FOREST RESOU=OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA 

A Progress Report 

by 

THE SOUTHERN FOREST SURVEY 

I. F. Eldredge 

Regional Survey Director 

FOREST SURVEY RELEAGE NO. 33 June 18, 1938 

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SOUTHERN FOREST EXPERIMENT STATION 

E. L. Demon, Director 

New Orleans, La. 
The nation-wide Forest Survey, being made by the United 

States Forest Service, was authorized by the McSweeney-McNary 

Forest Research Act of 1928, Its five-fold object is: (1) to 

make an inventory of the present supply of timber and other 

forest products, (2) to ascertain the rate at which this supply is being increased through growth, () to determine the 

rate at which this supply is being diminished through industrial and local use, windfall, fire, and disease, (4) to determine the present requirement and the probable future trend 

in the requirement for timber and other forest products, and 

(5) to correlate tnese finaings with existing and anticipated 

economic conditions, in order that policies can be formulated 

for the effective use of land suitable for forest production. 

In the South, the Forest Survey functions as an activity 

of the Southern Forest Experiment Station with headquarters at 

New Orleans, La. 

'This release is based on a field survey made June 30, 1934, 

to Nov. 20, 1934, and two field canvasses of forest industrial 

plants to determine forest drain, the last of which was completed during June 1937. It should be regarded only as a progress report since it contains Forest Survey data that will be 

included in complete reports to be published later, and that, 

although considered reliable, are subject to correction or 

arnplificati.on as the work of computation proceeds. Item 4 above, 

which is being studied on a national basis, is not discussed in 

this report. 

In the presentation of these survey data, it is to be 

noted that owing to the sampling method used in collecting them, 

the greater the number of samples in any given classification 

the more accurate are the data for that classification. Hence 

classes that are of infrequent occurrence and relatively small 

in quantity generally cannot be determined with as high a degree 

of accuracy as classes that occur more frequently and in substantially greater quantities. Small tabular items are to be 

taken as showing, not the exact magnitude of the classes involved, but their relative magnitude in comparison with those of 

other classes. 

Staff Assi~nrnent 

Preparation of Report - A. R. Spillers, Associate Forest Economist 

In Charge of Field Work - E. B. Faulks, Associate Forest Economist 

In Charge of Computations - P. R. Wheeler, Associate Forest Economist 
FOREST RESOURCES IN NORWHWEST FLORIDA 

General Description 

Northwest Florida is the long arm of the State that extends along the 

Gulf Coast south of Georgia and Alabama and includes the 16 counties west of 

the Aucilla River (see map, fig. 1). It is a rather sparsely settled area 

in which only 26 percent of the total population of 254,000 (1930 Census) 

live in cities of 2,500 population or larger; most of the inhabitants live 

on farms and in lumber or turpeniine camps. Pensacola near the western 

boundary, with over 30,000 people, and Tallahassee near the eastern edge, 

with about 11,000 people, are the only cities of more ihan 10,000 population. 

More than four-fifths of the total area of 7,287,000 acres is classed 

as forest (table l), with longleaf and slash pines predominating. Although 

agriculture is the most important means of livelihood, many of the farmers 

find at least part-time employment in the various forest industries (sawmills, pulp and paper mills, other wood-products industries, and turpentine 

stills), which provided in all about 3 million man-days of employment jn 

1936. 

Table 1. -- Total area classified according t,o land use 

Land use Area Proportion of total area 

Forest,: 

Productive 

Nonproductive 

Total forest 

Agricultural: 

In cultivation: 

Old cropland 

Newly cleared cropland 

Out of cultivation: 

Idle 

Abandoned 

Improved pasture 

Total agricultural 

Oi_her nonforest 

---- - Acres - - - - - - - - Percent - - - - 

Total area 7,287,000 100.0 - 
Excellent shipping facilities., especially along the Gulf Coast, encowaged the early growth of important forest industries; and the excellent 

railroad and recently developed highway systems have made possible the establishment of many forest-products plants in the interior (fig. 4). The 

Apalachicola and the Choctawhatchee Rivers and, to a lesser extent, the 

Aixcilla, Ochlockonee, Escambia, and Perdido, are navigable for barges; flowins southward into the Gulf, they form the principal drainage system of the 

unit. In general, the coastal belt is low, flat, and poorly drained., but 

sand and clay hill areas in the northern half have elevations up to 300 feet 

above sea level. 

Farmers own approximately one-fifth of the area, although farmland 

(including farm woodlands), according to statistics provided by the Census, 

decreased more than 10 percent between 1910 and 1935. The Forest Survey 

found that about three-fourths of the total agricultural land was in cultivation, corn and cotton being the principal crops; while over 200,000 acres 

that had been out of cultivation for the last 2 years were classed as idle 

or definitely abandoned agricultural land. Acreage in improved pasture is 

s;nall, chieEly because the large cattle industry depends for grazing upon 

the open forest and farm woodlands. A study of three counties in 1934 indicated that nearly 20 percent of the area is ommed by the various forestproducts industries, while about 12 percent is in public ownership - principally in the Apalachicola and the Choctawhatchee National Forests, which 

ofrer excellent examples of the possibilities of providing forest industries 

with a continuous supply of raw materials. The remaining area is in the 

possession of land speculators, banks, insurance companies, and non-residents. 

The study of land ownership in the above-mentioned counties revealed that the 

size of the average holding was about 210 acres and that 92 percent of the 

orvnerships were small (less than 500 acres each). .In 1934 almost one-third 

of the entire area was in tax default for 3 or more years, and in several 

ccivlties more than one-half of the land was in default. Non-payment of 

taxes, however, does not necessarily imply abandonment of private ownership. 

Description~fAhe Forest 

In this locality the predominance of pine is encouraged by an abundant rainfall, a growing season about 8 months long, and a soil composed 

chiefly of sandy loam or deep sand. About 44 percent of the forest area is 

rolling uplands; 30 percent is flatwoods; and the remaining 26 percent is 

in swamps, bays, ponds, and river bottoms. The longleaf-slash pine typegroup, which covers over 4 million acres, or 68 percent of the forest area, 

is the principal type-group in the unit (table 2). The hardwood type-group, 

with its gums, oaks, and other southern hardwoods, covers 20 percent of the 

forest land, while the loblolly and the cypress types occur to only a limited 

extent. 

The prevalence of certain forest types over large areas is shovm on 

the map fig l), although within Che broad range limits there delineated 

occur many small intermingled areas of other types, as well as areas of cleared 

land. The longleaf-slash pine types are usually found on the rolling uplands 

or flatwoods. The loblolly pine (or "nonturpentine" pine) types are usually 

confined to the more fertile clay soils of the rolling hills in Jackson, 

Gadsden, Leon, and Jefferson Comties, while both the hardwood and the cypress 

types are usually confined to the larger bottomlands and swanps and to the 
AREAS CHARACTERIZED BYTHE MAJOR FOREST TYPES 

NORTHWEST FLORIDA 

PREPARED BY FOREST SURVEY 

SOUTHERN FOREST EXPERIMENT STATION 

EORG 

O LoNzLEar- SCRUB OAK 

CI3 LoaLoLLI H~ROWOOOS 

O UiXED BOTTOMLAND YDWOS 

O c~~niss ~aaawooos 

LOCA"ON OF UNiT NO 2 IN THE 5TATF OF FLORIDA 
"ponds" and "bays" throughout the flatwoods. The scrub oak-hardwood type, 

which now occupies much of the land formerly covered with longleaf, is an 

exception, in that it is found upon the dry, rolling, sand hills. 

As may be seen in table 2, second-growth stands, which are characteristic of this Survey unit, occupy nearly 69 percent of the forest area. 

Old-growth stands, containing large trees that would make high-quality lumber, now occupy only 17 percent of the forest area. Old-growth stands exist 

mostly in small isolated patches, although a few good-sized blocks of oldgrowth hardwoods are found along the Apalachicola River. More than half of 

the old-growth area has been subjected to partial cutting that has involved 

the removal of 10 percent or more of the saw timber (i.e., hardwoods at 

least 13.0 inches d.b.h. and pines and cypress at least 9.0 inches d.b.h.) 

bat has left per acre at least 1,000 board feet (green lumber tally) of 

hardwoods and cypress, or 600 board feet of pine. The uncut old-growth 

stands avercage per acre nearly 5,000 board feet, while the partly cut stands 

average about 1,300. 

Of the second-growth stands, which are scattered throughout the area 

in both large and small blocks, about 22 percent by area is classified as 

sawlog size, having a minimum of 600 board feet per acre if uncut and 400 if 

partly cut. Combining uncut and partly cut stands, this forest condition 

contains an average volume per acre of about 2,600 board feet, or 12 cords 

(including under-sawlog-size material). Second-growth stands, made up 

chiefly of trees under sawlog size, contain an average of 200 board feet per 

acre, or slightly more than 2 cords, and occupy approximately 61 percent of 

the second-growth area. The reproduction condition, which is the youngest 

second-growth condition, occupies 17 percent of the second-growth area and 

consists chiefly of seedlings and sprouts less than 1 inch d.b.h. 

