32 AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS. 



The most valuable of all the hill types are the cedar brakes, where 

 mountain cedar* forms pure stands on arid, crumbly., limestone hills 

 and slopes. Few regions of the United States produce more commercial 

 t-edar than the Edwards Plateau and the country to the north of it. 

 Mountain cedar is closely related to the red cedar (juniper) of eastern 

 Texas. The typical cedar brake is an almost impenetrable thicket with 

 branches closely interlaced and growing to the ground. The brakes 

 formerly contained many trees over one foot in diameter and capable 

 of producing poles thirty or more feet in length. Such trees are still 

 found in isolated brakes not yet lumbered and often growing in mixed 



Mesquite, Cedar, and Oak in Burnet County. 

 (Note the fire burning in a cedar brake.) 



forests on lower lands. The dense cedar brakes in general contain 

 shorter and more scrubby timber, and for ten or more miles surrounding 

 cedar shipping points trees of large size are seldom found. As a post 

 tree cedar is still abundant and of suitable size for this use. The brakes 

 are not cut clear and much growth under two and one-half inches in 

 diameter is generally left. This small material grows rapidly after 

 being released and often becomes merchantable in five to eight years 

 unless fires burn these cut-over area?, in which case they are apt to 

 revert to mixed oak and other growth. It is the common belief that 

 cedar areas are increasing rather than diminishing as a result of cut- 



*For further information, see Bulletin 207, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Washington, D. C., entitled "The Cypress and Juniper Trees of the Rocky Moun- 

 tain Region." 



