THE FORESTS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



519 



The following estimates of the amount of long-leaved pine standing in the state were made up from information 

 obtained from Mr. Edward Kidder, of Wilmington, North Carolina, in regard to thatpai't of the state north of the 

 Edisto river, and from Mr. W. G. Norwood, of Blackshear, Georgia, for the southern part of the state. They are 

 based on what is believed to be less accurate information respecting the northern part of the state than has been 

 obtained in regard to the pine forests of the other states, and allowance should be made for possible large errors. 

 The estimates are, however, probably largely below the actual productive capacity of the pine forests of the state 

 which may be expected to exceed by 25 or 30 per cent, the following figures : 



LONG-LEAVED PINE (I'inun paluatrit). 



The principal centers of lumber manufacture are Georgetown, Charleston, and various points in Hampton and 

 Barnwell counties, where small railroad mills are located. Charleston and Georgetown are the distributing centers 

 for naval stores manufactured in the state. 



GEORGIA. 



The northern counties of Georgia are covered with the forests of the Alleghany Mountain region, here and in 

 northern Alabama reaching the southern limits of their distribution and considerably reduced in the number of 

 species composing them, the pines, firs, beeches, and other northern trees being generally replaced by the broad- 

 leaved species of the Mississippi basin. From the base of the mountains forests of oak mixed with pines extend 

 southward, occupying the central portion of the state and mingling with the trees of the Maritime Pine Belt along 

 its northern limits. In the southern and coast counties great areas of swamps are still covered with forests of 

 cypress, protected by their inaccessibility from the attacks of the lumberman. 



The merchantable pine in the immediate vicinity of the principal streams and along the lines of railroad has 

 been removed, and serious damage has been inflicted upon the pine forests of the state by the reckless manufacture 

 of naval stores. Vast areas covered with pine, however, still remain, while the hard -wood forests of the central 

 and northern portions of the state contain a large quantity of the most valuable hard woods. 



The manufacture of cooperage stock is still in its infancy, and this and other industries requiring an abundant 

 and cheap supply of hard wood seem destined soon to reach an enormous development in the upper districts of 

 Georgia and the other states of the south Atlantic division. 



During the census year 705,351 acres of woodland were reported devastated by fire, with a loss of $167,620. 

 The greatest number of these fires was traced to carelessness in clearing laud, to sparks from locomotives, and 

 to hunters. 



The following estimates of the amount of long-leaved pine standing in the state of Georgia May 31, 1880, 

 were prepared by Mr. W. G. Norwood, of Blackshear, in that state, a timber viewer and expert of high standing. 

 He obtained his results by dividing the whole pine belt into irregular regions over which the average cut per are 

 could be obtained, allowance being made for clearings, farms, areas of culled forests, streams, swamps, etc. The 

 area in each of these regions, by counties, was measured upon a large-scale map and the standing timber computed. 

 These estimates include merchantable pine still standing on land partly cut over, or which has been worked in the 

 manufacture of turpentine. The boxed areas include nearly all the regions from which any pine has been removed, 

 and extend beyond them in all directions into the uncut forests and along rivers and railroads. 



Similar methods, practically, were adopted in preparing the estimates of the amount of pine standing in Florida 

 and the other Gulf states. The results thus obtained are not, of course, strictly accurate, and are not supposed 

 to be so. The estimates are intended to show the average productive capacity of the pine forests over large areas, 

 and to indicate generally in what part of the state the principal bodies of pine still occur. Liberal allowance has 

 been made in computing areas of swamp and cleared land, and it will probably be safe to add 10 per cent, to 

 these estimates of the pine standing in any of the southern states. 