The distribution of the seedlings in the natural reproduction area 

varies greatly. Approximately 17 percent of the area classed as longleaf 

pine reproduction, and 13 percent of the slash pine reproduction, are wellstocked with more than 900 well distributed seedlings per acre. Also 19 

percent of the longleaf and 13 percent of the slash pine reproduction area 

has from 170 to 900 well distributed seedlings per acre. On approximately 

7 percent of the longleaf and 8 percent of the slash pine reproduction area, 

however, there is a fair stand of seedlings (300 or more per acre), but they 

are poorly distributed, i.e., in dense groups with open spaces between. The 

remainder, and by far the greater part of the reproduction area, has a minimum stocking of 80 seedlings per acre (seldom more than 300), that usually 

are poorly distributed. Where longleaf pine stands are clear-cut on deep 

sandji land, scrub oaks often capture and occupy the area for many decades. 

On the better soils, loblolly pine is taking over large areas formerly held 

by longleaf pine. There is much evidence that, where the incidence of forest 

fires is kept to a minimum, slash pine tends to replace longleaf after cutting, if seed trees are present. 

It is significa~it that this Survey unit has an unusually large area in 

the clear-cut condition. Fully 14 percent (about 877,000 acres) of the forest area has been cut so severely and thereafter burned over so frequently 

that natural reforestation has failed to restock it with at least 80 seedlings per acre. Of this entire area, approximately 356,000 acres have 3 or 

more pine seed trees at least 6 inches d.b.h. and should reforest naturally 

if fires are kept out; 319,000 acres have 1 or 2 pine seed trees and may 
eventually reforest, if fires are controlled; while the remaining 202,000 

acres are without seed trees and probably will require artificial reforestation to make them productive of desirable species. Practically all of 

the clear-cut area is in the longleaf-slash pine types. 

Table 2, -- Forest area classified according to type-group and condition 

Forest condition ~~F~~~~Longleaf Loblolly Total 1 0~

and slash and other Hardwood Cypress 

- - - - - - - - - - - Acres - - - - - - - - - - - 

Old growth: 

Uncut 148,500 32,100 136,000 45,600 362,200 6 .O 

Partly cut - 283,700 44,800 226,200 92,900 647,600 10.8 

-- - 

Total old growth 432,200 76,900 362,200 138,500 1,009,800 16.8 

Forest type-groups designated by 

Second growth: 

Sawlog size: 

Uncut 524,300 157,900 67,600 16,000 765,800 12.7 

Partly cut 70,100 47,200 10,200 1,700 129,200 2*1 

Under sawlog size 1,697,000 168,100 632,400 27,000 2,52/+,500 42.0 

Reproduction 552,300 .44,700 101,300 12,600 710,900 11.8 

1 percent 

Total second 

growth 2,813,700 417,900 811.500 57,3004,130,400 68.6 

Clear-cut 846,100 . 14,100 10,100 - 6,800 877,300 14.6 

Total all 

conditions - 4,122,000 509,1001-,1~3,800 202,600 6,017,50_0 100.0 

-- Percent of total 68.5 - 8 ,, 5 19.6 3-4 100.0 

The productivity or site quality of the forest is indicated by the 

height attained by dominant trees at 50 years of age. Approximately 10 percent of the sites dominated by pine are classed as "good," growing trees 80 

feet or higher in 50 years; 72 percent are "medium,l' as indicated by 60- and 

70-feet trees; and 18 percent of the sites are "poor,'I under 60 feet. The 

proportion of good sites is about the average for the Naval Stores Belt. Good 

sites for loblolly are most common in the well-drained, rolling terrain in 

the northeastern counties, and for hardwoods in the bottonlands along the 

larger streams. The poor sites for turpentine pines are most prevalent in 

the deep sand hills of Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Washington Counties, 

and in the poorly drained areas like Tatels Hell Swamp in Franklin County. 
Figure 2 sh ws the relative prevalence of sound trees by 2-inch 

diameter-classes.2 The striking features brought out by these diagrams are 

(1) the comparative shortage of trees in the larger diameter-classes from 

which commodities of high value are produced, and (2) the large number of 2- 

inch trees. It should be appreciated that the latter class is a highly 

perishable one and will be reduced through the effects of fire, overcrowding, 

and the other causes of mortality. Improvement and extension of fire protection, however, will reduce the mortality in this and other small sizeclasses and insure an eventual increase of the stocking in the larger diameterclasses. 

In order to judge the adequacy of the present forest from the standpoint of ideal sustained-yield management, its age-class and volume distribution has been compared in figure 3 with that of a managed forest under an 

assumed rotation of 70 years, which is the period conceivably needed to produce lumber, poles, naval stores, and pulpwood as an integrated crop. The 

volume figures used are cubic foot, inside bark; no deductions for woods 

cull (which would be negligible in a managed forest) have been made, and as 

an equalizing factor, no volumes in turpentined butts have been included. 

The ideal forest is shown divided into 7 equal areas, each containing one 

10-year age%lass; and the per-acre volumes used are based on the most 

heavily stocked 10 percent of the present forest stands for weighted average 

sites in the turpentine pine types. The area and volume per acre of the 

present forest is diagramed from field estimates of the age-classes of the 

4,122,000 acres in the turpentine pine types. 

The above comparison discloses two principal deficiencies in the composition of the present stand: (1) The distribution of age-classes by area 

is far from ideal in that too large a proportion is in the younger age-classes; 

and (2) the present forest is sadly deficient in stocking, as shorm by the fact 

that the volume per acre in cubic feet in the present stands averages somewhat 

less than a third of the volume attainable under management, while the volume 

in the present 0- io 10-year class is largely in residual trees. For instance, 

instead of the ideal one-seventh of the area being in the 0- to 10-year class, 

the area occupied by this age-class, about three-fifths of which has failed to 

restock, is nearly 2h times this. Also about one-seventh of the forest area 

is occupied by stands more than 70 years old. Only one of the present ageclass areas, . that occupied by stands 21 to 30 years old, approximates 

-. the ideal requirement as to area. 

- 1/ The 2-inch class ranges from 1.0 to 2.9 inches d.b.h., the &-inch from 3.0 

to 4.9 inches, and so on. 
NONTURPENTINE PINES 

LONGLEAF & SLASH 

PINES TURPENTINED 

LONGLEAF A SLASH 

PINES ROUND 

150 

100 

50 

0 

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 I8 20 8 UP 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 1820bUP 

DIAMETER- CLASSES (INCHES) 

FIGURE 2.- STAND DIAGRAMS 

MILLION 

TREES 

200 

PINES HARDWOODS & CYPRESS 
PERCENT OF AREA IN VARIOUS AGE-CLASSES (1935) 

FIGURE 3 - PREVAILING AGE -CLASS AND VOLUME DlSTRlBUT ION COMPARED 

WITH THAT ON THE SAME AREA UNDER MANAGEMENT (Based on 

turpentine-pine type area of 4,122,000 acres) 

Naval Stores Industry and Resources 

The importance of the naval stores industry in northwest Florida is 

indicated by the fact that it produces approximately one-tenth of the naval 

stores of the South and provides annually almost one million man-days of 

employment - approximately one-third of the total employment in all forest 

industries. Up until about 1915, the industry was entirely dependent upon 

glxn from living trees, but now wood distillation for the primary purpose of 

naval stores production is of growing importance. Also in the future an 

increasing quantity of naval stores may be recovered as a byproduct in the 

sulphate process of manufacturing paper pulp from pine. 

Gm Naval 2/ Stores Industry - 

In the season of 1533-34 (year beginning March l), northwest Flor'da 

produced from the gum of living trees some 39,000 naval stores "unitsI1 27 

valued roughly at $2,000,000. During the season of 1934-35 about 1,339 

- 

2/ For additional information see "Siatistics on gum naval stores production," Forest Survey Release #17, Dec. 31, 1935, Southern For. Exp. Sta., 

New Orleans, La. Also Gamblers International Naval Stores Year Book for 

1937-38, "Gum naval storen operations of 1934-35 - Their size and distribution and the employment provided by them," by Harry I?. Smith and Elsa M. 

Rayl, Southern For. Exp. Sta. 

3/ A unit is made up of one 50-gallon barrel of turpentine and three and - 

one-third 500-pound (gross) barrels of rosin. 
ncrops"of 10,000 cups each were in operation. Approximately 110 processors 

or dis+iliers of gmi, toge-Lher with about hi10 gum producers without stills 

were engaged in the work, and 876,000 man-daps of employment were provided. 

The naval stores production for the season of 1936-37 is ee-kimated to be 

slightly less than 37,000 units. The stills are fairly well distributed over 

the entire survey unit as shovm in figure 4. 

