24: AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS. 



county is under general stock law the consumption of fence posts is small. 

 Some of the smaller mills cut fence posts at odd periods. 



The general condition of the hardwood timber is poor by reason of 

 either shake, decay or insects and reproduction is uncertain, more on 

 account of stripping timbered areas and leaving no seed trees than as an 

 effect of fires. Hopkins County should be a farm woocllot county, each 

 farmer producing enough material, at least, for his own needs. 



HOUSTON COUNTY. 



Houston County is located almost entirely within the shortleaf pine 

 region, a very small acreage in the extreme northwest corner being in 

 the post oak region. The land surface, hilly and broken in the northern 

 portion, but more rolling in the south, drains into the Neches and Trin- 

 ity Rivers. Soils range from light sand to heavy loams. Large areas 

 of iron ore deposits are found north of Crockett. Public roads are being 

 gradually improved. More than 52 miles of mainline and 40 miles of 

 logging railroad traverse the county. 



The land area may be divided as follows : 



Approximate total area 762,880 acres. 



Virgin timber lands 50,000 acres. 



Second growth lands 175,000 acres. 



Culled and cut-over lands 255,000 acres. 



All other lands 282,880 acres. 



The greater proportion of the virgin timber lands are located in the 

 southern and eastern portions of the county and support a growth of 

 pine. The lands are held in large tracts by the lumber companies. Under 

 present logging methods everything down to a six-inch diameter is cut. 



Second growth lands are located in the northern and southern portions. 

 Shortleaf pine, particularly where fires are kept out, is slowly reforesting 

 these areas. Only a very small percentage of the area in this class is 

 from old fields. The average stand per acre is light and but little im- 

 portance is placed upon the future value of this type of timber. 



Culled and cut-over lands date back to 1890. Areas logged in the 

 earlier periods were cut lightly and now support stands of from 500 to 

 3,000 feet per acre. Practically all the merchantable timber is pine. 

 Although little land is being sold at present it is certain that a large 

 acreage in this type will eventually be used for farms. 



Progress is now being made in agriculture as contrasted to conditions 

 a decade ago. The general tendency still is to abandon old lands and 

 clear new. Farms average less than 45 acres in size and are subject to 

 severe washing, particularly in the northern portion of the county. Other 

 land areas comprise a large acreage of pasture land in the western portion 

 of the county. Nearly the entire county is under hog law. 



Lumbering as an important industry dates back 15 years. Nine mills, 

 one of more than 50 thousand daily capacity, the remainder small and 

 irregular in their operations, are located at the present time within the 

 county while at least three large companies in adjacent counties tram 

 their timber from Houston County. The total production is approxi- 

 mately 75,000,000 feet annually. The industry, however, is slowly giving 



