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PRESENT FOREST. 11 
account of faulty drainage and frequent overflow, the soil is constantly 
wet. Where the soil is subject to drying out, and true swamp condi- 
tions consequently fail, the trees are small, and the Cypress often 
disappears entirely. 
The best Cypress has been cut from the river swamp and floated out 
on high water down the Savannah River. Openings made in the for- 
est by the removal of Cypress generally fill up with a young growth of 
Gums. Pole Cypress and Gums are very common in groups of varying 
size in the small swamps, or ‘‘ Cypress ponds,” and in shallow portions 
of the main swamps. Here frequent drying out of the subsoil ren- 
ders trees of merchantable dimensions comparatively rare. 
The expense of a working plan for swamp land would be out of 
proportion to the results to be expected. Under present market con- 
ditions hardwood stumpage has small value, and the only practicable 
means of utilizing the hardwood timber would be to establish a large 
plant for the manufacture of hardwood utensils. It is not improbable, 
however, that the hardwoods will eventually prove to be as important 
commercially as the pines. 
The forests of the swamps would be benefited silviculturally by cut- 
ting out the nature trees, both hardwoods and Cypress. At present 
the forest is very irregular; trees of all ages occupy the ground to- 
gether. Annual growth is more than counterbalanced by annual 
decay. This working plan recommends that the Cypress be cut to a 
diameter limit of 18 inches. If the hardwoods could be sold and lum- 
bered according to a definite plan it would be advisable to lumber the 
hardwoods to a diameter limit of 18 or 20 inches, but it is unlikely 
that they could be lumbered at present in a systematic and satisfactory 
manner. 
DIVISION INTO “LOCKS. 
A careful estimate was made of the pine timber east of the Great 
Swamp. This body of timber was divided into three blocks. Block 
1, area 4,769 acres, includes the timber in the southern portion of this 
part of the tract. It has been recently boxed for turpentine. Block 2, 
area 4,430 acres, includes the timber to the northward which has not 
been boxed. Block 3, area 1,952 acres, includes scattered lots which 
have been cut over. No attempt was made to estimate all the timber 
on the tract. Two other blocks, however, were selected. Block 4, 
area 2,907 acres, includes a portion of the Great Swamp. Block 5, 
area 4,065 acres, includes the Loblolly timber on the western portion 
of the tract, along the Southern Railroad. (See map, Pl. XIII.) 