Gm Nar-a1 Stzes Resources 

The terrii.ory considered as suitable for gum naval stores operations 

is almost 44 million acres and includes practically all of the area of the 

longleaf-slash pine type-group and a fraction of the others. The broad 

classification of "turpentine area" includes forest that is used or that may 

be used for commercial operations, together with the coincident patches of 

ciear-cut areas and of iobloliy pine and hardwood forest. Approximately 47 

percent of this area is in the rolling uplands; 37 percent is in the flatwoods; and the remaining 16 percent is in swamps, Says, and river bottoms. 

The turpentine area is classified as "round timber," "worlilng , " 

I'resting,'~ or "worked oct." "Ro-md timber" areas are made up almost entire1.y 

of unturpen'ined longleaf and slash pine stands ranging from reprod~c.tj.on to 

old growth. "Working" area, which haxe trees that are being chipped, are 

further classified as (aj "front.-faced," if most of the trees are cupped for 

their first set. of faces, or (b) "back-faced," if a significant proportion 

has a second set of faces. "Resting" arees have been worlced but exhibit 

sufficient. oppor1,unities for a second set of faces on worked trees, and for 

a first set of faces on round trees, to just.ify another operation. In 

"worked-out" areas the turpentining possj.bilities of the present stands have 

been erhausted, and not until an adequate number of round trees has grown 

can working be reswned. 

It i.s the usual custom to work front. faces for about 6 years, when the 

cups are removed and the faces abandoned. Following a rest period of about 2 

years, new faces (i.., back faces) are started, and when 'hese faces have 

been worked as long as possible the trees are usually abandoned, although a 

third face sometimes i.s possible. In working old-growth trees that are soon 

to be cut for lumber, it is often the practice to work the tree only 2 or 3 

years prior to cutting. 

On t,he 'cu-pentine area there were over 216 million longleaf and slash 

pine trees (table 3), of which about four-fifths were round (unworlied) trees 

from 1.0 to 8.9 inches ~3.b.h. and represented ine supply for f~~ture cuppage. 

Of immediate importance is the fact that there were almost as man:? round trees 

of cupping size (9 inches d.b.h. and larger) as working trees. 
Table 3. -- Round, working, resting, and worked-out longleaf and slash pine 

trees on turpentine areas of varyiix history, during the season 1934-35 

I I I I 

~ound-timber area 93,602 9,709 - 699 247 104,257 

Turpentine-area history 

Working area: 

Front-faced area 13,273 135 3,553 51 34 17,046 

Back-faced area 26,214 277 8,528 511 1,718 37,268 

Resting and workedout area L1,905 1,824 - 9,156 5,122 58,007 

Total turpentine area 175,014 11.945 12,081 10,417 7,121 216,578 

Percent of total 80.8 5.5 5.6 4.8 3.3 100 .O 

Round trees 

The gross round-timber area is about 2 million acres; the working timber area, about 1 million acres; and the combined worked-out and resting 

areas about 1% m~llion acres. Figure 5 shoris graphically the condition of 

the turpentine area of 44 million acres. Of tile total turpentine area (bar 

D), 28 percent ic in "well-developed" turpeiltine stands, i.e., stands with 

at least 8 future faces per acre on round, resting, or working trees 9.0 

inches d.b.h. or larger (they average, as a matter of fact, 19 possible faces 

per acre, and have many small trees); about 10 percent is in advanced sapling 

stands, which have a sufficient number of round trees approximately 8 inches 

in diameter to indicate that the stands will reach the well-developed stage 

within the next 8 years; 19 percent is in stands that will reach this stcage 

after 8 years and within 20 years, being made up mainly of 2-, 4-, and 6-inch 

trees; 39 percent is in reproduction, clear-cut, and seed-tree areas that 

will require over 20 years; and 4 percent is in intermingled non-turpentine 

areas. 

Working 

1.0-g,9 trees 

inches 

Round-timber area 

inches 

and over 

A few inaccessible areas, usually within the larger swamps and making 

up a small part of the total, are included in the gross round-timber area of 

2 million acres. Also, there are some very small scattered bodies in the 

more thickly settled agricultural parts of the Survey unit which probably 

cannot be united into contiguous operations. There is a growing tendency, 

however, for farmers to work scattered small siandn that produce as little 

as 1 or 2 barrels of gum per month. The preference of turpentine operators 

for flatwoods timber instead of for timber in the rolling uplands where the 

forest is broken by agricultural land, or for timber in the swamps, bays, 

etc. where some of the stands are inaccessible, is indicated by the fact that 

only one-third of the flatwoods turpentine area is left round while over onehalf of that in the latter situations is thus left. 

Resting 

trees 

Workedout 

trees 

Total 

Approximately 21 percent of the round-timber area was well developed 

and probably ready for immediate working (fig. 5, bar A), with an average 

stand per acre of 19 round trees at least 9.0 inches d.b.h. and 11 trees between 7.0 and 8.9 inches d.b.h. In addition, it is estimated that about 37 

percent of the round-timber area will be well-developed with about this same 

density within 8 to 20 years, but about 38 percent will not reach turpentine 

size within 20 years, for it is made up of reproduction stands and clear-cut 

areas. Nonturpentine forest types cover 4 percent of the gross round-timber 

area. 

Working turpentine area 

While the gross working turpentine area was almost a million acres, 

only two-thirds of it had cups. About 373,200 acres averaged more than 12 

cups per acre; 116,500 acres, 8 cups; and 119,000 acres, 4 cups per acre; 

wliile the remainder had no cups, being made up largely of small sapling, reproduction, and clear-cut areas, as well as nonturpentine pine forests. In 

the season of 1934-35, on 12,081,000 trees were 13,394,000 cups, approximately 

one-third of which were first-year or "virgin" cups hung in 1934 (table 4). 

In number of new cups hung, the season of 1934-15 showed an increase of about 

60 percent over that of 1933-34 and about 350 percent over that of 1932-33, 

after allowance was made for annual mortality. 

. . 

ROUND 

2,107,000ACRES 

(Dl 

TOTAL TURPENTINE AREA ....... ..................... 

.............. 4,472,000 ACRES 

I I I I I I I I I I I 

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 

PERCENT OF TOTAL OF EACH TURPENTINE- HISTORY AREA 

FIGURE 5 -CONDITION OF THE TURPENTINE AREA 
Although studies have shown that trees less than 9 inches d.b.h. 

yield such small quantities of gum that they usually cannot be worked 

economically, the survey of working crops in 1934 showed that about 30 percent of the working trees were below this size. At the beginning of the 

1934-35 season, cups were hung on 42 percent of the 8-inch round trees in 

the area of newly cupped trees; on 83 percent of the 10-inch trees; and on 

nearly 100 percent of the larger round trees. Approximately 19 percent of 

the front-faced trees carried two cups. 

Table 4. --Turpentine cups huni: on front and back faces, classified by year 

of work in^ in the season of 1931-35 

.- - - - - - Thousand cups - - - - - - 

- 

Year of working 

1st year 2,313 2,203 4,516 33.7 

2nd year 1 ,h&5 1 124 2,769 20.7 

3rd year 428 531 959 7.2 

4th year 447 1,123 1,570 11.7 

5th year 701 920 1,621 12.1 

6th year &up 1,086 873 1,959 14.6 

Percent of total 49.4 50.6 100.0 

On approximately 31 percent of the gross working area (fig. 5, bar B) 

there are sufficient future faces to jus%ify continued working immediately 

af-Ler the present faces are worked out. This part of the working area has 

per acre an average of 18 future faces on trees which are now working or have 

been worked, and over 8 round trees 7 inches d.5.h. and larger that will soon 

become large enough to work, as well as a large number of smaller trees. It 

is estimated that after a wait of 8 to 20 years an additional 26 percent of 

this area will be ready for working again. About 40 percent of the gross working &rea, howe~er, will not support new operations within 20 years after present 

f:rccs are abanconed, and 3 percent of the area is in nonturpentine forest. 

Percent Cup on 

front faces 

Resting and worked-out area 

In the field work, "resting" and "worked-out" areas, which were grouped 

together, were found on almost 14 million acres (fig. 5, bar C). Thirty-seven 

percent of this area is well-developed, having per acre an average of 16 future faces and 10 round trees 7 inches d.b.h. and larger. It is also estimated that 20 percent of the resting and worked-out area will reach the welldeveloped stage within 20 years, and that 40 percent will require more than 

20 years, while 3 percent is nonturpentine-forest area. Retarding the 

growth of young trees upon this area are some 5 million worked-out trees, 

which it will be highly desirable to cut and utilize Cor lumber, pulpwood, 

Cups on 

back faces Total 
or other wood products in order to facilitate reproduction and to release 

round trees for faster growth. 

