12 



TIMBER PINES OF THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES 



ofSoutbern timbers, the Longleaf Piue, now being- replaced by Cuban and Loblolly pines; (2) the 

 rolling pine hills, or pine barrens jjroper, with a width of 50 to 120 miles, the true home of the 

 Longleaf Pine, which occupies it almost by itself; (3) the belt of mixed growth of 20 to 00 miles in 

 width, in which the Longleaf Pine loses its predominance, the Shortleaf, the Loblolly, and the hard 

 woods associating and disputing territory with it; and (4) the Shortleaf Pine belt, where the 

 species predominates on the sandy soils, the Longleaf being entirely absent and the Loblolly only a 

 feeble competitor, hard woods being interspersed or occupying the better sites. Within the terri- 

 tory the species that occur occupy different situations. Thus the Cuban, which accompanies the 

 Longleaf, usually occupies the less well-drained situations, together with the Loblolly, which, 

 although it can accommodate itself to all soils, reaches its best development in the rich lowlands 

 and is specially well developed in the flat woods which border the coast marshes of eastern Texas; 

 wliere it associates with the Shortleaf Piue it also seeks the moister situation. 



The Longleaf and Shortleaf pines are, in quantity and quality combined, the most important, 

 while the Loblolly or Oldtield Pine, as yet not fully appreciated, comes next, occupying large areas. 

 The Cuban Pine, usually known as Slash Piue — always cut and sold without distinction with the 

 Longleaf Piue — a tree of as fine quality and of more rapid growth than the Longleaf Pine, is associ- 

 ated with the latter in the coast pine belt, scattered in single individuals or groups, but appears to 

 increase in greater proportion in the young growth, being by its manner of development in early 

 life better fitted to escape the dangers to which the aftergrowth is exposed. 



Besides these four most important pines, the botanical distinctions of which appear in the 

 table below, there are a luimber of others of less significance. The White Pine (IHniis strobus) of 

 the North extends its reign along the higher mountain regions of North Carolina into Georgia, 

 forming a valuable timber tree, but of small extent. The Spruce Pine, to which a short chapter 

 is devoted in this bulletin, develops into timber size, but is found only in small quantities and 

 mostly scattered, and has therefore as yet not received attention in lumber markets; but its 

 qualities, and especially its forestal value, being a pine which endures shade, will probably be 

 ajipreciated in the future. 



Since the publication of the first edition of this bulletin the Pond Pine has unexpectedly been 

 found to furnish not inconsiderable quantities of timber (see j). 109). The Scrub IMne {Piints 

 vinjiniana) furnishes only firewood. 



BOTANICAL DIAGNOSIS OF THE FOUR PRINCIPAL PINES OCCURRING IN THE SOUTHERN STATES. 



The greatest confusion exists with regard to the vernacular names of these pines, in conse- 

 quence of which information regarding them, given by the native population, must always be 

 carefully scrutinized to determine exactly to what species it refers. Even in the lumber market 

 and among wood consumers, engineers, architects, and carpenters the same confusion exists; 

 Longleaf and Cuban pines are never distinguished; Shortleaf and Loblolly pines are mixed indis- 

 criminately, and often " Southern Pine," or " Yellow Southern Piue," satisfies the specification of 

 the architect and may come from any of the four species. 



