FOREST RESOURCES 

of the 

OUACHITA MOUNTAIN REGION OF ARKANSAS 

A Progress Report . 

by 

THE SOUTHERN FOREST SURVEY 

I. F Eldredge 

Regional Survey Director 
The nation-wide Forest Survey, being made by the United 

States Forest Service, was authorized by the McSweeney-McNary 

Forest Research Act of 1328. 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, (3) 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 these findings with existing and anticipated 

economic conditions, in order that policies can be formulated 

for the effective use of land suitable for forest production. 

This relezse is based on a field survey made April 25, 1936, 

to June 13, 1936, and on a field canvass of forest industrial plants 

to determine forest drain, which was completed during March, 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 amplification 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 nuinber of samples in any given classification 

the more accurate are the data for that classification. Hence 

classes that are of infrequent occmrence 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. 

In the South, the Forest Survey functions as an activity 

of the Southern Forest Experiment Station with headquarters at 

New Orleans, La. 

Staff Assignment 

In Charge of Field Work and Preparation of Report 

James We Cruikshank - Associate Forest Economist 

In Charge of Computations 

P. R. Wheeler - Associate Forest Economist 

Note: The Southern Forest Experiment Station hereby wishes to 

acknowledge the clerical assistance received from the Works 

Progress Aciministration in the preparation of this Release. 
FOREST RESOURCES OF THE OUACHITA MOUNTAIN REGION OF ARKANSAS 

General Description of the Unit 

The Ouachita Mountain region of Arkansas is a rugged, timbered area extending fanwise from Little Rock westward to the Oklahoma skate line. The 

Arkansas River forms the northern boundary, and the southernmost ridges of the 

Ouachita Mountains approximate the southern limits of the area (map, fig. 3). 

It includes all of 9 counties and part of 3 othecs, totaling 4,917,700 acres. 

All but a very small portion of the Ouachita National Forest within the State 

of Arkansas is included in this unit. The cities of Little Rock and Fort Smith, 

both on the Arkansas River, are important industrially, while Hot Springs is 

widely known as a health resort. 

Omitting Pulaski County, in which Little Rock is located and where the 

population is largely urban, agriculture furnished employment to about 

42 percent of those working in 1930. Although a large proportion of the population was engaged in farming, a majority of the farmers drew a part of their 

support from forests and forest activities. About 500 families were partly 

dependent upon the National Forest for support in 1936. The Survey (made in 

1936) found that 69 percent of the unit area was forest land, 16 percent was 

in cultivation, and that over much of the area faoms and forests bear an 

intimate relation to each other. 

Topographically, the area includes a part of the Arkansas Valley and 

the Ouachita Nountains, which together make up, the Ouachita Province of the 

Interior Highlands of Arkansas. The portion of the Arkansa-s Valley lying 

within the unit is about 35 miles wide at Fort Smith but gradually becomes 

narrower, until at the northeast corner of Perry County the Arkansas River 

cuts through the hills to Little Rock and the Mississippi Delta. The Valley 

is a rolling plain, 300 to 600 feet above sea level, broken by several ridges 

and broad-topped momtains; Magazine Mountain, the highest in the State, rises 

as high as 2,823 feet. The Ouachita Mountains are made up of numexous ridges, 

most of which run in an east-west direction. Near Little Rock the ridges lack 

uniform direction and have elevations of only 500 to 700 feet above sea level, 

but progressing westward the ridges and mountains become higher; Rich Mountain 

achieves an elevation of about 2,900 feet just across the line in Oklahoma. 

The area is drained by the Arkansas, Ouachita, Saline, Petit Jean, Fourche 

La Fave, and Little Missouri Rivers, all of which flow southward or eastward. 

Stream flow is erratic and rapid runoff from the uplands cause local flood 

problems of considerable magnitude. 

Four main-line railroad systems serve the unit, and are located chiefly 

along the bounaasies. The interior of the unit is served only by branches of 

these main lines, supplemented by a few local railroads originally constructed 

for transporting forest products. Owing to the character of the terrain, the 

lack of diversified industrial development, the scarcity of the population, and 

the large area in National Forest, in the future the railroad mileage probably 

will decrease rather than increase. Except on the Ouachita National Forest, 

highway development is limited to a few through routes not all of which are 
paved. On' the National Forest, many roads constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps have opened up numerous forest areas hitherto difficult of access. 

The Corps of Engineers defines as navigable streams in the unit, the Arkansas, 

25 miles of the Petit Jean, and 27 miles of the Fourche La Fave, but much expensive channel improvement will be required to make these year-round waterways. 

i 

\. 

