﻿THK 
  FoRKST 
  FROM 
  A 
  SILVKTLT 
  I'RAL 
  STANDPOINT. 
  

  

  21 
  

  

  of 
  hardwoods; 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  later, 
  however, 
  a 
  vigorous 
  growth 
  of 
  young 
  

   pine 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  pushing 
  up. 
  and 
  from 
  this 
  time 
  on 
  both 
  the 
  Shortleaf 
  

   and 
  the 
  Loblolly 
  will 
  overtop 
  the 
  hardwoods 
  and 
  develop 
  rapidly 
  to 
  

   maturity. 
  If 
  left 
  to 
  nature 
  and 
  protected 
  from 
  tire, 
  pine 
  is 
  bound 
  to 
  

   be 
  the 
  dominant 
  species. 
  The 
  locality 
  is 
  natural 
  pine 
  land, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   past 
  the 
  percentage 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  was 
  probably 
  much 
  greater 
  than 
  it 
  

   i- 
  :it 
  present. 
  

  

  Even 
  if 
  such 
  a 
  thing 
  were 
  possible, 
  it 
  should, 
  however, 
  never 
  be 
  

   the 
  object 
  of 
  management 
  to 
  exterminate 
  the 
  hardwoods. 
  When 
  

   present 
  to 
  a 
  limited 
  extent 
  they 
  serve 
  a 
  very 
  useful 
  purpose 
  by 
  forc- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  young 
  pine 
  to 
  grow 
  up 
  straight 
  and 
  free 
  from 
  branches, 
  and 
  

   the} 
  - 
  are 
  also 
  exceedingly 
  valuable 
  for 
  the 
  protection 
  they 
  afford 
  the 
  

   soil. 
  As 
  a 
  pure 
  pine 
  forest 
  approaches 
  maturity 
  it 
  thins 
  out 
  very 
  

   rapidly 
  and 
  the 
  soil 
  tends 
  to 
  deteriorate, 
  as 
  the 
  crowns 
  of 
  the 
  pine 
  

   afford 
  insufficient 
  shelter 
  against 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  sun. 
  wind, 
  and 
  rain. 
  

   If 
  a 
  growth 
  of 
  hardwoods 
  is 
  present 
  under 
  the 
  pine 
  the 
  soil 
  is 
  much 
  

   benefited, 
  both 
  from 
  the 
  shade 
  afforded 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  humus 
  which 
  will 
  

   gradually 
  collect. 
  Hardwoods, 
  then, 
  are 
  a 
  secondary 
  but 
  very 
  useful 
  

   factor 
  in 
  the 
  forest 
  growth. 
  The 
  ideal 
  condition 
  is 
  that 
  they 
  should 
  

   not 
  be 
  present 
  in 
  such 
  numbers 
  as 
  to 
  interfere 
  with 
  the 
  best 
  develop- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  pine, 
  but 
  should 
  be 
  sufficiently 
  represented 
  to 
  afford 
  pro- 
  

   tection 
  to 
  the 
  soil 
  and 
  force 
  the 
  pine 
  to 
  produce 
  clear, 
  straight 
  boles. 
  

   In 
  other 
  words, 
  they 
  should 
  serve 
  as 
  a 
  nurse 
  for 
  the 
  pine 
  in 
  youth 
  

   and 
  should 
  form 
  a 
  second 
  story 
  under 
  it 
  as 
  the 
  forest 
  grows 
  older. 
  

  

  If 
  care 
  is 
  taken 
  to 
  protect 
  the 
  tract 
  from 
  tire 
  there 
  is 
  every 
  reason 
  

   to 
  expect 
  that 
  after 
  lumbering 
  in 
  a 
  pine 
  ridge 
  forest 
  an 
  excellent 
  

   reproduction 
  of 
  pine 
  will 
  develop, 
  and 
  that 
  this 
  reproduction 
  will, 
  in 
  

   years 
  to 
  come, 
  produce 
  a 
  stand 
  of 
  mature 
  timber 
  superior 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  

   the 
  present 
  day. 
  

  

  The 
  stand 
  of 
  merchantable 
  pine 
  on 
  the 
  pine 
  ridge 
  type 
  is 
  shown 
  

   below. 
  

  

  Table 
  No. 
  7. 
  — 
  Average 
  stand 
  of 
  merchantable 
  pine 
  per 
  acre 
  on 
  the 
  pine 
  ridge 
  type, 
  for 
  

   Shortleaf 
  and 
  Loblolly, 
  and 
  the 
  two 
  species 
  combined 
  , 
  for 
  trees 
  over 
  12 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter 
  

   breasthigh. 
  

  

  [Average 
  of 
  1,516 
  acres.] 
  

  

  Species. 
  

  

  Merchant- 
  

   able 
  con- 
  

   tents. 
  

  

  Shortleaf 
  Pine 
  

  

  Board 
  feet. 
  

   3, 
  819 
  

   2, 
  126 
  

  

  Loblollv 
  Pine 
  

  

  Total 
  

  

  5.9J5 
  

  

  

  