Future Outlook for Gum Naval Stores 

Inasmuch as the naval stores industry has long been active tnroug:iaut 

this Survey unit, it is logical to assune that most of the turpentine pines, 

with the exception of a relatively small number in swampy, inaccessible areas 

and in reserves, or scattered in the agricultural sections, will be worked 

prior to cutting. 

As stated in the preceding discussion of working area, 48 percent of 

the round trees in the 8-inch diameter-class were cupped in the virgin crops 

of 1934. It is believed that the efforts of the industry, instigated by the 

A.A.A. Naval Stores Conservation Program, to reduce the proportion of cupping 

in undersized trees, will be successful and that the practice of cupping 

trees under 9 inches will be changed gradually. For the purpose of analysis 

it is assumed that in actual practice one-third of the trees in the 8-inch 

class will continue to be used. In figure 6, the total number of round and 

resting trees on the various turpentine areas shown previously (fig. 5) is 

analyzed for each of three 8-year turpentine cycles. The supply for the 

first period, 1935 to 1942, standing in the 1; million acres of "welldeveloped" areas (in black in fig. 5) is estimated to be 3,714,000 trees 

annually. The supply for the second cycle, 1943 to 1950, which will come 

partly from ro~md trees in the advanced sapling stands and partly from 

trees that were front-faced in the first cycle, will approximate 3,600,000 

trees annually. In the third cycle, 1351 to 1958, the indications are that 

the round trees that have grown to working size on the areas now shown as 

young sapling stands (fig. 5), plus the ro>md and resting trees then available in the areas previously worked, will amount to 5 million trees annually. 

These figures of periodic supply may be compared with the average 

annual aemand of 1,146,000 new cups from round trees and 1,202,000 new cups 

on resting t,rees, a total of 2,348,000 cups for turpentining alone (shown by 

arrow in fig. 6) for the 6 seasons beginning with 1929-30 and ending with 

1934-35. These calculations of possible futu-e yield of turpentine trees 

for the naval stores industry are based upon the assumption that in each 

%-year period the total available supply will be used. If the total supply 

is not used, the unworked trees r~ould be carried over to accumulate for 

working in later periods. If more than the indicated yield is cupped or 

othernise utilized, it will be at the expense of later yields. 

The present and estimated future stands of slash and longleaf pines 

must supply not only the naval stores industry but also the wood-products 

industry. In 1936 an industry survey showed that more than 1 million round 

slash and longleaf pine trees 7 inches d.b.h. and larger were cut for wood 

products before they were worked for tarpentine (table 5). If the cutting 

of ro~md turpentine trees for pulpwood and low-grade lumber continues, 

obviously it will reduce both the present and the future supply for the . . naval stores industry. Therefore, if the naval stores industry is to be 

maintained at the full possibility of the growing stock, the demands of the 

wood-products industries for longleaf and slash pines must be confined as 

nearly as possible to worlced-out trees. 
IST PER IOD 2ND.PER IOD 3RD. PER I OD 

1935-1942 f- 1943-1950 1951-1958 

ROUND TREES RESTING TREES 

FIGURE 6 - ROUND AND RESTING TURPENTINE PINES THAT MAY BE 

READY FOR WORKING ANNUALLY 

#The arrow shows the level of average annual demand between 1929 and 1934 for 

naval stores cups on round and resting trees. 

For several years naval stores factors and various forestry agencies 

hare been encouraging the adoption of a 9-inch minirnim-diameter limit. An 

analysis of the future supply of turpen-tine pines, if only those trees 9 

inches d.b.h. and larger were cupped, indicates that for the first $-year 

period there would be an annual possibility of 3,183,000 trees of this size 

(1,717,000 round and 1,466,000 resting); for the second 8-year period, 11 percent less than for the first period; and for the third period, 22 percent more 

than for the first. It is noteworthy that in 1936 the wood-products industries reduced the supply of round trees at least 9 inches d.b.h. more than 

half a million. 
Table 5. -- Net chanpe in number of round trees 7 inches and up and 9 inches 

and up between January 1, 1934 and January 1, 1937 in the turpentine area 

- - - - - - - - - - Thousand trees - - - - - - - - - 

Round trees as of 

January 1 29,561 12,172 29,105 11,945 30,142 12,648 

1934 

Increase due to growth 

of smaller trees 2,944 1,739 2,944 1,739 2,944 1,739 

7 inches 

and up 

Decrease due to mortality 610 253 632 26 8 6 56 284 

9 inches 

and up 

19 3 5 

Net increase 2,334 1,486 2,312 1,471 2,288 1,455 

7 inches 

and up 

1936 

Trees turpentined 2,050 1,241 443 26 8 314 190 

9 inches 

and up 

7 inches 

and up 

Trees cut for products 740 47 2 832 500 1,013 582 

9 inches 

and up 

Total industrial drain 2,790 1,713 1,275 768 1,327 772 

Decrease Decrease Increase Increase Increase increase 

Net change during year 456 227 1,037 703 96 l 6 83 

Round trees end of year 29,105 11,945 02 12,648 31,103 13,331 

Percent of number on 

January 1, 1934 98.5 98.1 102.0 103.9 105.2 109.5 

If there is no marked increase in the cutting of trees before they 

are worked for turpentine, there will be sufficient round timber in welldeveloped stands to maintain the gum naval stores industry at its present 

level during the next 15 years. The relati%ely large proportion of longleaf 

and slash pine trees now in the 2-, 4-, and 6-inch diameter-classes - sizes 

in which mortality can be reduced through better management - gives a good 

prospect that the gum-production lexel can be raised after that period through 

the growth of more of these trees to working sizes. The needs of both the 

naval-stores and wood-products industries should be so integrated and their 

operations so synchronized tha~ both industries can operate satisfactorily. 

Since the income from naval stores to the owners of longleaf an2 slash pines 

is normally large and since the industry ranks high in economic importance in 

the region where it is found, it is imperative that both its present and 

furure supply of timber be protected. 
Wood Naval Stores Insustry and Resources 

Eight wood-distillation plants located in northwest Florida produce 

rosin, turpentine, pine oils, charcoal, and other products from "lightw od" - the seasoaed stumps and heartwood of dead, old-growth, longleaf trees.h9 One 

Installation uses the steam-solvent process, while the remainder use destructive distillation, with charcoal as a residual byproduct. Approximately 

230,000 man-days of employment were provided in 1936, and 166,000 tons of 

"lightwood" (i38,000 tons of stunps and 28,000 tons of topwood), most of 

whi.ch came from this Survey unit, were consumed, yielding about 120,000 barrels 

(500 lbs. gross) of rosin and 22,000 barrels (50 gal.) of turpentine. 

Seasoned, old-growth, longleaf pine stumps, at least 8 inches high, and 

in sufficient density to warrant extraction, were found upon 1,7'74,000 acres, 

or 29 percent of the forest area (table 6). The Survey made no effort to 

estimate the amomt of seasoned topwood. 

Table 6. -- Stand of merchantable stumps (blas Ling basis) 

