PINE 
JAN. |, 1948 
JAN. 1, 1949] 
HARDWOODS 
JAN. |, 1948 
JAN. 1, 1949 
GYPRESS 
JAN. |, 1948 
|, 1949 
| 
| | | 
SAW TIMBER 
PINE 
JAN. |, 1948 
JAN. 1,1949) 
HARDWOODS 
JAN. |, 1948 
JAN. 1, 1949] 
GYPRESS 
JAN. 1, 1948 
JAN. 1, 1949 [| 
BILLION BOARD FEET 
oe 
ce 
25 
30 35 40 45 
MILLION CORDS 
Figure 14.—Change in net volume of saw timber and all growing stock in Florida, by species group, during the year 1948. 
trees increased 31 percent, and the number of 10- 
inch trees increased 24 percent. The importance of 
this increase in young timber is indicated by the fact 
that in 1948, 30 percent of the total pine saw-timber 
growth came from the recruitment of pole trees into 
saw timber; i.e., timber which at the beginning of 
the year had been pole timber was saw timber at the 
end of the year. 
Also contributing to the increase in pine growth 
was the reduction in pine mortality stemming from 
better fire protection, turpentining fewer small trees, 
and better utilization of worked-out trees. In 1934— 
36 there were nearly 20 million worked-out trees 
compared to about 8 million in 1949. Pine mortality 
in 1948 was only 14 percent of what it was in 1936. 
Between surveys, commodity drain on saw timber 
dropped 36 percent and commodity drain from grow- 
ing stock decreased 14 percent. Commodity drain on 
the primary growing stock declined less than saw- 
timber drain because of the increased use of small 
timber for pulpwood and poles. 
Even though Florida is now growing more timber 
than is being cut, a large part of this growth is on 
trees which are not readily available to the industry. 
20 
A fifth of the board-foot growth is on saw-timber 
trees scattered throughout seedling and sapling stands 
and poorly stocked areas. Saw-timber volume on 
these areas averages less than 500 board feet per 
acre. Another 16 percent of the saw-timber growth 
is on scattered saw-timber trees in pole-timber stands, 
which average around 800 board feet per acre. Tim- 
ber in most of these stands is too scattered to be 
profitably logged at the present time. Also, while the 
greatest demand is for trees 12 inches and larger, 
most of the growth is on trees below this size. Finally, 
although the little-used hard hardwoods provide only 
2 percent of the commodity drain, growth of these 
species accounts for 8 percent of the total growth. 
Thus, in spite of the large increase in growth, there 
is limited opportunity for immediate expansion by 
the forest industries. 
Timber Supply for Naval Stores 
The timber supply now available for the produc- 
tion of gum far exceeds any foreseeable demand for 
turpentine and rosin from the processing plants 
dependent upon Florida’s forest resources. Exclusive 
Forest Resource Report No. 6, U. S. Department of Agriculture 
