10 AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS. 



The greater number of fires are started by tram engines, the county 

 burning over about once in four years. The standard lines of railroad use 



011 for fuel. Fires also appear to be started in order to eliminate insect 

 pests and not to improve the grazing as is so frequently the case. A second 

 growth of desirable timber cannot be grown unless burning is restricted. 



BOWIE COUNTY. 



Bowie County, located in the extreme northeastern corner of the State, 

 lies entirely within the shortleaf pine region. The generally level to 

 slightly rolling land surface drains into the Bed and Sulphur Rivers, 

 which form the northern and southern boundaries of the county. Soils 

 vary from a light colored loam to a dark loam underlaid by clay in the 

 bottoms and along the streams. Public roads show much improvement; 

 practically all of them are graded and several miles are surfaced. Sulphur 

 Fork and Eed Eiver are both navigable to some extent, More than 108 

 miles of mainline but no logging railroads are operated in the county. 



The land area may be divided as follows : 



Approximate total area 578,560 acres. 



Virgin timber lands 35,000 acres. 



Second growth lands 45,000 acres. 



Culled and cut-over lands 320,000 acres. 



All other lands 178,560 acres. 



Virgin timber lands support a growth of mixed hardwoods and short- 

 leaf pine. The hardwoods occupy the better situations along the streams 

 in the northern and southern sections of the county. Stumpage values 

 range from $1.50 to $5 per thousand. Pine is found on the poorer lands 

 and becomes scarcer as one goes from east to west across the county. It is 

 estimated that all the virgin pine will be cut out in another year. Virgin 

 timber is owned by mill companies and local residents. 



Second growth lands are scattered over the county and for the most 

 part are timbered with pine although some hardwood, noticeably post oak, 

 is found. Stands of timber in this type are mainly from old fields. The 

 timber is little damaged by fire owing to the relatively advanced age of 

 the stands. 



Culled and cut-over lands dating back 10 or 15 years are being slowly 

 reforested with a growth of mixed hardwoods and pine. The hardwoods 

 now form the greater percentage of the volume per acre. Such of these 

 lands as were not cut clear years ago will furnish timber for a second cut 

 within a few years. Most lands in this type are agricultural lands and 

 will be so used at some future time. 



Although Bowie County is located in the East Texas timber belt agri- 

 culture takes precedence over the lumbering industry. Improved farm 

 lands have a comparatively high valuation. The timber from clearing 

 is worked into ties and if accessible to the railroad is shipped as fuelwood. 

 Farms range from 100 to 200 acres in size. Improved farm lands are 

 but little subject to erosion because of the level topography. Practically 

 the entire county is under hog law. 



Overflow areas are found along both the Eed and Sulphur Eivers and 

 practically all streams in the county. Of this class approximately 30,000 



