LONGLEAF PINE. 



The natural range of long-leaf pine (fig. 1) extends from south- 

 eastern Virginia, southward over the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain 

 to Florida and westward to eastern Texas. Commercially the range 

 is very much less extensive. As a result of lumbering and repeated 

 fires, there remains to-day probably less than one-fifth of the original 

 stand of long-leaf pine, estimated to have amounted originally to 

 over 400 billion board feet. 



The largest remaining areas of old growth are found in the five 

 States bordering on the Gulf of Mexico. Reports from mill operators 



I '!>.. 1. Outline map of the southern United Stales, the shaded part showing the botanical 

 range of longleaf pine. This species of southern pine occurs widely distributed over 

 the Coastal Plain from southeastern Virginia to eastern Texas. Extensive areas of 

 cut-over longleaf lands occur throughout practically the whole range. The bulk of 

 Ui<- n-iuniuiii}. old growth is located in parts of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and 

 ■i oi ii/iniiiiy, ion-|c:if pine composed die bulk of probably the world's greatest 

 pure yellow pine forest. 



owning or controlling practically the entire remaining stand of old- 

 growth pine in the South indicate thai it is very doubtful whether ;il 

 the present rate ol cutting the longleaf forests, which have always 

 been the chief factor in the production of southern yellow pine, will 

 l:i -i for many years. 



Th«- total annua] cut of longleaf is not known. According to the 

 bed estimates, the Lumber cut is roughly about one-hull' of the total 

 southern yellow pint' lumber cut, which ranges yearly from L0 to L6 



