256 GEOIvOGICAIv SURVEY OF NEW JERSEY. 



feet ill depth, in which there are logs of white-cedar perfectly- 

 preserved and excellent in quality. The white-cedar, like the 

 cypress of the South, reaches a ripe old age. Over one thou- 

 sand annual rings have been counted in buried stumps six feet in 

 diameter, ^nd, judging from fallen trunks, the age of these 

 swamps is many centuries. It establishes the fact beyond a 

 doubt that the white-cedar has been growing in South Jersey 

 for ages, and that it is perfectly at home there in every sense of 

 the word. The wood of many of these buried logs is sound and 

 light. These were dug out, sawn into billets, and s^Dlit by hand 

 into what were called " mud-shingles," which last for many 

 years.* 



It seems strange that the mining of cedar, when wood was 

 plentiful, should be more profitable than at present, when white- 

 cedar is scarce and poorer in quality. Lumber is cheaper in 

 parts of Eastern America to-day, however, than it was a quarter 

 of a century ago. This is due to the fact that a much wider 

 field has been brought into competition by the development of 

 railroads, and special long-distance freight rates from regions 

 w^here timber is still plentiful, and where very complete, labor- 

 saving, wholesale methods of working it are in practice. 



The production of tar was not very extensively developed, 

 .and lasted only for a short time. The existence of the industry 

 was due to the peculiar exigencies of the times. During the 

 Civil War the North was deprived of necessary naval stores, for 

 which the ship-chandlers were willing to pay enormous prices. 

 The natives of southern New Jersey took advantage of this 

 opportunity and collected large quantities of " fat-pine knots," 

 ■out of which they manufactured tar. 



At one time the splitting of hoop-poles for barrel-hoops was 

 an important industry. Coppice oak was used for the purpose. 



* In " mining" cedar logs a great deal of skill and experience was required. Of course, many of the 

 trees in the swamp were worthless when they fell. The person in search of shingle logs, therefore, first 

 sounds the swamp-bottom with an iron rod. When he finds a solid log, he notes its position, size and 

 length. With a sharp spade and axe he cuts down to it, in order to secure a chip of it, from which he is 

 able to tell, especially by the smell, whether it was uprooted by the wind or broken off above the ground. 

 In the first case it is apt to be much sounder and better. If satisfactory, he digs a trench along its length, 

 and saws it off at both ends. The hole he has dug soon fills with water, and, after the log has been com- 

 pletely loosened, it rises and floats, being surprisingly buoyant. It turns over also, at the same time, 

 being lighter and fresher in appearance on the underside. It is then rolled out of the bed where it has 

 rested many years, is sawn into proper lengths, and split into shingles. There is still, no doubt, buried 

 cedar in the swamps of South Jersey, but although fine in quality, it requires so much laoor to work it 

 that it is no longer profitable. 



