4 BULLETIN 1061, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



billion board feet. In addition, considerable amounts are cut for 

 crossties, piling, pulpwood, and fuelwood. The estimated total cut 

 is, therefore, equivalent to 8 to 10 billion board feet. Continuous 

 losses of merchantable timber are caused by windfall, turpentining, 

 insects, fires, and diseases. 



Its habit of growth in pure stands over large areas, rather than as 

 scattered trees in a mixture, and its ability to grow on poor, dry, and 

 poorly drained soils mark longleaf as a pine of great potential value. 

 Over its range, generally, longleaf pine is found growing on prac- 

 tically all soils except the very wet and the rich alluvial soils, which 

 are variously occupied by cypress, mixed hardwoods, and slash, pond, 

 or loblolly pines. Yellow pines have been and still are among the 

 few important sources of wealth in the South. The original timber 

 is going ; but, with a recognition of the evil effects of fire and with a 

 few essential precautions against it, this timber can be replaced with 

 young growth, and the land will again come back in large measure to 

 its former position of economic importance. 



SECOND-GROWTH TIMBER. 



The value of second-growth pine is becoming increasingly recog- 

 nized as the main body of old growth is cut. Within the next 10 

 to 15 years this value will doubtless be widely recognized. Exten- 

 sive purchases of second growth by investors might be expected in 

 vieAv of the history of the prices that have been paid and are being 

 paid for small and often inferior timber growth in New England 

 and the Lake States. 



Second-growth pine has a distinct use and value (PI. IV). Lum- 

 bermen, who have heretofore regarded themselves simply as manu- 

 facturers of boards, are coming to have an interest in the question 

 of a future supply of logs, and during the past few years operators 

 in various sections of the South have bought large tracts of land 

 for the perpetuation of their industry. The underlying idea is to 

 operate continuously on the same tract. The more progressive lum- 

 bermen regard favorably the buying of good stands of young timber 

 because it affords a more profitable investment than holding old tim- 

 ber for 20 to 40 years. A relatively small amount of capital is tied 

 up in the combined young timber and cut-over land, and often a 

 greater return on the investment is possible. 



Growth in mature timber is very slow and is offset by losses caused 

 by insects, fungous diseases, fire, wind, and lightning. Young tim- 

 ber, on the other hand, is growing at a good rate and utilizing the 

 productive capacity of the land. Merchantable stands are coming 

 to be taxed at an amount nearer their full value. In young stands 

 the trees that nee,d to be cut out, in order to allow the remaining 

 trees ample room for growth, yield cordwood, ties, poles, or pulp- 



