standing 758 million feet of dead chestnut. The av- 
erage volume per acre of all saw-timber stands was 
3,250 board feet, and for all forest land was only 1,690 
board feet. Nearly one-half of the saw-timber area 
bore stands averaging less than 1,200 board feet per 
acre. 
VIRGINIA 
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KG SOUTHEASTERN STATES 
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Ficure 1.—Location of Virginia in relation to the “South,” 
as used in this report. 
In 1940 the total volume of all sound material in 
trees 5 inches in diameter breast high and larger was 
205 million cords. More than two-thirds of that vol- 
ume was hardwoods. Loblolly pine, white oak, short- 
leaf pine, chestnut oak, and yellow-poplar were the 
most abundant species. Fifteen percent (29 million 
cords) of the total sound volume was in cull trees, 
90 percent of it hardwood species in light demand. 
ARE INCREASING IN VOLUME. The total 
volume of saw timber increased 7 percent between 
1940 and 1946, while the volume of all timber in- 
Hardwoods increased about 15 
percent both in saw timber and in all timber. Soft- 
wood saw timber showed little change but there was 
a 5-percent increase in all softwoods when the smaller 
creased 11 percent. 
trees were included. Among the softwoods, the short- 
leaf saw timber decreased, while Virginia pine, a less 
valuable species, increased. In the Piedmont short- 
leaf pine decreased by 450 million feet but a 327-mil- 
lion-foot increase in Virginia pine partially compen- 
sated for this loss, so that the net reduction was only 
4 percent. In the Coastal Plain and mountains there 
was little change. Among the hardwoods, about one- 
half the saw-timber increase was made up of the gums 
and yellow-poplar. The gums are generally of good 
yuality in the Coastal Plain, but are not particularly 
desirable for lumber on the uplands. Measured in 
cords, total softwoods, all sound trees 5 inches d. b. h. 
and larger, increased for this period 3,292,000 cords. } ; 
Hardwoods increased 12,984,000 cords. 
In 1945 net saw-timber increment was 1,744 million 
board feet, of which 923 million board feet was soft- | 
woods and 821 million feet was hardwoods. The saw- 
timber growing stock increased at the rate of 7 per-} 
cent. Total net increment in 1945 was 8.4 million | 
cords, or 3.8 million cords of softwoods and 4.6 million 
cords of hardwoods. Average net increment per acre 
was 121 board feet of saw timber, or 0.6 cord of all },,, 
growing stock. . 
Mortality from all causes was equal to 5 percent | 
of gross growth. The principal causes are insects, },; 
disease, and fire. 
ARE VERY POORLY STOCKED. On almost 
one-half of the forest land classed as saw timber, the | 
board-foot volume per acre averages about 1,200 feet. 
In one-fourth of the counties the average stand per | 
acre is only 830 board feet. { 
One-half of the State’s forest land in 1940 bore saw- 
timber stands, 45 percent bore cordwood stands, and 
the remaining 5 percent, including approximately | 
19,000 acres not restocking, was classed as reproduc- | 
tion. Pine stands in the Coastal Plain were only one- 
half stocked, and in the Piedmont they were slightly 
less stocked. Hardwood stands in the mountains | 
averaged only one-third stocked. 
HAVE 15 PERCENT OF THEIR VOLUME IN 
CULL TREES. Too much forest land is occupied | 
by poorly formed trees of limited merchantability. | 
Aggregating 29 million cords in total volume they take 
the place of more productive trees on the equivalent 
of at least 2 million acres of commercial forest land. | 
ARE GRADUALLY BEING CONVERTED TO } 
HARDWOODS. In the past 6 years hardwood saw 
timber has increased 15 percent while the pine saw 
timber has remained practically constant. 
serious because good-quality hardwoods are generally 
cut too heavily, with the result that most of the hard- 
wood increase is in poor-quality trees and the less 
wanted species. 
in stand quality. 
This is | 
The effect is a gradual deterioration | 
CONTAIN SPECIES WHICH ARE OVERCUT, | 
The most noticeable case of overcutting occurred in | 
the shortleaf pine of the Piedmont, which was reduced | 
in volume by 450 millon board feet in 6 years, a de- 
crease of 23 percent. Ss 
ARE UTILIZED WASTEFULLY. In 1944 the 
net waste resulting from logging and milling in the 
primary forest industries was 134 million cubic feet. | 
Miscellaneous Publication 681, U. S. Department of Agriculture | 
| 
