20 AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS. 



squared timbers for export and a small amount of white hickory bolts for 

 handles were shipped during the past year. 



Most of Hardin County burns over annually. Fires are usually started 

 by stockmen under the belief that grazing is improved and the custom 

 meets with general approval. The cut-over lands, particularly those of 

 the "crawfish" type, should be protected from fire in order that part at 

 least may reproduce to timber. Present day logging methods, however, 

 strip these lands while repeated burning and hog grazing further operate 

 to keep out reproduction. A radical change in the method of handling 

 cut-over lands in Hardin County is necessary if the growing of timber 

 even on a small scale in this natural pine region is to be considered. 



HARRIS COUNTY. 



A line drawn east and west through the center of Harris County would 

 mark the approximate southern limit of commercial loblolly pine. Very 

 little pine is found west of Houston. The extremely low and level land 

 surface drains to the southeast into Galveston Bay ; better drainage condi- 

 tions are a problem in certain sections of the county. Soils range from 

 light sand to black waxy, a large percentage of the latter type being very 

 fertile. Public roads are excellent, at least 400 miles being graded and 

 paved. Approximately 386 miles of mainline railroad furnish excellent 

 transportation facilities. 



The land area may be divided as follows : 



Approximate total area'. 1,137,040 acres. 



Virgin timber lands Negligible. 



Culled and cut-over lands 327,000 acres. 



All other lands 800,040 acres. 



The virgin timber has practically all been cut from Harris County. 

 Timbered areas have been repeatedly culled until such old growth timber 

 as remains is in scattered tracts of mixed hardwoods along the streams. 



Culled and cut-over lands support a growth of pine or mixed hardwoods 

 pending upon the character of the soil. For the most part the timber 

 is scrubby and of little commercial value except for fuel. 



The greater proportion of the farms are small and are handled inten- 

 sively. New lands recently put under cultivation are prairie lands. Those 

 cleared from the timbered areas yielded a substantial revenue in cordwood. 

 N~o improved farm lands have been abandoned and a decided effort has 

 been made to drain those lands where the natural fertility has been coun- 

 terbalanced by the presence of excessive soil moisture, Improved farm 

 lands range in value from $20 to $300 an acre. 



By far the largest bodies of land in the county consist of the treeless 

 prairies lying south of the loblolly pine region. They furnish excellent 

 grazing for the local stock industry. Practically all the county is under 

 hog law. 



Sawmill operations were begun in Harris County as early as 1882. 

 Thirteen mills, one with 75 to 100 thousand and two approximating 50 

 thousand each in daily capacity, the remainder being small and irregular 

 in their cut, are now operating. Their combined annual output is small, 

 however, as they operate very irregularly. Houston is the headquarters 



