42 TIMBER PINES OF THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. 



The estiuction of Lougleaf Pine iu the forests of north Alabama, as far as economic vahie is 

 concerned, appears to be certain. The dense undergrowth of deciduous trees suppresses completely 

 the second growth of the Longleaf Pine iu the closed forest as well as in the openings. On the 

 uiountain slopes a young pine is i-arely seen, no tree being left to serve for the future dissemination 

 of the species, and the few seedlings sporadically springing up are invariably destroyed by the 

 firing of the herbage one year after another. 



The output of the mills at Gadsden and the mills in Talladega County along the Birmingham 

 and Atlantic Eailroad combined appears scarcely to exceed 50,000,000 feet, board measure, on the 

 average per year. A fine forest of Longleaf Pine is found in Walker County, strictly confined 

 within an isolated patch of silicious pebbles and sands, said to cover about 60,000 acres. Distant 

 about 10 miles from the nearest railroad this forest has'been but slightly invaded, only to supply 

 a small local demand. 



Summary statement nf sliipmintu of lumber and xqnarf timber from clikf centers of production in Alabama diiriiuj the year 



ISO?. 



Fcet.n.M. 



Mobile exports to foreign ports, coastwise, and shipments by rail ' 143, 8(10, OOO 



Estimated cut in Alabama and .sawn in western Florida 85,000, 000 



Transported by rai 1, mostly to Northern markets = 9,5, 200, 000 



Central pine belt" .■ 51,000.000 



Coosa basin < 50,000,000 



Total 425, 000, 0(K) 



Mississippi — What has been said of the forests of the maritime pine belt in Alabama ajjplies in 

 general to the Scime region in Mississippi. The coastal plain above the extensive grassy marshes 

 lining the seashore and the wide estuaries of the streams covers a larger area, being from 10 to 20 

 miles in width and embracing, at a rough estimate, about 728,000 acres of the 16,410 square miles 

 within the limits of the pine belt. The broad, scarcely perceptible swells, with a soil of sandy 

 loam and loamy sand, were originally well timbered, the widely spreading depressions with soil of 

 fine, compacted sand, poorly drained, bearing a sparse and inferior timber growth. The timber 

 produced on these flat woods, or " pine meadows," as they are aptly called in the adjoining section 

 of Alabama, being of slow growth, is hard and of fine grain, frequently with the fibers of the younger 

 wood contorted and of varied tints of color. This so-called curled pine is susceptible of high finish 

 and is much appreciated for fine cabinet work. There is comparatively little valuable timber left 

 in this coastal iilain. The remainder serves largely for the making of charcoal and cord wood for 

 the Xew Orleans market. 



The rolling pine lands, rising suddenly above the plain, almost exclusively covered by the Long- 

 leaf Pine, cover (roughly estimated) about 7,712,000 acres. The western limits of these forests are 

 difficult to define, numerous outlying tracts being found to exlend into or even beyond the region 

 of the loamy hills. The region of mixed growth, characterizing the ui)per division of the maritime 

 pine belt in Alabama, enters the State in the shape of a triangle, with the base along the Alabama 

 State line from Bucatunna to Lauderdale and its apex near Brandon, in Rankin County. The 

 generous soil of the arable lauds in this region is mostly under cultivation. The forests of Longleaf 

 Pine covering the steep hills, rather remote from the high roads of commerce, have been as yet but 

 little exploited. About 12,000,000 feet, board measure, of lumber are shipped annually by the 

 way of the Mobile and Ohio Itailroad, mostly to Mobile, from this region of mixed growth. 



From the information th;it could be obtained, it app<'ars that the cut of Longleaf Pine timber 

 in this State on the average for the past three years reached between 422,000,000 and 12.5,000,000 

 feet. The chief center of the lumbering industry is located above the Pascagoula Eiver, at Scran- 

 ton and Mosspoiut, where it has made great progress during the past thirteen or fourteen years. 

 In 1880, 60,000,000 feet, board measure, were shipped to foreign and domestic ports, which in the 



' Annual statement of commerce of Mobile, Mobile Register, September 1, 1892, Compiled from returns made 

 to the Mobile Board of Trade, 



^Production of mills south of Montgomery, etc, 



■'Production of imills on Louisville and Nashville Railroad, north of Montgomery to C'alera, by Colonel \Va<ls- 

 worth. 



■' Production of mills on Southern Railway, north of Selma to Stanton, by M. Hanson. 



