4 BULLETIlSr 364^ U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGEICITLTTJBE. 



for turpentine and rosin, has an annual output valued at approxi- 

 mately $30,000,000. This industry, too, must either cease to exist or 

 else more its operations to other portions of the country, unless 

 provision is made now for a future supply of timber suitable for 

 turpentining. . : 



FOREST FIRES. 



The chief obstacle in the way of the conservation of the region's 

 timber supply is forest fires. These kill many trees of merchantable 

 size, destroy young trees and seedlings which otherwise would form 

 the basis for new timber crops, consume the ground cover and soil 

 humus, leaving the earth bare and subject to erosion, and sometimes 

 destroy human life. 



As long ago as 1879, according to figui'es gathered for the entire 

 region in the Tenth Census, 729 fires burned more than 5,000,000 

 acres, causing a money loss in salable products and improvements 

 of $2,250,000. This estimate was undoubtedly low at the time that it 

 was made, since conditions were not favorable for gathering com- 

 plete figures. 



While no other attempt has been made to obtain figures for the 

 entire region, the present annual loss is unquestionably much greater, 

 since the construction of railroads, the development of lumbering, 

 and the practice of brush burning have gone on steadily. North 

 Carolina is the only State in the southern pine region for which data 

 on the present damage from fire are available. During the five-year 

 period from 1909 to 1913 the average number of fires reported per 

 year in North Carolina was 633; the average area burned about 

 415,000 acres, and the average loss as follows : 



Value of timber destroyed $160, 000 



Value of young growth destroyed . 204, 000 



Value of forest products destroyed 218, 000 



Value of improvements destroyed ^ 66, 000 



Total damage $648, 000 



Number of lives lost 2 



Cost to private individuals to fight fire $19, 000 



Concerning the value of young growth destroyed the State For- 

 ester of North Caroline says: 



The growing realization of the value of unmerchantable young growth is 

 perhaps the chief reason for the apparently high money loss. Whereas in 

 1911, the first year any general estimate was placed on destroyed young growth, 

 the loss from this one cause amounted to only 25 per cent of the total damage. 

 in 1912 it comprised 33 per cent, while in 1913 it has increased to 45 per cent 

 of the total estimated damage. An instance, of the growing recognition of the 

 destructiveness of woods fires comes from Transylvania County. A farmer 

 there claimed $300 reduction in the tax valuation of his place because 300 



