THE PRESENT CROP. 65 
years. Saplings of longleaf pine are confined to a few small, scattered 
groups. Dense thickets of scrubby hardwoods, oaks, hickories, etc.. 
have sprung up on the greater part of the strip, but on a large area 
the ground as yet is covered only by a thin growth of grass and the 
few charred remnants of the former forest. 
Recently there has been some damage from wind in the extreme 
northeastern corner of township 23 north, range 7 east, and the adja- 
cent sections of the contiguous townships. 
INSECTS. 
Insects have injured the forest in the same way and to the same 
slight extent that they have in Coosa County. 
LUMBERING. 
Along the line of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad logging has been 
going on ever since the line was put through, some eight years ago. 
In sections 1 to 6 of township 23 north, range 7 east, the longleaf pine 
has been largely removed. These sections were in consequence not 
surveyed. In some instances the cutting extends south into the next 
row of sections. In section 11 nearly all of the pine over 15 inches 
in diameter breasthigh has been taken out, and in sections 9 and 10 
some cutting has been done in five widely separated forties which do 
not belong to the company. 
In sections 1 and 12 of township 23 north, range 7 east, and sections 
6, 7, and 18 of township 23 north, range 8 east, tie timber is being 
cut and hauled to the railroad from a few small private holdings. 
In the neighborhood of Pondville post-office, in sections 6 and 7 of 
township 23 north, range $ east, there are some small patches from 
which the best timber has been culled. 
On the rest of the tract no logging has been done. 
TURPENTINING. 
In the southern half of township 23 north, range 6 east, many of 
the settlers have boxed their holdings for turpentine, and this boxing 
and succeeding fires have pretty well destroyed what small amount of 
longleaf pine they owned. On the private holdings of sections 29, 30, 
31, and 32 of township 22 north, range 8 east, much of the timber has 
been boxed and will soon be killed by fire. 
THE Present Crop. 
As stated before, cutting on the Bibb County tract will probably 
not begin until the lumbering on the Coosa County holdings is finished. 
At present the tract is in charge of one man, whose business it is to 
5315—No. 68—06 
