62 ECONOMIC BOTANY OF ALABAMA. 



Agriculture alone, the way it is practised in America at 

 the present time, would not support such a dense popu- 

 lation ; and many if not most of the people make their liv- 

 ing from mining, manufacturing and commerce. Ap- 

 parently a little over half, perhaps as much as 60%, of 

 the region is still wooded, but the stock law prevails now 

 over much of the area, particularly in Talladega County, 

 which seems to have the largest proportion of land un- 

 der cultivation. 



Forest products. — This region contains more large 

 towns and cities in proportion to its area perhaps than 

 any other part of the state, and wood-manufacturing in- 

 dustries are numerous and varied for this reason, if for 

 no other. Of the industries listed by Harris and Max- 

 well for Alabama about 20% are located in this region. 

 Nearly half of these, however, are in Birmingham, and 

 very likely much of their raw material is brought in 

 from other regions and even from other states by the 

 numerous railroads centering there. 



The Southern Lumberman's directory mentions 69 

 sawmills located in this region (which is 11.7% of the 

 number in the whole state, and a larger number in pro- 

 portion to the amount of woodland than in any other re- 

 gion except the Tennessee Valley), with an average ca- 

 pacity of 12,070 feet a day. The five largest mills cut 

 from 20,000 to 60,000 feet a day, and average four miles 

 of tram-road apiece. The secondary wood-working in- 

 dustries are even more highly developed than in the Ten- 

 nessee valley, 23 such establishments being enumerated 

 in the same publication. In variety of wood consumed the 

 Coosa valley is second only to that of the Tennessee. 

 Forty-one of the mills report long-leaf pine, 40 short-leaf 

 pine, 2 "white pine," 12 hickory, 2 cottonwood, 2 beech, 

 2 chestnut, 40 white oak, 36 "red oak," 5 elm, 22 poplar, 

 10 sweet gum, 3 sycamore, 2 basswood (lin), 4 maple, 2 

 tupelo gum, and 4 ash, besides several species represent- 

 ed by one mill each. The principal wood products seem 

 to be as follows: 



Short-leaf and long-leaf pine lumber. 



Doors, sash, blinds, mouldings, interior finish. 



Shingles, laths, flooring. 



