WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 7 



were approached, the hardwoods took their place. From that 

 time until the present, exploitation of the timber has steadily 

 progressed, but it was not until comparatively recent years that 

 the extensive logging operations began. A report issued in 1867 

 by the Immigration Commission of South Carolina stated that 

 only 4,500,000 acres had been cleared or about 23 per cent, of 

 the State's area, the rest being virgin forest. In 1910, a report 

 "Forest Conditions of South Carolina" made by the Forest 

 Service, United States Department of Agriculture in co-operation 

 with the South Carolina State Department of Agriculture, Com- 

 merce and Industries, points out that the area in forests 

 amounted to only 5,532,000 acres, leaving 8,209,000 acres unim- 

 proved land, mostly wooded, and nearly 6,000,000 acres as farm 

 land. In other words, about 70 per cent of the total area of the 

 State was in woods. The valuable pine forests of the coastal 

 sand plain were of course the first to go and today very little of 

 them is left. 



South Carolina is divided into two principal topographic 

 regions, the coastal and the Piedmont. The mountainous coun- 

 try in the extreme northwest may be considered as part of the 

 Piedmont region since it has the same kind of soil. The so-called 

 "Fall line" runs from North Augusta through Columbia and 

 Camden to the North Carolina line northeast of Cheraw. The 

 area west of this line comprises the Piedmont region, that east 

 of it comprises the coastal plain. Lumber operations are small- 

 est near the "Fall line" and increase toward the coast on the one 

 hand and toward the mountains on the other. The largest 

 virgin stands remaining are located on the swampy land along 

 the Atlantic Coast where on account of inundation during large 

 portions of the year, it is difficult and expensive to log. The 

 timber here consists of cypress, sand pine, water oak, and live 

 oak. Exploitation of the coastal forests has taken place and 

 during recent years has been rapid. Back from the coast, near 

 the "Fall line," agricultural land has taken the forest's place and 

 woodlots only are found. There are also large tracts here not 

 suitable for agriculture, and in the sand hill region around Colum- 

 bia are extensive areas of sand barrens once covered by longleaf 

 pine, but now supporting nothing but scrub or "forked leaf" 

 black jack oak. However, small patches of young longleaf pine 

 are common, and if ample fire protection were. afforded, part of 

 the barrens would soon be restocked naturally with valuable pine 



