46 THE AMES FORESTER 



ton growing is the chief industry although some corn and 

 other crops are grown. Most of the holdings are large planta- 

 tions and worked by tenants. The population is 31,189, show- 

 ing an increase in the last census decade of 12.8 per cent. 

 The census gives 32.3 per cent of the area wooded while the 

 present survey shows 42.2 per cent. The percentage of farm 

 homes to total homes is 53.4 per cent, and 17.6 per cent of 

 the farm homes are encumbered. 81.5 per cent of the farm 

 homes are rented. The markets are not particularly good 

 except for lumber but there is^ a large use of fuel wood on 

 the plantations. Most of this land will be cleared up in time 

 except the swamps which are difficult to drain. 



Rutherford County in central Tennessee represents the 

 southern extension of the central hardwood forest. Red cedar 

 is also a well developed type and figures prominently in the 

 use made of the woodlots. The locality is in the limestone 

 district and the soil is fairly fertile, except where the bed 

 rock is near the surface, where occurs what is known as 

 "glade" land. Phosphate deposits occur in the extreme west- 

 ern edge of the county. The surface is mostly rolling with 

 some of the land quite hilly around the edges of the county. 

 There is some cotton raised in parts of the county but the 

 most general industry is the production of grain, hay and 

 live stock. Some dairying is done and is likely to increase. 

 The population of the county is 33,199. For the entire State 

 the per cent of farm homes is 51.1 per cent; 12.1 per cent of 

 the farm homes are encumbered and 42.3 per cent of the 

 total are rented. The wood market is fairly good and large 

 quantities of red cedar posts and poles and hardwood material 

 are used. There is a strong tendency to clear off the land for 

 cultivation and pasture, for the latter purpose even when of 

 the most rough and stony character. 



Of the localities remaining, from which data has not been 

 obtained, the one in northern Alabama represents the hilly 

 section along the Tennessee in Morgan County, with a certain 

 type of soil and methods of farming. Ouachita County in 

 northern Louisiana represents the western extension of the 

 southern pine belt with associated swamp hardwoods. A coun- 

 ty in southern Missouri is chosen to represent the general 



