FOREST RESOURCES OF EASTERN TEXAS. 31 



are suitable for their growth is good. If the fire situation is handled in 

 the future as it has been in the past second growth timber will ultimately 

 be available. 



MARION COUNTY. 



Marion County lies entirely within the shortleaf pine region. The 

 land surface is hilly in the western portion but becomes more rolling in 

 the eastern. Drainage is through the Big Cypress River and Caddo Lake. 

 Several scattered areas of sandstone are found in the county and prac- 

 tically one-third of the entire area is in the iron ore belt. Soils vary from 

 light to dark loams with a red clay subsoil. The public roads are gradually 

 being improved. More than 49 miles of mainline and about 15 miles of 

 logging railroad serve the county. Transportation facilities will soon 

 be improved by barge service through Big Cypress River to Caddo Lake. 



The land area may be divided as follows : 



Approximate total area 245,760 acres. 



Virgin timber lands 25,000 acres. 



Second growth lands 35,000 acres. 



Culled and cut-over lands 100,000 acres. 



All other lands 85,760 acres. 



Not more than one per cent of the virgin stands are pine, the remain- 

 der being mixed hardwoods in the river and small stream bottoms. Tim- 

 ber is held both by the large lumber companies and by individual resi- 

 dents. When sold both land and timber are included in the deed. 



By far the greater proportion of second growth stands are on old field 

 lands in scattered tracts over the county. The timber in this class is 

 mainly shortleaf pine which has reached tie timber dimensions and is 

 now being cut. The future value of such stands is rapidly becoming 

 recognized. * 



'A second cut is now being made on the older cut-over lands. The 

 later first cuttings as well as the present second cuttings are stripping 

 these lands and oak and gum are taking possession of the areas. While a 

 large percentage of the cut-over lands are suitable for agriculture such 

 utilization is far in the future. Most of such lands are now for sale on 

 very easy terms. 



Diversified farming is the practice and general farm conditions are 

 good where the work is being done by resident owners. Practically no 

 lands are being abandoned and a small acreage of new land is cleared 

 annually. Where markets are remote the timber is burned in clearing 

 new land. Farms average 100 acres in size and should be terraced over 

 most of the county to prevent washing. Three-forths of the county is 

 under hog law. 



Lumbering operations have been carried on in the county for the past 

 35 years. Three mills, one of 60 thousand feet daily capacity, the re- 

 mainder of the portable type, produce not more than 8,000,000 feet of lum- 

 ber annually. The one large mill will cut out within a year, but the 

 smaller mills, at their present rate of production, may cut from second 

 growth and cut-over lands for an indefinite period. 



Tie operators cut about 150,000 hewn tie? annually, more than 75 per 

 cent of which are pine. Two small portable tie mills have recently ceased 



