CONIFERAE 45 



already clone in many hammocks, etc. It is almost impossible to 

 find a long-leaf pine forest which does not show the marks of 

 recent fires. Some people are inclined to regard such fires as mere 

 accidents, which are much more frequent now than they were in 

 pre-historic times ; but the multiplication of fields, roads, etc., cuts 

 the forests u]) into small patches, and thus restricts the area over 

 which a fire started by lightning or any other ntaural cause can 

 spread ; and the frequency of fire at any one point in the pine 

 woods may be no greater now than it was a thousand years ago. 

 (This matter is more fully discussed in Monograph 8, and in sev- 

 eral vegetation studies by the writer in the annual reports of the 

 Florida Geological Survey. See also Andrews 1 in bibliography.) 

 This was originally probably the most abundant tree in Ala- 

 bama, as well as in several other southeastern states ; but it has 

 been so thoroughly exploited by lumbermen in all accessible local- 

 ities that the present stand may not be over one-tenth of the 

 original. It occurs in every region in the state except the Barrens, 

 Tennessee Valley, Mobile delta and perhaps the Coast strip. Its 

 distribution and relative abundance are shown pretty well on the 

 accompanying dot map, but some details by regions deserve to be 

 given also, as follows. 



2A. Winston, Blount, and Etowah Counties, rather rare. 



2B. Abundant around South Lowell, Walker County, two decaces 

 and more ago ; but a logging railroad has invaded that area since the picture 

 in Monograph 8 (fig. 14) was taken, and has lately been discontinued, which 

 probably means that all the pine worth cutting is gone. Scattered in Jeffer- 

 son and Tuscaloosa Counties; worked for turpentine in the latter about 17 

 years ago, and soon afterward ruthlessly exploited by sawmills. Common 

 in the Cahaba coal field, less so in the Coosa. 



3. Frequent on the poorer soils in nearly every county, especially chert 

 ridges. Worked for turpentine in Talladega County a decade or so ago, and 

 perhaps later. 



4. Common on dry sunny slopes, up to 1900 and perhaps even 2000 

 feet above sea-level (as nearly as can be determined by topographic maps). 

 Apparently not turpentined in the mountains yet, on account of its scattered 

 growth and the rough topography. A generation ago there was a large 

 sawmill at HoUins, and many small mills have nibbled at the pine in this 

 region since. 



5. Common, except in an area of a few hundred square miles around 

 LaFayette, where the soil appears to be a little too rich for it (and also 

 ior Magnolia glaitca. which see).* A little too scattered to be turpentined 

 profitably, and not being cut for lumber much at present. 



6A. Common from Tuscaloosa County southeastward, but never very 

 abundant. I have seen a few specimens in the southeastern part of Fayette 

 County-t 



*Comnare with map 2 herein. 

 tSee Torreya 23:50-51. 1923. 



