THE FORESTS OF PRINCE GEORGE'S 

 COUNTY 



BY 



F. W. BESLEY. 



Introductory. 



The following report of ''The Forests of Prince George County'' 

 is the first contribution of the kind made bv the newly created State 

 Board of Forestry, under whose auspices all of the State forest work 

 is now conducted. The report and accompanying forest map, show- 

 ing the location and character of all forest areas, is the result of a 

 field survey made in the summer of 1907. 



The woodlands, wdiich comprise 127,200 acres, or 41 per cent, of 

 the total land area, consist principally of small tracts scattered 

 rather uniformly through the County. In value of product, the 

 forest interests are exceeded only by those of agriculture and hence 

 constitute one of the main sources of natural wealth. Their value 

 is further enhanced by the excellent transportation facilities, and 

 their nearness to good nutrkets. With the serious shortage of tindjer 

 that is certain to follow the general exhaustion of the main timber 

 supplies thronghout the country, and the consequent high prices to 

 be expected, the forest resources of this section are sure to contribute 

 in a large measure to the future prosperity of the County. 



The Distribution of the Forests. 



In the earl}' history of the county the forests constituted, by far, 

 the larger part of the land area. Owing to the demand for tillable 

 land the forests were rapidly reduced, until jn-actically all of the 

 arable land was cleared for the growing of crops. jS'aturally, along 

 the Patuxent River, (wdiere the tide of immigration first set in) the 