Acres ------ Thousand tons - - - - - Percent 

5 or less 534,500 105 109 214 4.1 

6 to 13 520,300 478 56 3 1, 041 19.8 

14 to 25 399,400 784 814 1,598 30.4 

26 and over 120,100 1,248 1.152 2,400 45.7 

~~~~ ~ 

Topographic situation 

Stwnps per acre 

Total 1,774.300 2,615 2,638 5,253 100.0 

To tal 

Flatwoods- I/ - 

- l/ Includes a small percentage of the area in swamps and bays. 

Portion 

of 

total Rolling 

uplands 

On a blasting basis (5 stumps per ton of wood), it is estimated that 

this area has about 1,998,000 tons of stumpwood on the 719,500 acres that 

contain at least 2.8 tons of stumps per acre. This resource is approximately 

equally divided between flatwoods and rolling uplands. Clear-cut and reproduction forest conditions together contain 46 percent of the tonnage; while a 

lar~e proportion of the remainder is found under thinly stocked second-growth 

sapling stands under sawlog size. In addition to the present matured stuvps 

shown in table 6, there is a potential supply of 4,502,000 tons in unseasoned 

stumps and in stumps in densely stocked stands where pulling operations are 

co~isidered impracticable and blasting undesirable. Pulling operations are 

usually practical only in the flatwoods and where used would increase the 

recovery approximately 65 percent. Additional stumps will be added to the 

supply as the present old-growth longleaf pine stands are logged and their 

stmps are allowed to season (generally for about 10 years). 

4,' See: "Longleaf pine st~~~~pwood supply in four Southeastern Survey Units," 

Forest Survey Release #20, Aug. 29, 1936, Southern For. Exp. Sta., New 

Orleans, La. 
The manufacture of wood naval stores, which for rosin already amounts 

to almost one-half of the total production of the Survey unit, could be 

greatly increased if the raw-material resource were the only limiting factor. 

The recovery of rosin as a byproduct in the manufacture of kraft paper pulp 

also shows possibilities of adding greatly to the future supply. Prices for 

naval stores and the keen competition of substitute materials, however, do 

not encourage any appreciable increase in production from any source. 

Inventory Estimates 

Sa~rtimber Volumes 

The total net sawtimber volume is more than 4 billion board feet, according to the Doyle rule (the rule in general use in the South), or nearly 

7 billion board feet, according to the International +-inch rule, which 

closely approximates green lumber tally. The volumes in the important sawtimber species are shown in table 7. It is interesting to note (table 8) 

that 23 percent of the total sawtimber volume is in longleaf and slash pine 

trees tha~ have been worked for turpentine. 

Living pine and cypress trees at least 9 inches d.b.h., and hardwoods 

at least 13 inches, are classified as sawtimber trees if they contain one 

sound butt log 12 feet or more in length, or if 50 percent of their gross 

volume is in sound material. The usable portions of turpentined butts, as 

established by common practice, are included in the estimates. A11 figures 

are net, a deduction having been made for both woods and mill cull, that is, 

portions of the tree which cannot be manufactured into lumber on accowt of 

fire scars, rot, croolcs, bad knots, or other defects. 

Practically all of the sawtimber volune is physically accessible with 

the present mobile logging equipment and the excellent modern transportation 

facilities, as indicated by the fact that 94 percent of the forest area has 

been logged over at least once. In this section, although stands as light as 

400 feet per acre are now commonly logged, sawtimber stands range from a 

minimum of 400 board feet per acre to 8,000 or more, with an average of 3,300 

per acre. 

Table 8 shows that old-growth forest stands, all types combined, contain 57 percent of the total sawtimber volume; second-growth sawlog-size 

stands, 34 percent; and all other conditions, 9 percent. 

Figure 7 indicates the proportional area and volume per acre of the 

sawlog-size stands in the longleaf and slash pine types. The proportions 

shown are based upon gross volumes; no deductions have been made for woods 

cull, but as an equalizing factor, no volumes in turpentined butts have been 

included. While there is room for error in the lowest volume-per-acre class 

because the estimates are based on l/b-acre plots, the combined data in the . ~ first two classes are highly significant. Stands in the turpentine pine typegroup that have less than 2,000 feet per acre make up 57 percent of the typegroup area, but have only 27 percent of the sawtimber; in other words, 43 percent of the type-group area contains 2,000 feet or more of sawtimber per acre 

and 73 percent of the type-group volume, 
Table 7. -- Net board-foot volume expressed in Doyle scale and 

in green lumber tally based on Internatiuunl +-inch rule 

- - M board feet - - - - M board feet - - - 

Pines: 

Longleaf 769,100 1,528,800 

Slash 6%,900 i,253,200 

Loblolly 605,700 959,800 

Other 130,900 240,800 

-- 

Green 

Species Doyle 

scale - 

Species 

Total pine 2,192,600 3,982,600 

Cypress 379,100 - 623,500 - 

Doyle 

scale 

Hardwoods: 

Red gun1 

Black gum 

Red oaks 

White oaks 

Other hardwoods I/ 

Green 

lnnber 

tally 

Total hardwoods 1,620,800 2,261&8Q 

- Total all species 4,192,500 6.86'7,9011 

l/ Principally bay, white ash, maples, magnolia, and yellow poplar, -. 

Table 8. -- Net board-foot volume (green lumber tally, based on 

Int. *-inch kerf rule) by forest conditions 

Pines : 

Longleaf and slash: 

Round 307,300 254,400 482,400 141,300 1,185,400 17,1 

Worked 276,400 397,600 629,300 293,300 1,596,600 23-2 

Loblolly and other 186,200 146,100 801,300 67,000 i;200,600- 17.5. 

Species-group 

Total pines 769,900 798,100 1,913,000 501,600 3,982,600 58.0 

Hardwoods 

- - - - - - - - Thousand boards - - - - - - - 

Cypress 225,900 277,200 92,400 28,000- 623,500 9 .i 

Old growth 

Total all species 1,803,500 2,141,800 2,315,500 607,100 6,867,900 100.0 

Second growth 

Sa#log Total 

size size - 

Uncut 

- l/ Including a small amount in the reproduction and clear-cut conditions. 

Percent 

of 

total 

-- 

Partly 

cut 
GROSS VOLUME - PERCENT 

PER- ACRE CLASS 

(BOARD FEET IWT. &-INCH RULZ- 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 

TUPENTllED BUTTS NOT INCLUPED) I I I 1 I I I 1 

LESS THAN 1000 

(228,000 ACRES) 

( 1 6 9 , 1 0 0 M bd. ft.) 

2000 TO 2999 

(1 7 9, 000 ACRES) 

(44 l , I 00 M bd. ft.) 

3000 TO 3999 

(9 4,500 ACRES) 

(330, 000 M bdft.) 1 AREA 

4000 TO 4999 

(60,800 ACRES) 1 1 

(264,900 M bdft.) I 

5000 AND OVER 

(I 0 2,000 ACRES) 

FUR 7 - PROPORTIONAL AREA AND VOLUME OF THE SAWLOG-SIZE CONDITIONS IN THE TURPENTINE PINE TYPES , CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO VOLUME OF SAWTIMBER PER ACRE 

More than three-fourths of the pine volume is in trees 9.0 to 16.9 

inches d.b.h. Most of this timber, which is in second-growth forests, is 

generally converted into lumber, poles, cross ties, saves, and pulpwood. 

The remaining volume is in larger trees, which occur either in old-growth 

stands or as scattered residuals in younger stands. These trees are used 

for high-grade lumber, veneer bolts, poles, and piles. 

Of tile hardwood volume, less than 8 percent is in trees 29.0 inches 

and larger, i.e., where much of the quality material is found. Thirtythree percent of the volume is in trees 14.0 to 28.9 inches d.b.h., and 59 

percent is in trees 13.0 to 18.9 inches. Cypress trees 17.0 inches in 

diameter and larger - the sizes from which high-grade lumber is manufactured - have 44 percent of the total cypress sawtimber volume. 

.. The cull factors used in reducing gross to net scale are unusually 

large for hardwood, cypress, and turpentined pines, owing to the general 

prevalence in the past of forest fires, nonconservative turpentining practices, and the destructive agencies of wind, fungi, and insects; cull deductions range from 5 percent for slash pine to 20 percent for cypress, including allowance for sweep. 
Cordwood volumed/ 

The total net volume of usable cordwood material with the bark in both 

sound and cull trees 5.0 inches and larger is more than L1 million standard 

cords (4 x 4 x 8 feet). It should be understood, however, that this includes 

volume that has also been considered in the sawtimber estimate given in the 

preceding section. In table 9 cordwood volulnes are given for the important 

tree species-groups. "Upper stems of sawtimber trees" includes the usable 

volume from the upper limit of the sawlogs to ~i variable minimum-diameter 

limit, which is not less than 4 inches inside bark but which varies with the 

quality. For hardwoods and cypress, limbs are included to a &inch minimum 

diameter. In the voiwne of "Sound trees under sawlog size," the full stems 

only (without limbsj are included for all species up to a variable diameter 

limit 'but not less than 4 inches. Under "Cull trees," only the usable sound 

portion in such trees is included. As previously stated, all volume figures 

are net, deductions having been made for woods cull - the material unsuitable for use because of fire scar, rot, or other defects. For the sound 

trees, the deductions averaged 5 percent, varying from 1 percent for secondgrowth slash and longleaf to 15 percent for cypress. The deductions for 

cull trees varied from 20 to 80 percent of their gross volime. 

Pulpwood and fuel wood are the principal uses for cordwood material. 

While most species are useful for fuel wood, in this locality only the pines 

are .used at present for pulpwood, although cypress and the soft-textured 

hardwoods, such as the gums, magnolia, bay, maple, etc., are suitable for 

