C AGKICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE or TEXAS. 



perhaps one and one-half billion feet of new growth formed since that 

 time. Eight additional counties, chiefly hardwood counties, were also 

 included in the Government's estimate. While the two sets of figures 

 do not cover exactly the same areas and the arbitrary yields per acre may 

 be either high or low, nevertheless, having been reached by entirely dif- 

 ferent means, they furnish a basis for reasonably accurate conclusions as 

 to the amount of standing timber in eastern Texas. 



FOEEST PRODUCTS OF EASTERN TEXAS. 



The greater part of the products from East Texas forests is in the form 

 of lumber, laths, and shingles. There are approximately 345 sawmills in 

 the 40 counties examined, 66 of which have an annual capacity of at least 

 10,000,000 feet of lumber each. The approximate locations of these large 

 mills are shown by dots on Map 2. The balance of the sawmills varies 

 in annual cut down to as low as a few hundred thousand feet each. The 

 number of small portable, or semi-portable, mills and combination mills 

 is increasing, the greater number being operated in sections abandoned 

 by the large mills. The total annual output of lumber, determined by 

 the survey of the 40 counties, is 1,685,000,000 board feet. Doubtless this 

 includes a large quantity of laths and shingles and perhaps railroad ties. 

 Jasper County leads in the cut of lumber, producing no less than 

 300,000,000 feet annually. Polk and San Augustine follow with 150,- 

 000,000 feet each. 



The total number of railroad ties, both sawed and hewn, of which a 

 record could be obtained is 2,399,000. Although the ties sawed in the 

 larger mills could not be separated or checked, it is probable that most of 

 the ties produced are hewn in the woods and sold along the railroad. Out 

 of 40 counties at least 30 produce ties in abundance. The largest tie pro- 

 ducing section is in the loblolly pine belt, of which Montgomery County 

 is perhaps the center. A large part of the ties produced are sent to 

 creosoting plants for preservative treatment before being placed in service. 



The stave industry in Texas is falling off owing to the rapid decrease 

 in the supply of white oak, the chief stave wood. Eleven counties produce 

 873,000 staves which represents the bulk of the output. Panola County 

 leads with an annual output of 300,000 staves. One large stave manu- 

 facturing plant in Texarkana draws upon the entire surrounding region, 

 even outside of the State, for its raw material. One heading mill reports 

 the use of 216 cords of wood monthly. 



Mine props aggregating 100,500 are produced in six counties and 

 shipped to mining sections in Texas and outside of the State. This is 

 a comparatively small industry but one which appears to be growing in 

 importance. Yellow pine is the chief wood used for props. 



Fence posts represent one of the most important products for local con- 

 sumption. Locally posts are used on every farm and sold in every town. 

 Fence posts are not extensively shipped from the region although five 

 counties produced 168,000 posts for shipment. 



Telephone and telegraph poles are shipped from a number of counties, 

 notably Tyler, Hardir, Trinity, and Bowie, and are used locally in other 

 counties. The reported shipments amount to 57,700 poles annually. 



