THE SOUTHERN" CYPRESS. 11 



pole consumers. Small amounts go into cross arms. A little is used 

 for slack cooperage, and, experimentally, cypress has been found to 

 be a substitute for white oak for wine barrels. 



Large quantities of pecky cypress, which is relatively cheap, are 

 used where good appearance and water-tightness are not required. 



CYPRESS LUMBERING. 



Most of the early centers of cypress lumbering were located near 

 the mouths of the larger southern rivers. This was due to the pre- 

 vailing method of float logging during high water. Logging centers 

 have since moved inland, to the great interior swamps and higher 

 portions of the river swamps. 



In the early days large amounts of the finest cypress were annually 

 cut in trespass and floated away. Standing timber was considered 

 of so little value that State authorities and, to a less extent, private 

 owners made little attempt to stop illegal cutting. Under the swamp- 

 land act of September 28, 1850, very much of the swamp and delta 

 lands early passed into the hands of the various States. Later these 

 lands were sold very cheaply to railroads, timber companies, and set- 

 tlers, in order to encourage the development of the country. The 

 cypress industry has gradually become concentrated in a few hands. 



Methods of logging and general mill equipment are essentially simi- 

 lar throughout the South. Various hardwoods, including tupelo 

 gum as the latest addition, are now manufactured to a considerable 

 extent by the cypress mills. Many large mills, however, are cutting 

 onlv cypress. 



LOGGING. 



The present logging of cypress is attended by difficulties of a kind 

 unknown in handling any other commercial timber. The bulk of all 

 cypress is now logged by massive steam machinery moved from place 

 to place on railroads built into the deepest parts of swamps over soft 

 and treacherous ground. Periods of high water interfere with both 

 the cutting and the moving of logs. For many years only the timber 

 accessible to streams subject to flooding was taken. The soft nature 

 of the soil and the great weight of the logs made it impossible to move 

 the timber by the usual method — with oxen or mules. The wealth 

 of <■;. pre remained practically untouched until late in the eighties, 

 although a few mills were operating earlier. The decline of the east- 

 ern white-pine industry sent into the South lumbermen who solved 

 the difficult problem of logging cypress. Logging progressed from the 

 float method in the eighties to the pull boat in the nineties, and from 

 that to overhead-cableway skidding, the method now in use. (Seo 



PL r.) 



Bloal logging ccnsi I of floating logs during periods of high water 



through "trails" and "flout roads" previously opened, in the forest. 