certain types of pulping. Only half of the total pulpwood inventory of 

almost 34 million cords is in pine; most of the remainder is in pulping 

hardwoods. 

-- 

- 

5/ For more detailed information, see "Pulping and nonpulping cordwood volme in Survey Unit #2, Florida," Forest Survey Release #19, Apr. 30, 1936, 

Southern For. Exp. Sta., New Orleans, La. 
Table 9. -- Net volume of all sound material, expressed in cords 

Source of material 

Tree species-group Sawtimber trees 

Sawlog Cull trees 

-- portion 

Total 

Pulping species: 

Pines: 

Turpentine (round 2,7'70,400 557,600 2,996,100 30,1,00 6,360,500 

pines (turpentined 3,688,300 1,256,000 1,330,700 56,800 6,331,800 

Loblolly and other pines 2,708,500 507,400 -- 709,300 190,100 4,111,300 

Total pines 9,173,200 2,317,000 5,036,100 277,300 16,803,600 

Hardwoods (pulping ) 3,786,60d/1,9~6,800 5,2%,100 2,8L0,300 13,870,000 

Cypress 1,505,80&' 500,100 642,500 562,100 3,210,500 

Total pulping species 14,465,600 4,763,900 10,974,900 3,679,700 33,884,100 

Nonpulping hardwoods 1,897,50(11'1,0?2,900 1,934,'700 2,329,500 7.23L.600 

Total a11 soecies 16,363,100 5,816,800 12,909,600 6,009,200 41,118,700 

- 1/ Usable limbs inclucied. 

Relative stands per acre in cords for the various forest conditions 

and type-groups, as found by dividing t,otal volumes by the respective areas, 

are given in table 10. 
Table 10. -- Average cordwood volumes ger acre of good trees, including bad L/ 

-- 

Forest type-group 

Partly Uncut cut Uncut - cut 

------------- Cords 

Longleaf and slash pines 13-1 8.3 9.8 7.6 2-3 3,5 

Loblolly and other pines 20.6 12.6 16.2 11 "6 3.5 9.7 

Hardwoods 22.2 16.8 17-2 10.2 2,0 7,9 

Cypress 18-9 16.9 18.0 11.9 7.8 14.6 

Ail types (weighted 

averarres ) .. . .- - . .-. 17-9 12.8 12.0 9~3- 2:3 .- 

1/ For additional information see "Volumes on Average Acres in the Principal Units 

of the Naval-Stores Region," Forest Survey Release #29, Oct. 30, 1937, Southern 

For,, Ex?,, Sta., New Orleans, La. Upper stems and limbs of sawlog-size hardwoods 

and cypress are not included. 

- 2j Includes areas of reproduction and clear-cut forest conditions. 

The growing stock of all species, made up of sound trees only (upper 

stems and limbs of sawlog-size hardwoods and cypress, and cull trees excludec?), 

coniainsl3 million cords in sound trees under sawlog size and 19 million cords 

in sawtimber trees. The competitive demand for sawtimber, and the present 

larger stumpage value for naval stores, lumber, poles, and piles, indicate the 

desirability of holding a considerable part of the smaller sound trees for such 

future use. There are, however, nearly 4 million cords of pulpwood in cull 

trees, over 6 million cords in trees that have been or are now heing worked for 

turpentine, about 300,000 cords available annually from tops of sawtimber trees 

cut, and a large undetermined volume of wood that may be salvaged in thinning 

over-dense stands of young timber, all of which, if used as fully as possible, 

should reduce the utilization for cordwood of sawtimber trees both actual and 

potential. A market for pulpwood and fuel wood provides excellent outlets for 

forest improvement cuttings, The cordwood volume of the various size-classes 

of trees (cull trees onljj excluded) is shown graphically in figure 8. 
TREE MI LLlON CORD5 sc$($(!jbS- DIAMETER 0 I 2 3 4 5 6 7 

CLASSES 1 I I I I I I 1 

6 b 8 

CYPRESS lo 6 12 

14 &LARGER 

PULPING 6? e?10,912 

HARDW00DS14 &LARGER 

NONPULPING 61 ',I0 a I* 

HARDWOODS~,,u~,ER 

:Inches) 

66 8 

PINES lor12 

NGURE 8- CORDWOOD VOLUMES OF PULPING AND NONPULPING 

SPECIES BY SIZE-CLASSES, SOUND TREES ONLY. 

Poles and Piles- 6/ 

I / I 

I I I I 

A special inventory was made of poles and piles, based upon the 

specifications of the American Standards Association, and the resulting 

estimate of 1& million pine trees suitable for these uses (table 11) is 

believed to be conservative, These trees, which have been included in the 

volume inventories previously given, are scatiered throughout the unit, 

singly or in groups; although found in many forest types, they occur most 

commonly in the longleaf-slash pine areas. Approximately 63 percent of the 

poles and piles are in trees 7.0 to 10.9 inches d.b.h., 32 percent are in 

trees 11.0 to 14.9 inches, and only 5 percent are in trees 15.0 inches or 

larger. Approximately 94 percent of the trees classed as potent,ial poles 

or piles will yield sticks 20 to 35 feet long. 

I 

- 

.- 6/ For additional information and for comparison with other units, see "Pole 

and pile timber in four Southeastern Survey Units," Forest Survey Release 

#21, Aug. 29, 1936, Southern For, Exp. Sta., New Orleans, La. 
Table 11. -- -- Pole and pile resogurcs 

Round longleaf and slash pines 5,381 1,753 411 7,545 52.0 

Turpentined longleaf and slash 

pines 3,729 1,439 415 5,643 38.9 

0 cher pines 997 324-- - 1,321 9.1 

Length of poles and piles 

Total -1 10 167 3,516 826 14,509 100.0 

Pereent 

Percent of total __ 70.1 - 24.2 5.7 100.0 .- 

Increment 

In 1935 the net sawtimber increment of the growing stock of 7 billion board feet of sound trees of all species amounted to 214 million board 

feet green lumber tally, as measured by the International $-inch kerf rule 

(table 12)- This does not mean, however, that the sawtimber growing stock 

showed a net increase of this amount as a result of the year's growth; as a 

matter of fact, the volume of the sawtimber cut was in excess of the increment. The actual growth due to the increase in volurne of the sawlog-size 

trees in the stand, plus that added by the recruitment of new trees from the 

smaller sizes, amounted to 353 million board feet; deducting the mortality 

figure, 139 million board feet, leaves the net increment as stated. 

Table 12. - Total net sawtiminr increment classified according to forest 

condition and species-group, 1935 

total -- 

Species-group 

------ Thousand sticks - - - - - - 

To tal 

TZcit 25eet 1 40 and feet over 

Old growth - 20,900 1,903 54,600 6,400 42,000 

Second growih: 

Sawlog size 33,200 35,100 17,000 2,900 93,200 

Under sawlog size 59,100 10,200 6,900 700 76,900 

Reproduction and 

clear-cut 1,600 300 (u) ( - l/] 1,900 

of 

Forest condition 

Total 78,000 47,500 78,500 10,000 214,000 

- 1/ Negligible, 

- - Thousand board feet (green lumber tally) - - 

Total all 

speciesgroups 

Species-group 

Longleaf 

and slash 

pines 

Loblolly 

and other 

pines 

Hardwoods 

- 

Cypress 
Almost 60 percent of the net sawtimber increment is pine; hardwood 

makes up most of the remainder, as cypress grows very slowly. Old-gro.~th 

forest conditions, containing over half of the sawtimber growing stock, all 

species combined, produces only 20 percent of the net increment. In fact, 

old-growth longleaf and slash pines, both round and turpentined, show a 

negative net increment. Second growth, with less than half of the growing 

stock, produces 80 percent of the net increment. 

Pleasured in terms of cordwood, in 1935 the net increment of all sound 

trees 5 inches d.b.h. and larger amounted to 882,000 cords of rough wood, or 

60 million cubic feet of wood inside bark (table 13). Neither the volume in 

cull trees nor that in the upper stems and limbs of sawlog-size hardwoods 

and cypress is considered part of the growing stock. 

Table 13. -- Net increment,B5_ 

Forest condition I Net regional increment I Average increment per acre 

M ----I/ bd Cp_rg- 2/uu. Bd.ft.11 Cords'/ aft.- 3/ 

.-. ft. -- - ft. 21 - 

Old growth 42,000 171,800 10,840 42 .17 11 

Second growth: 

Sawlog size 93,200 337,900 23,960 104 .38 27 

Under sawlog size 76,900 371,000 25,460 30 .15 10 

Reproduction and 

clear-cut 1,900 1,600 70 1 (4/) (41) 

Total 21l,,000 882,300 60,330 36 .15 10 

- 1/ Green lumber tally. 2/ Rough wood, including bark. 

- 3/ Inside bark (i.b.) . z/ Negligible. 

Ali.hough low net-increment per-acre figures are characteristic of this 

Survey unit, they vary considerably (table 13), with the greatest in the sawlog-size second-growth stands. The per-acre net increment in 1935 for the 

entire forest area (i.e., clear-cut and reproduction areas included) was only 

36 board feet of sawtimber, or a trifle over 1/7 cord of all material. 

Wiih natural conditions, such as climate, species, etc., generally 

favorable to growth, the net-increment figure for the entire forest is 

strikingly low. This is explained largely by the facts that the mortality 

is high; the forest stands are thinly stocked; the proportion of idle or 

clear-cut forest land is unusually high; and the growth rate of the individual 

trees has been slowed down by periodically recurring fires and by turpentining. 

Harsh measures of turpentining, such as chipping too deeply, over-cupping the 

small trees, and burning the crop acreage, which have been practiced for 

years in many of the turpentine stands, have reduced their annual sawtimber 

increment by possibly more than 100 million board feet. 
Wood-Products Industries 

The lumber industry became active in this Survey unit coincident with 

the rapid railroad expansion that began in 1870, and the naval-stores industry followed about 1900. Today these industries enjoy excellent traneportation facilities, including railroads (the Louisville and Nashville, the Seaboard Air Line, the Atlantic Coast Line, the St. Louis and San Francisco, and 

se~eral short connecting lines); numerous highways and country roads traversing the unit; and water transportation on the Gulf, the Intracoastal Waterway, 

and the Apalachicola, Choctawhatchee, and other rivers. 

The !nost important wood-using industry is lumber, as witnessed by the 

