172 FORESTS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



and Spanish oak are to be favored at the expense of the other 

 less valuable kinds of trees, which if left alone are apt to take 

 their place. On the alluvial lands the species usually succeeding 

 the oaks are the light-seeded sweet gum, cottonwood, sycamore, 

 and, to a less extent, hackberry and loblolly pine. 



MERCHANTABLE TIMBER ON THE OAK FLATS. 



The largest areas from which the white oak has not been 

 severely culled lie in Bladen, Onslow, Jones and Pamlico coun- 

 ties. They will cut to the acre from 40 to 60 cords of mixed hard- 

 woods. Where culling of white oak has long been practiced 

 water oaks have gradually replaced them, in a great measure at 

 least. 



These forests yield excellent white oak timber and some u red" 

 oak (Spanish oak) of large dimensions, and suitable for milling 

 purposes ; yellow poplar and cottonwood for paper-stock ; a limited 

 amount of red maple, and large quantities of white oak railway ties. 



SYLVICULTURAL TREATMENT. 



The seed of such species as it is desirable to reproduce should 

 be protected from hogs, and cattle should be excluded from all 

 young growth, until it is too large for them to injure. 



The most valuable trees occurring on the oak flats are the sev- 

 eral species of white oak and the Spanish oak, and forest manage- 

 ment should have for its object the increasing of the proportion of 

 these, and preventing the water oaks and other less valuable spe- 

 cies from supplanting them. 



On large areas where indiscriminate culling has to a great 

 extent removed the species of white oak, less valuable trees have 

 already followed,, and but little can be done in the way of natural 

 regeneration to raise the standard. Artificial re-introduction of 

 the white oaks is necessary. This can be accomplished by thin- 

 ning the existing wood of the least desirable species or by remov- 

 ing decrepit specimens, and underplanting with acorns, preferably 

 with those of the swamp chestnut oak, since in the latitude of 

 this State that is the most vigorous-growing species and reaches 

 the largest size on such soils. Or, the swamp chestnut oak or 



