120 TIMBER PINES OF THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. 



uses by the house carpenter, while the inferior grades are largely consumed for secondary 

 purposes. Of late years the value of the lumber even of lower grades has been much enhanced 

 by the process of kiln-drying, now universally introduced into the mills. After the removal of 

 the water from the sapwood by exposure to a current of heated air, the lumber loses its proneness 

 to get discolored or to "blue" by the rapid development of the mycelium of a fungus and greatly 

 gains in its capability of a good finish, as well as in durability, and is thus rendered suitable for 

 many purposes for which, without such treatment, it would be rejected. 



The consumption of Loblolly Pine lumber is constantly on the increase in the markets of the 

 North, as the lumber of the White Pine becomes scarce and more expensive. The sappy timber of 

 second growth is every year coming more in demand, especially in foreign markets, where this 

 cheap timber is rendered durable by creosoting. In the, highest state of perfection, which is only 

 attained in the regions most favorable to its development, no other pine was deemed of higher 

 value or was more eagerly sought after for masts and other heavy spars of ships. Before the 

 use of iron in naval construction for these purposes, the Loblolly Pine timber of largest size was 

 eagerly contracted for in all the Southern ports by every one of the maritime powers of Europe. 

 In consequence, the trees which could furnish timber of the dimensions and qualities required for 

 such purposes have become exceedingly scarce, and can be said to have almost entirely disappeared. 



The Eev. M. A. Curtis, in his account of the Loblolly Pine, 1 quotes the following statement on 

 the habitat and the dimensions of this tree, from the pen of Mr. E. Ruffin, of Virginia, which, 

 illustrating a feature of the life of the Southern forest forever past, I can not refrain from intro- 

 ducing here: 



This (Slash Pine) tree grows only on low, moist lands, and is the better for timber and grows larger in proportion 

 to the richness of the land. Among other gigantic forest trees on the rich 'and wet Roanoke swamps, mostly of oak, 

 poplar, gum, etc., the few pines which yet remain tower above all others; I have visited several standing trees and 

 stumps of others which have been cut down and which measured 5 feet in diameter, and were supposed to have been 

 from 150 to 170 feet high. 



In evidence of the dimensions of the trees, the writer gives the sizes of the squared sticks cut 

 in Bertie County, made into a raft, and shipped in 1850 by way of the Dismal Swamp Canal to New 

 York. These sticks varied from 50 to 86 feet in length by a mean diameter of from 26 to 31 inches, 

 containing from 347 to 537 cubic feet each. Remarking further: 



All of these sticks are nearly all heartwood; thence it follows that the proportion of heartwood must have 

 been very large, the timber must have been resinous or it would not be good, and it must be durable or it would not 

 serve for masts and other long spars for ships exposed to the alternations of wetting and drying, and for which only 

 the best materials are permitted to be used. 



The inferior growth of the Loblolly Pine furnishes vast supplies of cordwood. Immense 

 quantities are shipped from the coast of Virginia and North Carolina to the large cities on the 

 Atlantic seaboard. It is chiefly used where a brisk flame with a quick heat is required, viz, in 

 bakeries, brickkilns, and the kilns of potteries. In its fuel value, the wood of this tree ranks with 

 the better class of resinous trees. Large quantities of the wood are also used for the burning of 

 charcoal. 



RESINOUS PRODUCTS. 



Regarding the production of resinous products from this pine there has existed a wide 

 divergence of statements. A. F. Michaux states that this tree affords turpentine in abundance, 

 but of a less fluidity than that of the Lougleaf Pine, and suggests that as it contains more sapwood 

 a deeper incision would yield alarger product. Rev. M. A. Curtis follows Michaux in this statement , 

 and the writer, relying upon the information from operators in south Alabama, was also led into 

 the error of supposing this tree to yield an abundance of resin for distilling, similar to the free 

 flowing resin of the Cuban Pine, and published a statement to the eft'ect that this tree was tapped 

 wherever found. A trial box made at the request of the writer seemed to confirm the opinion as 

 to the character of the resin. It appears now, however, that the tree boxed (not inspected by the 

 writer) could not have been a Loblolly, for lately a number of true Loblolly Pines, tapped accident- 

 ally in a turpentine orchard, were found in Washington County, Ala., and showed that the resin 



M. A. Curtis: Trees and Shrubs of North Carolina, Raleigh, I860, p. 23. 



