THE SOUTHERN CYPRESS. 11 
pole consumers. Small amounts go into cross arms. A little is used 
for slack cooperage, and, experimentally, cypress has been found to 
be a substitute for white oak for wine barrels. 
Large quantities of pecky cypress, which is relatively cheap, are 
used where good appearance and water-tightness are not required. 
CYPRESS LUMBERING. 
Most of the early centers of cypress lumbering were located near 
the mouths of the larger southern rivers. This was due to the pre- 
vailing method of float logging during high water. Logging centers 
have since moved inland, to the great interior swamps and higher 
portions of the river swamps. 
In the early days large amounts of the finest cypress were annually 
cut in trespass and floated away. Standing timber was considered 
of so little value that State authorities and, to a less extent, private 
owners made little attempt to stop illegal cuttmg. Under the swamp- 
land act of September 28, 1850, very much of the swamp and delta 
lands early passed into the hands of the various States. Later these 
lands were sold very cheaply to railroads, timber companies, and set- 
_ tiers, in order to encourage the development of the country. The 
cypress industry has gradually become concentrated in a few hands. 
Methods of logging and general mill equipment are essentially simi- 
Jar throughout the South. Various hardwoods, including tupelo 
sum as the latest addition, are now manufactured to a considerable 
extent by the cypress mills. Many large mills, however, are cutting 
only cypress. | 
LOGGING. 
The present logging of cypress is attended by difficulties of a kind 
unknown in handling any other commercial timber. The bulk of all 
cypress is now logged by massive steam machinery moved from place 
to place on railroads built into the deepest parts of swamps over soft 
and treacherous ground. Periods of high water interfere with both 
the cutting and the moving of logs. For many years only the timber 
accessible to streams subject to flooding was taken. ‘The soft nature 
of the soil and the great weight of the logs made it impossible to move 
the timber by the usual method—with oxen or mules. The wealth 
of cypress remained practically untouched until late in the eighties, 
although a few mills were operating earlier. ‘The decline of the east- 
ern white-pine industry sent into the South lumbermen who solved 
the difficult problem of logging cypress. Logging progressed from the 
float method in the eighties to the pull boat in the nmeties, and from 
that to overhead-cableway skidding, the method now in use. (See 
PY 1) 
Float logging consists of floating logs during periods of high water 
through ‘‘trails” and “float roads” previously opened in the forest. 
