28 



FORESTS, FOREST LANDS AND FOREST PRODUCTS. 



through the center of the county and with its tributaries drains 

 nearly its entire area. In the extreme eastern part lies the great 

 pocosin of which Catfish lake is the center. This pocosin, extend- 

 ing eastward, occupies under different names much of the territory 

 of southern Craven. All of these swamps in their interior have 

 considerable tracts of land entirely untimbered, or covered with 

 scattering savanna pines, small maples and gums, and have a large, 

 unproductive soil of silt. They are, for the most part, bordered by 

 extensive oak flats, though around White Oak swamp there are 

 still large quantities of yellow poplar, ash and cypress. The cypress 

 along the Trent river has been largely removed. The entire swamp 

 area in tlie county approximates 125,000 acres. Excepting some 

 narrow strips of sand hills lying parallel to the Trent river, which 

 have a few million feet of long-leaf pine on them, the rest of the 

 county consists of flat, loblolly pine lands, which have been largely 

 cut over. There are between 25,000 and 30,000 acres, mostly lying 

 in the w^estern part of the county, yet in a virgin state. This 

 county yearly supplies several million feet of logs for the mills at 

 Newbern. 



Pamlico county has 3,000 acres of white cedar swamp, partly 

 lumbered, lying near Vandemere and along the western edge of 

 Big Gum swamp in the northei^n part of the county. There are 

 7,000 acres of cypress swamp, over half of which are lumbered. 

 This cypress swamp lies near the mouth of Bay river and in Gum 

 swamp. The remaining swamp area is heavily timbered with yel- 

 low poplar, gums, chestnut oaks and water oaks. The soil of these 

 swamps, though inclined to be peaty, is exceedingly fertile. The 

 loblolly formerly covered all the rest of the county with the excep- 

 tion of a narrow strip of high, sandy land in the north-western sec- 

 tion, which, in the character of its soil and the kinds of trees which 

 grew on it, approached the pine barrens. There is now, however, 

 no merchantable long-leaf pine in the county and not more than 

 10,000 acres of loblolly pine suitable for milling purposes. The 

 central part of Big Gum swamp is open, covered with scattered 

 savanna pines and an undergrowth of gallberries, huckleberries, 

 brambles, etc. 



Beaufort county. — There is some cypress along Chocowinity, 