more than 200 sawmills within the unit (table 14). Although about fourfifths of the mills have a daily capacity of less than 20 M board feet, it is 

significant that only 28 percent of the 290 million board feet of lumber produced was cut by these mills, while 27 percent was cut by mills with a daily 

capacity of 20 to 39 P1 board feet, and 45 percent by mills with a capacity 

of at least 40 74 board feet per day. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the 

large sawmills, chiefly dependent upon extensive blocks of old-growth timber, 

are slowly cutting out and that the trend is decidedly towards small, mobile 

equipgnent, which can utilize more efficiently the light second-growth stands. 

In 1936 the sawmills, as a whole, operated at less than half their annual 

capacity, an indication of the relatively unfavorable condition of the lumber 

markets, 

Table 14. -- Number of sawmills, amount of lumber cut, and man-daysoc 

employment, in mills of various sizes, 1936 

Under 20 176 74,100 4,100 4,100 82,300 249 

2U - 39 19 66,600 9,100 2,800 78,500 256 

40 - 79 8 38,700 27,900 3,500 70,100 247 

80 and over 3 53,900 3,600 1,900 59,400 155 

Daily (10 hrs.) 

rated capacity 

in M board feet - 

Total 206 233,300 44,700 -12,300 290,300 907 

In 1936, in addition to the large number of sawmills, there were over 

60 other wood-products plants, ranging in size from tiny shingle mills to one 

of the largest kraft pulp and paper mills in the United States. The cooperage 

industry, with 7 plants largely engaged in the production of pine slack cooperage for rosin barrels, consumed almost 22 thousand cords (table 15). In 

making veneer, which was generally used for packages and boxes, four mills 

consumed over 14 million board feet. About 49 shingle mills, mostly very 

small establishments, were operating nearly always in cypress and for local 

consumption. While three small-dimension plants, one excelsior mill, and 

----- Thousand board feet - - - - - Thousand 

man-days 

Number of Employment 

Lurnber cut 

Pine H~~~WOO~ Cypress Total 
one treating plant added to the diversification of the forest products, the 

kraft pulp and paper mill at Panama City was undoubtedly the most important 

single wood-utilization plant in this Survey unit. In 1936 it was the only 

pulp mill in northwest Florida, but in 1937 another large mill was nearing 

completion at Port St. Joe (Gulf County). Also the production of cross ties, 

poles and piles, fuel wood, and fence posts is important. While cross ties, 

poles, and piles were commercial products, most of the fuel wood and fence 

posts were produced by farmers for their own use. The total employment figure 

for all wood-using industries, 2 million man-days, which is equivalent to 

about 10,000 men regularly employed 200 days a year, is impressive, especially 

in consideration of the fact that the Census of 1930 reported a population in 

this Survey unit of 254,000, of whom only 96,000 were gainfully employed in 

all industries. The following table shows the amount of material produced by 

the industries in northwest Florida, the raw material for which was taken 

mostly from this Survey unit but partly from south Alabama, southwest Georgia, 

and northeast Florida The labor shown is exclusively that employed in this 

Survey unit, 

lable 15. -- -- Wood-products production and employment, 1936 

Lumber 290,300,000 board feet 334 

Veneer 14,100,000 board feet 30 

Cross ties 318,000 pieces 43 

Poles and piles 62,000 ~ieces 13 

Fence posts 879,000 pieces 14 

Cooperage 21,700 cords 22 

Fuel wood 368,000 cords 446 

Miscellaneous 

(pulp mills, shingle 

mills, t ating 

plants, i7 etc.) 356,400 cords 239 

Kind of plant 

or commodity 

Total 1,141 958 2,099 

For the treating-plant,only labor at the plant is included. 

Commodity Drain from the Growi~ Stock 

Units produced 

The manufacture of forest products in 1936 caused a drain upon the 

sawtimber growing stock of the Survey unit of 415 million board feet, or 

upon all sound trees at least 5 inches d.b.h. of 85 million cubic feet 

(table 16). This commodity drain, as distinguished from the drain caused by 

mortality within the stands, is the 1936 cut, including the material cut for 

shipment to points outside the Survey unit and the waste incidental to the 

various logging operations. In the last column of table 16, the commodities derived as byproducts are charged to the primary use for which the 

Thousand man-days (10 hours) 

of employment 

In woods At plants Total 
trees are felled; thus pulpwood obtained from the tops of trees cut for 

lumber is included under lumber drain. 

Pine furnished 70 percent of the drain shown in board feet; hardwoods, 

23 percent; ana cypress, 7 percent. In spite of the greatly reduced area of 

old-growth stands, they were the source of about half the total commodity 

drain. 

Table 16, -- Commodity drain from the sound-tree growiq-stock, 1936 

Thousand 

- - Thousand board feet (green lumber tally)- - cubic feet 

(i.b.1 

Reason for drain Species -group 

Total 

Lumber 187,400 50,000 16,100 253,500 &6,220 

Cross ties 7,300 500 8,800 16,600 2,900 

Polts and piles 6,300 - 200 6,500 1,260 

Veneer 8,600 8,100 - 16,700 2,690 

Cooperage 5,700 4,200 - 9,900 1,990 

Fuel wood 25,500 32,800 - 58,300 12,450 

Fence posts - - - - 130 

Miscellaneous i/ 50,800 . 400 2,500 53,700 17,360 

-- 

From all 

growingstock 

material 

Total 291,600 96,000 27,600 415,200 85 %000 

.. 1/ Includes domestic farm use, pulpwood, and land clearing. 

Neither cull trees, dead trees, nor the upper stems and limbs of hardwood and cypress are included in the sound-tree growing stock for which growth 

is calculated, and no material cut from these sources is included in table 16. 

It is estimated that in 1936 the drain from this material was as follows: 

1. Cut from the tops and limbs of sawlog-size 

hardwood and cypress thees .......... 120,000 cords 

2. Cut from cull trees .............. 66,000 cords 

3. Fuel wood cut from dead trees ........ 142,000 cords 

4, Fence posts cut from dead trees . 5,000 cords 

It is significant that cull trees furnished only & percent of the 

total commodity drain from live trees, although they contain 15 percent of 

the volume in all sound material, as shown in table 9. While little progress has yet been made in ridding the forest of these undesirable trees, a 

growing market for pulpwood should offer greater opportunity for their removal. 

- 7/ In addition, 123,300 tons of stumps were used in 1936. 
Comparison of Increment and Drain 

Inventory data on volumes given in previous tables are based upon 

field work in 1934. Additions produced by growth and deductions caused by 

mortality and commodity drain indicate that in the 3 following years the 

sawtimber growing stock has been reduced 2 to 3 percent per year, as shown 

in table 17. 

Table 17. -- Chan~es in the growingSawtimber material 

All growingDate Species-group stock 

Total 

Pine~rdardwoods / Cypress 

I 

- - Thousand board feet (green lumber tally) - - Thousand 

-- cubic feei 

(isba 

Jan. 1, 1931 4,089,200 2,289,900 629,900 7,009,000 2,250,610 

Jan. 1, 1935 3,982,600 2,261,800 623,500 6,867,900 2,234,260 

Jan. 1, 1936 3,865,200 2,212,500 615,000 6,692,700 2,217,040 

Jan. 1, 1937 3,722,400 2,195,200 597,200 6,514,800 2,190,630 

As with a bank deposit, the growing stock cannot be maintained intact 

if the withdrawals (mortality and commodity drain in the forest) exceed the 

interest (forest growth). In 1936, in the combined uncut and partly cut oldgrowth conditions, the commodity drain was more than four times the net sawtimber increment; and it is evident that many of the large plants that depend 

upon old-growth timber, e.g., the big sawmills, will be forced to shut down 

or adapt their operations to second growth. The rapidly expanding demand for 

pulpwood fortunately can be met from the relatively fast-growing second-growth 

stands. There is, however, no chance of meeting all industrial sawtimber requirements from the increment from second growth, for the drain in 1936 from 

second growth equals or exceeds the increment. 

In the trees in the growing stock 5 inches d.b.h. and larger, including those of sawlog size, the cubic-foot commodity drain is 1.5 times as 

great as the net increment (table 18). The excess of drain over increment 

is greater proportionally in the pines and cypress than in the hardwoods 

(fig. 9). 

Deficiencies in the Present Forest 

The principal deficiencies in the present forest, as shown by figure 

3 are: (1) the distribution of age-classes by area is unsatisfactory; and 

(2) the stocking is sadly deficient. After years of harvesting of the 

larger and more valuable trees in the growing stock, the remaining stands 

are composed chiefly of small trees 2 to 12 inches d.b.h., as shown in 

figure 2. These small trees, because of widespread fires, harsh measures of 

turpentining, and the normal causes of death, have a high mortality rate. 

- 29 - 
FIGURE 9.- COMPARISON OF NET INCREMENT OF SAWLOG-SI ZE 

TREES WITH THE COMMODITY DRAIN, 1936. 

In its present deteriorated condition, therefore, the growing stock with its 

anni~al increment composes a mere fraction of the productive capacity of the 

sites; the present average net increment per acre is only 36 board feet of 

sawtimber, or 1/7 of a cord of all sound-tree usable material. The presence 

of a large acreage of clear-cut forest land and of forest lands possessed by 

scrub oak is partly accountable for the low increment per acre. 

Fir= is the most important factor militating against the development 

of well-stocked stands. Uncontrolled forest fires have for years swept 

