902 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Courtesy Southern Pmc Association. 



BOX SHOCKS MADK FROM TIIF. TRIMMINGS OF LOX< 



it occurs, it was long almost the only building material. 

 Its long clear trunks, straight grained and easily split, 

 rendered it a favorite with the man who hewed out 

 timber and "boards'" with a broad ax. As a fence wood, 

 it rivaled the popularity of chestnut in other sections. 

 Rails and posts made from it were not only easily split. 

 but were very lasting. For posts, the "fat" pine was 

 used. The butts of fire scarred or turpentined trees ac- 

 cumulate an excess of resin which renders them very 

 durable. Such pieces are called fat, and are sought after 

 for positions in contact with the soil. These fat pieces 

 are also known as lightwood. and will burn at the touch 

 of a match. They are collected and sold as kindling ma- 

 terial in Southern cities. 



Even before the Kevohition longleaf was exported. 

 The first shipments were made to Cuba, the West Indies, 

 Mexico and Central America, where it outlasted the 

 native timbers. It early figured as ,-? shipbuilding timber, 

 and exports for this purpose were made to England in 

 pre-Revolutionary days. Because of its weight, it could 

 not compete with white pine in su])plying the largest 

 sized masts, but masts for smaller vessels, as well as yard 

 arms, booms and bowsprits for larger ones were made 

 from it. 



Writing in 1810, Michaux says that longleaf from 

 North Carolina and Georgia commanded 25 to 30 per cent 

 higher prices in England than any other jjine from the 

 United States. After the Revolution exports continued 

 to increase, and by the outbreak of the Civil War, it harl 

 secured such a firm foothold for general construction 



purposes in the English market 

 as to drive out the pine imported 

 from Scandinavia and northern 

 Russia. The early exports for 

 lumber were mostly in the fom 

 of "squares" rough hewn by 

 hand, and hauled long distances 

 by ox teams or floated down the 

 streams to the seaports. 



.\ WOOD IN DEMAND THE WORLD 

 OVER 



Today there is hardly a coun- 

 try in the world to which long- 

 leaf pine does not go. It is esti- 

 mated that a billion and a half 

 feet of southern pine is exported 

 annually and that longleaf com- 

 prises the bulk of this enormous 

 amount. This places it as the 

 leading export wood of .\merica. 

 Its nearest competitor is Douglas 

 fir. Most of the longleaf is 

 shipped from the ports along the 

 south Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. 

 Europe and South America take 

 the bulk of the supply. It is 

 estimated that 8 per cent of the 

 total cut of the Southern pines 

 is exported, .^t the outbreak of 

 the European War, the yellow pine lumber trade was 

 paralyzed to a greater extent than that of any other wood. 



LEAF PINE 



LONGLEAF FOR VATS, TANKS AND SILOS 



This wood is second on the list of woods used for these articles, the 

 staves being generally made from the heartwood of the tree. 



