 acres of such forest, averaging 

 about one-third fully stocked (34.275 per cent). This means a loss in 

 yields of at least 2,400,000 cubic feet of wood annually, and is equivalent 

 to more than 200,000 first-class ties — a total annual revenue of $200,- 

 000.00. 



The average acre has 21 trees with a D. B. H. 10 inches or better; 

 i. e. trees suitable for ties or even sawlogs, and it has 16 trees in the 

 6-7-8-9 inch classes. Since cutting has been comparatively light in this 

 latter group it represents more nearly the actual association of species 

 in the forests of the future. A comparison of the data in table p. 45 

 showing per cents of species represented in the smaller and larger diam- 

 eter classes respectively, indicates that the future stand will have a slight- 

 ly lower per cent of black oak, tulip, black gum. maple, and red gum, and 

 a very much lower per cent of beech ; also it will have a higher per cent 

 of white oak, elm, and ash, and a very much higher per cent of hickory. 



