24 



TIMBER PINES OF THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. 



undertake, but for which tlie means at the disposal of the Division of Forestry have never been 

 sufficieut. Even the amount of annual C(msumi)tion can only be approximated, ]iarlly because 

 the species are not always kept separate and partly because information is not always readily 

 given by the operators or shippers. 



The statistics for Longleaf Pine can be more nearly aiii)roxinmted, for the majority of tlie mills 

 engaged in its exploitation cut hardly any other timber; moreover, its j;eographical limits are more 

 clearly defined, so that even the area of remaining supplies is not entirely beyond our ken. 



When it comes to using such statistics for a prognostication as regards available supplies, 

 another difficulty arises in the change of standards of material recognized as marketable and the 

 change of demand or use, and hence consumption, of any of the varieties. But we can now safely 

 assume that the standard of size and quality, which was high when the census figures of ISSO were 



PiQ. 7 — Diagram showing comparative progress of volume groivtb iu average frees. 



estimated and hence made them appear below the truth, has now sunk nearly to the lowest level, 

 any stick that can be placed on the mill down to 10 inch and .Sinch being fit material. There is 

 also no danger of any reduction in the cut for any reason except a temporary one due to such 

 general business depression as that experienced tlirougliout the last two years. Increase of 

 consumption of Southern timber is bound to follow the imminent exhaustion of the pine supplies 

 of the North. And with the exception of Pacific Coast timbers, which, owing to their great 

 distance, have so far made but little competition in Eastern markets, no new undiscovered timber 

 resouice will influence the cut of Southern pine. 



Venturing on the basis of the meager data furnished in this publication to make a guess at 

 the probable supply an 1 demand, we may with due reserve state that the amount of pine timber 

 ready for lumber manufacture standing in the South can not be above L'r)(),()00,000,OOU feet, and 



