FOREST RESOURCES OF EASTERN TEXAS. 11 



acres are subject to yearly inundation while 90,000 to 100,000 acres addi- 

 tional are inundated at less frequent intervals. The greater part of the 

 latter acreage is improved land. 



Lumbering dates back 30 to 35 years in Bowie County and on a large 

 scale has disappeared. Five small sawmills are operating at the present 

 time and produce not more than 5,000,000 feet annually. While the 

 pine is practically exhausted, small hardwood operations may last many 

 years. 



No fuelwood is shipped from the county and not more than 1,000 cords 

 are sold locally. The low consumption of fuelwood is due to the use of 

 natural gas. Shortage of suitable timber prohibits the shipping of fence 

 posts and the only traffic in this product is a small local one. Telegraph 

 poles to the number of 15,000 are cut annually. The stave industry 

 using timber from Bowie County alone is a small one, although one 

 large stave plant located at Texarkana draws upon the surrounding 

 territory, even outside of the State, for its raw material. Tie cutting opera- 

 tions are on a fairly large scale due to the prevalence of hardwood timber ; 

 200,000 hewn oak ties with a value of $54,000 are cut annually. At this 

 rate, however, the industry cannot continue for many years because of 

 the general lack of reproduction on the earlier cut-over areas. Two small 

 shingle mills produce not more than 160,000 shingles per year. A number 

 of furniture, mattress, casket and other wood-using industries are located 

 in Bowie County. Two creosoting plants specialize in the preservative 

 treatment of timber. 



Uncontrolled burning is not a serious problem in this county because 

 of the comparatively large acreage of cleared and improved farm land 

 and overflowed land,. Notwithstanding this fact reforestation of cut-over 

 areas is slow and shortleaf pine reproduction is noticeably absent. Heavy 

 cuttings which left an insufficient number of seed trees are responsible for 

 this condition. Clear cutting methods should only be practiced on such 

 lands as are to be utilized for agricultural purposes. 



CAMP COUNTY. 



Camp County lies entirely within the shortleaf pine region although 

 the western boundary of the county practically coincides with the western 

 limit of commercial shortleaf timber. The land surface is rolling and 

 drains to the south and east into Big Cypress River. Several small areas 

 of sandstone are found in the county, but n>o rock formations of any 

 importance. Soils are light loams with red clay subsoils. Public roads 

 are gradually being improved and at least one road district has issued 

 bonds to carry on the work. Not more than 28 miles of mainline rail- 

 road are located in the county. 



The land area may be divided as follows : 



Approximate total area 138,880 acres. 



Virgin timber lands 5,000 acres. 



Second growth lands 5,000 acres. 



Culled and cut-over lands 25,000 acres. 



All other lands 103,880 acres. 



