190 FORESTS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



While the greater portion of the original growth of short-leaf 

 pine has been removed, there are now large areas of wood, either 

 in a pure stand of short-leaf pine, or that species mixed with 

 the loblolly pine, especially on the lower or moister lands ; and 

 these areas contain a considerable amount of merchantable tim- 

 ber, though usually of a small size and yielding only sap lumber. 

 The re-growth pine is usually at its best when growing on hill- 

 sides in culled woods with white and black oaks, where rapid 

 development is secured, and tall and straight stocks formed. That 

 which has colonized old fields and there formed a pure growth is 

 straight-stemmed if the stand is sufficiently thick ; but the fields, 

 first taken in thick sod of tall grasses, are usually burnt many 

 times while the trees are yet small, and the growth, being thus 

 kept thin, continues as it matures open and scrubby, wliile the 

 trees have short boles. Below the pine, post oak and small hick- 

 ories (especially white hickory) appear, and where the soil is at 

 all moist or stiff" the dogwood spreads. 



The loblolly pine when in this re-growth, here and as far west- 

 ward as its distribution extends, does not do well after passing 

 into the pole-stage, if it is growing on dry, sandy or gravelly 

 uplands ; either it spreads out, and becomes short-stocked and 

 limby, if an abundance of light is afforded, or, if that be denied, 

 soon dies out. 



Although the woods of these eastern granite areas have long- 

 been culled, they are still yielding much merchantable building- 

 material, besides fencing-timber, railway ties (chiefly from the 

 post oak and white oak) and large amounts of fuel, both of pine 

 and hardwoods. 



A considerable (juantity of yellow poplar and some ash is 

 exported from these areas for the manufacture of pulp, while one 

 local paper mill employs ash for this use. 



There are several small mills sawing the second growth short- 

 leaf pine, and a few sawing the original growth. 



TREATMENT REQUIRED BY THE FORESTS OF THE EASTERN GRANITE AREAS. 



These forests are in most places capable of producing oak tim- 

 ber of considerable size, except along the summits of the hills. 



