old-growth stands drain was about three times the net 

 increment, causing a reduction ot 215 million feet in the 

 mature growing stock (fig. 41). Net increment of sawlog- 

 size second growth failed to equal drain by 81 million teet. 

 Only in the under-sawlog-size stands was net increment 

 greater than drain; here the difference was 267 million teet. 

 The effect was to reduce the volume ot large mature timber 

 and only partially replace it with increment in the min- 

 imum saw-timber sizes. 



By regions the picture is somewhat different. 10 In the 

 Coastal Plain an overcut in the softwood old growth of 

 134 million feet and a surplus of 123 million teet in the 

 sawlog-size second growth, left a net loss in saw-timber 

 stands of 11 million feet. An increase of 131 million 

 feet in the under-sawlog-size timber gave the Coastal Plain 

 softwoods a net increase of 120 million feet almost entirely 

 in the smaller trees. In the piedmont the utilization 

 of softwood was considerably in excess of the timber 

 yield — 51 million feet in the old-growth stands and 215 

 million in the sawlog-size second growth — a deficit that 

 the under-sawlog-size stands failed to compensate tully, 

 the total decrease being 157 million feet. In the mountains 

 old-growth softwoods were reduced in volume, but in- 

 creases in the second-growth stands resulted in a net 

 increase of 7 million feet. For the State, the decrease 

 in softwood saw timber was 29 million teet. 



In contrast to the softwoods, the hardwood board-foot 

 growing stock increased in volume by 107 million board 

 feet for the State as a whole. Old-growth stands were 

 overcut, but an increase in the sawlog-size second growth 

 produced a net gain of 21 million feet. Although the 

 volume relation of net increment to commodity drain 

 is more favorable in the hardwoods, quality deterioration 

 of the growing stock is considered more serious there 

 than in the sottwoods. The hardwood cut is concentrated 

 on the relatively few species particularly desirable tor 

 major use, leaving the little-used hickories and low-grade 

 oaks to produce a major share ot the increment. Also 

 in certain species, such as sweetgum, there is a wide 

 disparity in value between old-growth and second-growth 

 timber. Old-growth sweetgum, called red gum in the 

 lumber trade, sells for about 40 percent more than second- 

 growth "sap gum." This situation is in general reflected 

 in the individual records for the three physiographic 

 divisions, even in the piedmont, the only region in the 

 State where old-growth hardwoods increased; much of 

 this mature timber has been left standing in partly cut 

 stands because it is a less desirable kind. In the mountain 

 division the overcutting, especially of 49 million feet in 

 the old-growth timber, has, however, especial significance. 



OLD GROWTH 



SECOND GROWTH 

 SAWLOG SIZE 



SECOND GROWTH 

 UNDER SAWLOG SIZE 





HARDWOODS 



iH 1,2 00 

 Cfc 1.000 



§ 



800 



;j 6oo 



400 



200 







-200 













■;■■■ 

 ■■'■: 



;■;::• 





z 















FTWC 









sc 



0DS 



























I 



■ 



1 













1 



03 ■ 







1 







■ 











MORTALITY DRAIN 

 COMMODITY DRAIN 



CHANGE IN 

 GROWING STOCK 



10 The totals cited here are given in table 42 in the Appendix, p. 75. 



Figure 41. — Comparison in board fee! of increment with mortality and 

 commodity drain by forest condition, 1938. 



Several of the larger mills in this part of the State are 

 practically the only support ot the neighboring towns, 

 and positive action is required to save the industries and 

 dependent communities trom gradual disintergration. The 

 Forest Service, with its timber resources on the Pisgah 

 and Nantahala National Forests, probably can make 

 the most concrete contribution toward solving the problem. 



Total Stand 



The effect of increment, mortality, and commodity drain 

 upon the total stand, or sound-tree growing stock 5 inches 

 d. b. h. and larger, is summarized by cords in figure 42 and 

 by cubic feet in tables 33 and 43. The increase of 74 mil- 

 lion cubic feet in the total stand was all in the hardwoods, 

 for the softwood stands decreased by 7 million cubic feet. 

 This softwood decrease occurred throughout the full range 

 of tree sizes in both the old-growth and second-growth saw- 

 timber stands of softwood. Only in the young second- 

 growth stands was there a volume increase ot both sawlog- 

 and under-sawlog-size trees. The volume of smaller trees 

 in the saw-timber stands was reduced, by reason of the 

 heavy commodity drain and the irregular distribution 

 of the stand in the smaller diameter classes. More 2- 

 and 4-inch trees are needed to assure an unbroken accre- 

 tion of trees to saw-timber sizes, for at present the volume 

 annually moving out of the 5- to 8.9-inch diameter group 

 is greater than the volume recruited from 2- and 4-inch 



53 