through the woods, killing the small trees that are needed as recruits for 

the growing stock, as well as injuring or killing some of the larger trees. 

While many of the fires originate from carelessness, the great majority are 

purposely and systematically set. 

Suqmary of Present Situation and Outlook for the Future 

The Forest in the Economic Picture 

In Northwest Florida 4 acres out of 5 (average) are in forest use 

(table 1). The Cens~s figures for the last 15 years show no increase in use 

of lands for agriculture, and the Unemployment Census taken November 16-20, 
Table 18. -- Coinparison of inc-ent with commodity d-in boarclfeet 

and cubic feet, 1936 

- 

Sawtimber material 

Item Species-group 

Pines Hardwoods Cypress - -- -- 

- - Thousand board feet (green lumber tally) - - - Thousand -- 

- cubic feet 

(i.b.) 

Growi-ng stock. 

Jan 1, 1'136 -- 3,865,200-2,212,500 615,000 6,6?2,700 2,217,040 -- --- - - -- - - - -- 

Growth 257,900 97,200 13,800 368,900 99,660 

Mortality -- 109,100 .- 18,500 4,000 131,600 41,070 

Nct increment 148, 800 78,700 9,800 237,300 58,590 

Cr inodity drain 291,600 96,000 27,600 415,200 85,000 

Net change in 

growing stock -142,800 -17,300 -- -17,800 -177,900 -26,410 

GI-owing stock, 

Jan. 1, 1937 3,722,400 2,195,200 597,200 6,5800 2,130,630 

1937, classes almost 13,000 people as unemployed and wanting work. The region was largely developed around its forest resource, upon which it has always leaned heavily for employment and income. It has a well-developed group 

of forest-using industries, including more than 100 turpentine stills, over 

200 sawmills, 2 large pulp mills, and more than 60 other wood-using plants. 

The future security and opportunity for expansion of these industries is a 

matter of outstanding importance and concern to every part of the unit. An 

examination and analysis of the forest stand and its present productivity 

give strong grounds for the belief that the forest resource has been so depreciated that only organized, intensive, and concerted action on the part 

of timber owners, forest industries, and public agencies can assure an optimistic future. Althoagh the forest situation is far from satisfactory, 

it is not too late for remedial action. 

Measures for Improvement 

Sore of the land owners are receiving assistance in the protection of 

their lands from fire through the cooperative fire-protection sections of the 

Clarke-McNary Law. Progress has been made in recent years, and now about onefifth of the pri\-ately owned forest land is under organized fire protection, 

which should be extended to all forest lands in the unit. 
On about 200,000 acres of clear-cut land on which no seed trees exist, 

artificial reforestatton must be resorted to, if the area is to be restocked 

within a reasonable time. The Florida Forest Service has cooperated with 

private individuals in making many demonstration plantings, which indicate 

that the possibilities of artificial reforestation are good if the work is 

done carefully and is confined to the better sites. On 675,000 acres of 

clear-cut land, pine seed trees are present, and under continued protection 

from fire a large part of this area may be expected to restock naturally to 

pine. A half million acres of land formerly in pine, but now occupied by 

scrub oak, will require many years to restock to pine if left to the slow 

processes of nature. It is unlikely that economic conditions will warrant 

the planting of much of this scrub oak area, owing to its low productivity. 

It may be that private enterprise cannot be expected to reforest artificially 

ihe large blocks of clear-cut and scrub oak lands, and that either the State 

or the Federal Government should undertake the task in the public interest. 

The area of land needing planting, however, should not increase; in fact, it 

should decrease if better fire protection and better cutting practices are 

maintained. 

Turpentining in the old manner has been responsible for many of the 

aeficiencies in the pine stands. A widespread adoption of the conservation 

practices now used by the more progressive naval stores operators would 

greatly reduce the harmful effect of turpentine operations on growth and 

mortality and should increase directly the yields both of naval stores and of 

wood products. 

'The accumulation of worked-out turpentine trees, no longer of value to 

the naval stores operator and rapidly deteriorating in value for wood products, 

should be removed from the stands in the form of pulpwood, poles, ties, and 

lumber. There are about 2 million cords of this material now on hand in the 

trees of the unit, which, in addition to representing an economic waste, are 

retarding the development of new trees on the areas occupied. Furthermore, 

there are 6 million cords of wood in cull trees of all species (mainly hardwoods and cypress) that also should be removed from the stands to supplement 

the wood supply as well as to improve the growing conditions. A large amount 

of wood in the tops, stems, and limbs of trees is left in the woods to rot 

when the trees are cut; a more complete utilization of this material for 

pulp and fuel wood not only would help the supply situation but also would 

reduce the fire hazard in cut-over stands. 

Close and profitable utilization of the wood supply will depend 

largely upon a careful integration of the demands for the many and varied 

forest industries. The lumber, veneer, pole and piling, and similar industries, depend, by the nature of their products, upon high-quality stumpage; 

while the demands of the pulpwood, fence post, and fuel wood industries can 

be met from either high- or low-quality trees. 

Land owners in their own interest should recognize quality grades in 

their trees and should sell or cut them for the commodities that yield the 

greatest stumpage returns. The several wood-using industries that depend on 

open-market purchases of stumpage will conserve the forest resource by using 

for their commodities only those trees that do not have a higher stumpage 

value for other uses. 
State and county tax authorities should recognize that long-time 

forest management, often invol%ing deferred returns, must haxe sympathetic 

tax treatment, A stable policy of reasonable annual tax?s, based upon 

sliding-scale ~aluations that adjust payments to earning power and periods 

of cropping, is essential. The Forest Taxation Inquiry authorized by 

Congress to study such problems has recommended several tax plans with this 

principle in view, 

The material improvemeni of ihe forest situation will require the 

general application of the measures here cited. Since the forest resource 

is not, and never will be, all unrier one ownership or management but, on ihe 

contrary, is owned and used by thousands of individuals with all kinds of 

limitations, policies, and objectives of management, the problem of obtaining a widespread acceptance and application of these essential forestry 

measures will require time and organized action. One obvions way to accornplish this task, slow though it may be, is by eaucating land owners, wood 

consumers, turpentine operators, taxing authorities, newspaper editors, and 

the general public to realize the value of these measures and to understand 

their applicat,ion in practice. Specifically, the educational effort required might be exerted by greatly extending and integrating the activities 

of existing public and quasi-public agencies, including the Extension Services and Forest Services of the State and Federal Governments, the forestry 

departments of wood-using industries and railroads, and the forestry instruction in the public schools and colleges. 

Outlook for the Fut.ure 

The naval-stores industry has a sufficient supply of round turpentine 

timber in sight to maintain production of gum, rosin, and turpentine at 

present levels for many years to come, perhaps indefinitely, provided that 

this supply is not reduced materially through increased cuLting of round trees 

for pulp mills and sawmills. 

The wood-using industries, including those of lumber, pulp, poles, 

ties, and veneer, are not so secure. The supply of old-growth timber from 

which high-grade lumber. must come, is decidedly limited, and industries de~ 

pending upon it are confronted in general with a dwindling supply that is not 

being replenished, The industries that can use low-grade material or small 

trees are in no immediate danger of shortage, particularly if they use a 

larger part of the available forest waste previously referred to, but the 

combined cut for all industries is at present in excess of the annual increment on the growing stock; if this is continued without any ameliorating 

action, there must inevitably result a progressive reduction of the growing 

stock and a consequent lowering of the contribution that the forest resource 

can make to the general welfare of the region. 

Northwest Florida should anticipate an improvement in its present 

social and economic conditions, but to the extent that it must depend upon 

its forest resource to accomplish this worthwhile objective, the present . . balance of increment and drain does not justify optimism. It is entirely 

possible, however, to build up this resource by fire protection, planting, 

i improvement cuttings, and more conservative methods of turpentining and logging. With a highly-developed forest resource, old inaustries -an be ex-- 

pandea and new industries brought in, landowners can realize more on their 

forest investments, and the entire area can feel the stimulation of more and 

larger payrolls with their attendant increase in buying power and security. 

- 33 -