200 



CONDITIONS BY COUNTIES. 



tensive rafting or drifting and, up to 1908, no lumber had 

 been sawed for commercial purposes except by portable mills. 



The cross-tie industry has been large during the past few 

 years especially along the railroads. 



Two shingle mills manufactured white pine shingles in 

 Plymouth district from 1902 to 1908. 



Estimating from the- large number of saw and stave mills 

 in the county, the remnant of timber will soon be cut. There 

 are now 35 portable saw and stave mills and 1 band mill in op- 

 eration. These have a combined capacity of about 230,000 feet 

 per day or over 70 million feet per year. The company owning 

 the band mill has a supply of white pine and other timbers that 

 wiU last for about 12 years. Before the expiration of that time 

 the smaller mills will have cut all the available timber scattered 

 in other parts of the county. 



The Present Forest Conditions. 



There are 18,700 acres of virgin forest remaining in the 

 county, and 5,000 acres of cut-over forest. This lies, almost en- 

 tirely, in Jumping Branch, Plymouth and Rock districts on the 

 waters of Bluestone river, Laurel creek, Rich creek, Wolf creek 

 and Camp creek. There is but little in any other part of the 

 county. The farmers of the southern districts have woodlots of 

 considerable extent but with scarcely any merchantable timber. 

 Those of the northern districts, in some cases, have a fairly good 

 stand of valuable timber. The southern end of Rock district in 

 the western part of the county is owned by coal companies which 

 are already in need of more timber than their lands supply. 

 Some companies, owning timber now large enough for mine ties, 

 are making purchases from the outside in order that their own 

 may grow to maturity. 



MINERAL COUNTY. 



Location and Area. 



Mineral county, formed in 1866 from part of Hampshire, 

 is suituated in the eastern part of the state and is bounded on 

 the west and north by Maryland, on the east by Hampshire 



