THE FOKESTS BY KEGIONS. 



15 



and cypress of pole size. Often the timber will run more than 15,000 

 feet per acre. 



South of Baton Eouge the cypress swamps are much more exten- 

 sive, and individual brakes cover large areas. The largest bodies of 

 cypress in the alluvial region are found on the borders of the large 

 shallow lakes in the lower parishes. Although cypress has been 

 floated here, as elsewhere, the largest stands remained intact until 

 pull boating and the more modern railroad logging with overhead 

 skidders came into use. Logs are now brought to the mills from long 

 distances, sometimes 80 miles or more, either by railroads or by rafts 

 towed through the bayous by steamboats. 



CYPRESS AND HARDWOODS 

 By Groups of Parishes 

 | north mis8i8sippi river pari8he8 



2 south Mississippi Riven parishes 



3 RED, 8ABINE ANO PEARL RIVER PARISHES 



4 OTHER PARI8HE8 



DOTS INDICATE APPROXIMATE LO- 

 CATION OF THE 27 CYPRE88 ANO HAR0- 

 WOOD MILL8 8AWING 10,000,000 BOARD 

 FEET AND OVER ANNUALLY. 



Fig. 3. — Distribution of cypress and hardwoods by groups of parishes. 



In the lower Mississippi parishes cypress stumpage is worth from 

 about $6 to $8 or more per thousand board feet, though it is difficult 

 to obtain at any price. Purchasers of stumpage are usually allowed 

 from 10 to 30 years in which to remove the timber. This is disadvan- 

 tageous to the seller, since he loses the increase in value of the stump- 

 age during the cutting period. Many lumbermen plan to hold their 

 timber for at* least 10 years before cutting it, in anticipation of higher 

 prices when the outside supply is exhausted. Owners of cut-over land 

 are invariably holding it in the hope that future drainage projects 

 will make it valuable for agriculture. Meanwhile, they sell the small 



