LONGLEAF PINE 151 



fined to the Southern States, but in much of the region 

 where it once flourished little can now be found, it having 

 been cut oft' and followed by Cuban, Loblolly, and Short- 

 leaf Pine, and various broadleaf trees ; or the ground has 

 been devoted to agriculture, or has become barren waste. 

 Starting from Norfolk, Virginia, it was found along the 

 Atlantic Coast in a belt averaging about one hundred and 

 thirty miles in width, well down to the southern part of 

 Florida, and thence along the Gulf Coast to western Miss- 

 issippi, with varying outlying regions in northern Louisi- 

 ana, eastern Texas, and northern Alabama. 



Its best development was on the low " pine hills " and 

 plains which are elevated from one hundred to sometimes 

 six hundred feet above tide. It prefers a sandy soil with 

 a porous subsoil fairly abundant in plant food, will accept 

 one somewhat sterile if the subsoil is porous and moisture 

 can be reached at no very great depth, but does not take 

 kindly to a wet soil. It is exacting, however, in the matter 

 of geographical location, rarely growing, except in northern 

 Alabama, over one hundred and seventy-five miles from 

 the coast, and cultivation outside of these limits should be 

 entered upon with careful consideration. Atmospheric con- 

 ditions, brought about by proximity to the ocean, undoubt- 

 edly largely control in the matter, yet the temperature may 

 have considerable to do with it, as probably nine tenths of 

 the area once occupied by it does not exceed two hundred 

 and fifty feet above the ocean, and much of it is only one 

 hundred and fifty feet. 



Ordinarily its greatest height of stem is from one hun- 

 dred to one hundred and twenty feet, with a diameter of 

 two to two and one half feet. Sometimes it may be found 

 to exceed this, but rarely. Probably the average of trees 

 cut for sawlogs does not exceed twenty-three or twenty- 

 four inches, breast high, with a height of eighty to one 

 hundred feet. Such trees must be well on to one hundred 

 and seventy-five or more years of age. From one half to 

 two thirds of their total height is available for timber. The 



