368 THE PLANT LIFE OF MARYLAND 



other favorable conditions enumerated above makes investment in 

 timber property a safe and profitable one. 



5 — Transportation facilities, both by water and by rail, give this 

 section the advantage of the best markets and therefore the best 

 timber prices. 



Southern" Maryland. — The forests of southern Maryland repre- 

 sent 45% of the total land area and have an approximate stumpage 

 value of $1,498,067. The three principal forest types are mixed 

 hardwood, mixed hardwood and pine, and pure pine. The mixed 

 hardwood type covers the largest area and as a rule occupies the low 

 ground in, and around swamps, also along the ravines. The principal 

 species of this type are white oak, chestnut, black oak, maple, red 

 gum, hickory and black gum. 



The mixed hardwood and pine type occupies the higher ground 

 bordering the mixed hardwood type, and represents the well drained 

 areas that have never been cleared for agricultural purposes. The 

 predominating species are scrub pine, white and black oaks, chestnut, 

 black gum, hickory and post oak, and in the southern part of St. 

 Mary's County a small amount of loblolly pine. 



The pure pine type occurs on the upland soils that were once 

 cleared for farming purposes and have since been abandoned. The 

 extent of pine forests is, therefore, a good index of the amount of 

 land once cultivated that has since reverted to forest. Scrub pine is 

 the prevailing tree of this type occupying undisputed possession of 

 the pine areas in the northern and central part with the exception 

 of pitch pine in a very limited way. The latter pine comes in 

 slightly, on sandy places around swamps in Anne Arundel County, 

 and to a less extent in Prince George's County. In the southern 

 half of St. Mary's County most of the pine stands consist of pure 

 scrub pine but the loblolly pine also occupies large areas, and in 

 some cases there are mixtures of the two species in the same stand. 



The forests of Southern Maryland have been more severely cut 

 over than those of any other section. The timber business has been 

 prominent for many years, and even now the timber products are 

 only exceeded by those of agriculture. The accessibility of the for- 

 ests by reason of several railroads in the north and good water trans- 



