6 BULLETIN 308, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



ESTIMATE FOR SHORTLEAF PINE. 



An estimate based on the assumption that the rate of cut of each 

 species of southern yellow pine is approximately proportional to the 

 stand would place the total lumber cut of shortleaf in 1913 at 22 per 

 cent of the total southern yellow pine lumber cut, or 3,264,660,000 

 board feet. 



Another estimate may be made by taking 4.1 per cent x of the esti- 

 mated total stand in 1913 (Table 2). This would place the cut at 

 3,313,784,000 board feet of saw timber, a difference of only 1.5 per 

 cent from the first estimate. A complete calculation would take into 

 account the timber cut for poles, ties, piling, and other uses, although 

 for some of these uses longieaf , because more resinous, is doubtless 

 more extensively used. It is believed that about 3,500,000,000 board 

 feet is a fairly good estimate of the present total annual cut of short- 

 leaf pine. 



Certain regional facts throw a good deal of light upon the ques- 

 tion. For example, the percentage of shortleaf cut has rapidly in- 

 creased in some sections of the South through the extension of steam 

 logging roads into the hilly country. Many mills throughout Arkan- 

 sas and adjoining States which formerly cut a good deal of loblolly 

 pine from the low, flat country are now drawing much of their timber 

 supply from shortleaf growing in the uplands. In the same manner 

 shortleaf in the southern Appalachians is becoming accessible. Fur- 

 ther, the cut of second growth in old field stands has increased by 

 leaps during the past five years. In the central Atlantic States a 

 region of heavy lumber production lies over the coastal plain where 

 loblolly pine occurs in heavy stands. Larger areas of shortleaf, how- 

 ever, occur in these same States, although the cut is perhaps lighter 

 than that of loblolly. The yellow pine cut from a large geographical 

 region covering both the Piedmont and the lower slopes of the Ap- 

 palachians consists almost exclusively of shortleaf pine. 



THE WOOD. 



PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. 



The wood of shortleaf pine is straight fibered, uneven textured 

 with alternate hard and soft concentric rings, resinous, and mod- 

 erately heavy, hard, and rapid growing. The heartwood is light red- 

 dish or orange in color and is clearly defined from the nearly white 

 sapwood. 



The weight of oven-dry shortleaf averages about 34 pounds per 

 cubic foot. Air-dry wood (15 per cent moisture) averages about 38 



1 The rate at which southern yellow pine was being cut in 1909. 



