FOREST RESOURCES OF EASTERN TEXAS. 49 



"Nearly $600,000 has been spent on the public roads and they are all in 

 good condition. About 100 miles of mainline railroad serve the county. 

 The land area may be divided as follows: 



Approximate total area 629,700 acres. 



Virgin timber lands Negligible. 



Second growth lands Negligible. 



Culled and cut-over lands 355,000 acres. 



All other lands 274,700 acres. 



The acreage of virgin timber lands is negligible as the woodlands have 

 been cut over and culled repeatedly. 



Small, scattered, old field areas of second growth are found throughout 

 the county. No importance is placed upon the future value of the timber. 



Practically all of the timbered area of Smith County may be classed 

 as either culled or cut-over. In the neighborhood of 120,000 acres of 

 culled lands now support stands of from 1,000 to 2,000 feet of shortleaf 

 pine and mixed hardwoods per acre. Of this timber a good quality of gum 

 is available for box and crate manufacture. Cut-over lands date back 

 35 }^ears. Lands in this type embrace the bottomland hardwood areas as 

 well as the pine uplands which have been cut heavily. About half of 

 them are well suited for agricultural purposes. 



Truck and fruit growing are the principal farming activities. New 

 land is being cleared in all portions of the county and practically no old 

 abandoned lands are found. Timber is sold for fence posts and fuel when 

 new lands are cleared. Farms for the most part are small in size. Al- 

 though improved lands are subject to severe erosion, this condition is 

 corrected by terracing. The entire county is under general stock law. 



Lumbering operations have been carried on for the past 35 years. Ten 

 small mills, operating very irregularly, produce not more than 10,000,000 

 feet annually. At this rate the industry should be continuous. 



Although there is an estimated stand of timber capable of producing 

 over 1,000,000 ties, the industry is practically at a standstill because of 

 the inaccessibility of the timber. Fuelwood consumption averages 5,000 

 cords yearly. The general stock law which prevails greatly limits the 

 fence post production for local use. A few cars are shipped out of the 

 county each year. One box and crate factory operates very irregularly. 



The fire problem is not serious in Smith County. Only a compara- 

 tively small acreage burns over annually and wooded areas for the most 

 part are reproducing. Shortleaf pine, sweet gum, and several species of 

 oak are slowly reforesting cut-over areas. 



TITUS COUNTY. 



Titus County is located entirely within the shortleaf pine region. The 

 land surface is slightly rolling, with some small hills, and is drained 

 through White Oak Creek and Big Cypress River. Soils are sandy 

 loams with some heavier bottomlands which are highly productive. Pub- 

 lic roads are being improved ; at least three road districts have expended 

 $300,000 to this end. Not more than 52 miles of mainline railroad 

 traverse the county. 



The land area may be divided as follows : 



