FOREST POLICY. 

 FORESTRY CONDITIONS OF VIRGINIA: 



1. Area: 23,400 square miles, or 58% of State, are 

 woodland. 



2. Physiography: 



(a) Mountain section, a belt 60 miles wide along the West 

 Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee lines, covering two or three 

 tiers of counties and forming 25% of State. 



(b) Piedmont plateau, drained in the main by the James 

 River, lying southeast of "a" and forming 50% of State. 



(c) Coastal plains, a belt up to 100 miles wide, extending 

 as far as tidewater in the streams. Swamps near the coast, 

 notably the Dismal Swamp. Soil sandy. The plains cover 25% 

 of the State. 



3. Distribution: On Virginia soil the northern tree flora 

 meets the southern. The long leaf and taeda pines do not ex- 

 tend further north than Virginia. 



Mountain section: The hardwoods of the southern Appa- 

 lachians (see under North Carolina) prevail here, with some 

 hemlock and white pine. Spruce at high altitudes. The moun- 

 tain forests were practically untouched in 1880. It is now claimed 

 that certain species, notably chestnut oak, are exhausted. 



Piedmont plateau: In the virgin woods, black oak was the 

 prevailing timber; further, white oak, hickories and black gum. 

 Now no virgin forest is left. Vast areas of fields, exhausted by 

 tobacco growing, come up in Jersey pine (virginiana), rigid pine. 

 echinata pine, sumac and sassafras; further, hardwood brush of 

 chestnut, gum and oaks. Little taeda pine. 



Coastal plains: The original growing stock, after 

 Michaux, consisted of belts of taeda pine, alternating with belts 

 of echinata. Now a second growth of taeda forms 75% of the 

 growing stock from the seashore to the meridian of Richmond, 

 whilst echinata appears scatteringly. Long leaf pine is commer- 

 cially unimportant, reaching its northern limit in stunted speci- 

 mens near Norfolk. The swamps near the coast show cypress, 

 gums and. after Fernow, red cedar. 



4. Forest ownership: 418 lumber firms control 402,000 

 acres of forest, stocked with 4,300 feet b. m. on an average. 



5. Use of timber: Main source of lumber is 2d and 3d 

 growth of loblolly pine, sold under the trade name "Virginia 

 pine," which is said to reproduce exceedingly well. Trees 50 



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