14 AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS. 



thousand feet or more daily capacity, the remainder being small local ones, 

 produce not more than 40,000,000 feet of lumber annually. At this rate 

 these mills, particularly the larger ones, will cut out in about two years. 



Not more than 30,000 hewn shortleaf pine ties are produced annually. 

 Waste characterizes the cutting operations and the industry may not last 

 longer than five or six years. The f uelwood and fence post production 

 depends upon the local demand and is practically negligible. One shingle 

 mill, one chair and one handle factory are operating in the' county, but 

 run very irregularly. In view of the quantity of merchantable hardwood 

 along the Sulphur River these industries may continue indefinitely at 

 their present rate of production and new mills will undoubtedly be estab- 

 lished. 



While general public sentiment is against burning the grass and wood- 

 lands in Cass County, there yet exists a serious fire problem. Fires are 

 started by careless or malicious persons as well as by logging engines. 

 Approximately 50 per cent or more of the total area burns over annually. 

 Where burning is restricted and the woodlands protected, shortleaf pine 

 is reforesting the earlier cut-over lands. 



CHEROKEE COUNTY. 



Cherokee County lies entirely within the shortleaf pine region. The 

 land surface, broken and hilly in the north, but rolling in the south, drains 

 to the southeast through the Neches and Angelina Rivers. Iron ore de- 

 posits are found throughout the county, the most valuable being in the 

 northern portion. Soils vary from light sand to red or chocolate colored 

 loams and in the main are very productive. All public roads are under- 

 going improvement. Not more than 122 miles of mainline and 25 miles 

 of logging railroad are operated in the county. 



The land area may be divided as follows : 



Approximate total area. . . 633,600 acres. 



Virgin timber lands 155,000 acres. 



Second growth lands 25,000 acres. 



Culled and cut-over lands 220,000 acres. 



All other lands 233,600 acres. 



Of the virgin timber lands not more than 40 per cent are pine, the re- 

 mainder being a mixed, scrubby and more or less unmerchantable growth 

 of hardwoods. The best bodies of virgin timber are located in the southern 

 portion of the county and are held in large tracts by lumber companies. 



Second growth stands occupy a comparatively small area and the pine 

 in this class is almost without exception of old field origin. Abandoned 

 lands return very rapidly to old field pine. 



Culled and cut-over lands, dating back 10 to 20 years or more, were 

 culled lightly and now support a comparatively heavy growth of mixed 

 hardwoods and shortleaf pine. Recently cut-over areas are restocking 

 with gum, oak and some pine. Pine is scarce in the mixture because of 

 fires and the greater relative proportion of hardwoods left after logging. 

 A large percentage of this type of woodland is suitable for agriculture 

 and will eventually be placed under cultivation. No effort is being made 

 by lumber companies to sell their cut-over lands. 



