in the forests or in other industries during the 

 remainder of the year. Many small farmers sup- 

 plement their production of food for home con- 

 sumption with cash wages in forest work. Some 

 dairying is carried on around the larger cities, and 

 beef cattle, grazed in the open forests, are an 

 important source of income. 



In recent years, agricultural expansion has been 

 dependent on the development of specialty crops 

 rather than on a larger production of staples. 

 Owing to climatic factors, the specialty crops can 

 reach the market when prices are high, but these 

 crops do not require large acreages, and it is doubt- 

 ful whether any great amount of forest land will be 

 cleared for agriculture in the near future. Small 

 tracts are being planted to tung trees {Aleuritesfordii), 

 but it will be several years before this trend can be 

 appraised. 



Population 



With the exception of the East Coast resorts, the 

 towns are supported by commerce and industry. 

 The population is about 450,000, of which 63 per- 

 cent is white. In 1930, approximately 48 percent 

 of the people lived in towns and cities of 2,500 or 

 more. Almost every town, as shown in figure 5, 

 has one or more plants for the conversion of forest 

 products — sawmills, planing mills, turpentine stills, 

 and cooperage, veneer, and container plants. A 

 large proportion of the rural population is directly 



or indirectly supported by employment in the 

 woods, in turpentine and logging camps. 



Ocala National Forest 



The Ocala National Forest, a gross area of 

 263,000 acres, was not included in the field survey, 

 because of the existence of a recently completed 

 management plan and inventory covering the 

 greater part thereof. The total area under Fed- 

 eral administration in this forest on December 31, 

 1936, was 245,000 acres. The management plan 

 prepared by the Forest Service covers 183,800 

 acres, of which 157,320 is timbered. An out- 

 standing feature is the extensive stand of young 

 sand pine which covers 151,700 sandy upland 

 acres, or 96 percent of the timbered portion. The 

 20,000 acres and more of sand pine barren, which 

 may be reforested by planting, are not included 

 in the timbered portion. Scattered around the 

 central block of sand pine occur stands of longleaf 

 and slash pines and some bottom-land types total- 

 ing 5,600 acres. The national forest is dotted with 

 springs, lakes, and prairies, totalling nearly 6,400 

 acres. The plans for management provide for 

 production of sand pine pulpwood on a 40-year 

 rotation. When mature the stands will average 

 10 inches in diameter and 30 to 40 feet in height 

 and, it is estimated, will yield annually by 1942 

 more than 35,000 cords. Protection is of great 

 importance in the dense young stands of sand pine 

 where fire may cause very serious losses. 



