WOOD-USING INDUSTRIES OF ARKANSAS. 



SCOPE OF THE STUDY. 



Arkansas contains about 34,000,000 acres of land and half a million 

 acres of water. Four-fifths of the land is covered with forests or 

 woods of some sort, and one-fifth is in farms. The woodlands grade 

 from tracts heavily timbered with valuable species down to those 

 containing little more than brush. Lumbering began in the State on 

 a small scale a century ago, and cutting has gone on ever since. 

 Systematic lumbering in Arkansas, however, is comparatively recent, 

 and the State is to-day one of the richest in timber resources. About 

 100 kinds of trees grow there, but some of them are not now put to 

 use, because they are too small or too scarce. About 60 kinds are 

 cut and sold, but not more than half are commonly distinguished as 

 separate species in the regions where they are cut. 



The principal growth of shortleaf pine is in the southwestern part 

 of the State; loblolly is found in the valleys of the Ouachita and Lit- 

 tle Missouri Rivers ; cypress along the White, Red, Ouachita, Saline, 

 and Arkansas Rivers; longleaf pine near the Louisiana and Texas 

 borders; while the hardwoods grow in all parts of the State, but in 

 largest quantity in the northern portions. 



The total annual drain upon the forests of Arkansas is not much, 

 if any, short of 5,000,000,000 board feet. Latest returns credit the 

 State with a lumber output of 2,111,300,000 feet; cooperage, lath, 

 veneer, shingles, etc., 114,312,000 feet; firewood, 2,581,674,000 feet; 1 

 and crossties, poles, cross arms, and wood distillation unknown. The 

 enormous quantity of forest material annually supplied by Arkansas 

 is not exceeded by that of more than two or three other States. 



This bulletin QPart I) deals only with that part of the forest output 

 of the State which belongs to products further manufactured. Rough 

 lumber which is used in that condition, or is sent in that form beyond 

 the State, does not fall within the scope of this study; nor do cross- 

 ties, poles, posts, cooperage, wood distillation, pulp, shingles, and 

 veneers. Some of them might properly be classed as manufactured 

 products, but they are regularly covered by reports issued by the 



1 Forest Service Circular 181 gives the output of firewood at 4,302,790 cords. It is estimated that a cord 

 is equivalent to about 600 feet of lumber. 



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