In 1930 the &mmn population was about 315,000, nearly half of whom 

lived in the three largest cities of the unit: Little Rock, Fort Smith, and 

Hot Springs. Since 1910 these cities have had a steady growkh, while the 

rural areas have been decreasing in population. Between 1920 and 1930 there 

was a population decrease of 3 to 22 percent in all counties in the unit except Pulaski and Garlandi During the same period Pulaski County had an 

increase of over 25 percent, while Garland County, in which Hot Springs is 

located, had an increase of 40 percent. For the unit as a whole, 35 percent 

of the population is rural; 20 percent lives in towns of less than 2,500 and 

45 percent in cities. 

According to the Census of 1935 there were 24,90dfarms in the unit. 

These farms contained 1,870,000 acres, of which 40 percent were in woods. 

The average farm contained 75 acres, with 29.5 acres in cropland, 29.8 acres 

in woodland, 11.3 acres in open pasture, and 4.4 in miscellaneous uses. Number of farms and total land in farms increased slightly between 1930 and 1935, 

although land available for crops decreased. General farming is practiced, 

with cotton, corn, live stock, fruit, and truck crops produced in every county. Appreciable quantities of Irish potaOoes are grown for market in Sebastian and Logan Counties, while Sebastian, Pulaski, and Scott Counties produce 

large quantities of strawberries. 

The largest area of land in single ownership is the Ouachita National 

Forest, where 1,035,830 acres were under Federal Forest Service administration 

on June 30, 1937. National and State Parks contain 8,600 acres. The Farm 

Security Administration owned about 130,000 acres near Magazine Mountain in 

1938, but steps are being taken to transfer this land to the Forest Service. 

Farm lands amounted to about 1,870,000 acres in 1935. Of the 24,900 individual farms, 53 percent were operated by their owners, 36 percent by tenants, 

and 11 percent by sharecroppers. At the present time there are only three 

large lumber companies operating in this area, and at least two of these ovm 

extensive acreages of timber land. 

Tax delinquency is somewhat greater here than in the more productive 

Coastal Plain Counties to the south. Land in tax default for 3 or more years 

and forfeited to the State amounted to about 5 percent of the gross land area 

on Jan. 1, 1934. 

Table 1 shows that nearly 70 percent of the land area of the unit is 

used for timber production. It is probable that the idle and abandoned farm 

land, totaling over 6 percent of the area, will also revert to forest land 

unless the demand for agricultural products increases greatly. 'L/ 

1/ Includes all the farms in Pulaskl County, and excludes those in Franklin and Conway Counties. 
1 Table 1. - Land area classified according to land use 

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

Land 

Forest: 

Productive 

Nonproductive 

Total forest 

Nonforest: 

Agricultural: 

In cultivation: 

Old cropland 

New cropland 

Out of cultivation :L/ 

Idle 

Abandoned 

Area 

Pasture 

Total agriculture 

Proportion of total area 

3,376,900 68.7 

1,600 negl. 

3,378,500 68.7 

Other nonf orest 173 ; 300 3.5 

Total nonforest areas 1,539,200 31.3 

Total forest and nonforest 4,917,700 100.0 

Potential forest land. 

Description of the Forest 

Shortleaf pine is the predominant species in the forest, generally occurring in pure stands on the lower slopes of the east-and-west ridges. On 

the upper elevations of these slopes, and in the narrow valleys, the pines 

ace mixed with various hardwoods, of which the white oak is the most valuable. 

Pure stands of upland hardwoods, made up of such species as red oak, white 

oak, hickory, and red gum, are found throughout the unit but occupy most extensive areas in Sebastian, Franklin, Logan, and Yell Counties (fig. 3). In 

the river bottoms, which have a relatively small acreage, red gum is the most 

abundant species, although water oak, white oak, ash, and hickory are common. 

Since a large proportion of the land area is forested, timber stands 

are found in all of the topographic situations represented in the unit. It 

is common practice, however, to cultivate the more fertile stream bottoms 

and the abutting gentle slopes, leaving the rocky ridges with their thin 

soils and steep slopes in forests, so that the amount of forest land in the 

valleys is relatively low. Table 2 gives the acreage of the four type- c, groups and their occurrence by topographic situation. < 
Table 2. - Forest area classified according to forest type-group 

and to~oeraahic situation 

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

Forest 

type-gr oup 

Pine 520,300 429,100 549,100 4,800 1,563,300 46.3 

Pine-hardwood 285,300 275,800 235,800 6,400 803,300 23.8 

Upland hardwood 382,900 326,100 192,600 - 901,600 26.7 

Bottomland hardwood - - - 108,700 108,700 3.2 

Total all types 1,188,500 1,091,000 977,500 119,900 3,376,900 100.0 

Percent of total 

forest area 35.2 32.3 28.9 3.6 100.0 

Shortleaf pine is the dominant species in the pine type-group, but 

small quantities of loblolly are present in the extreme southern part of 

the unit where the location is low and moist enough to favor its development. Almost one-third of the pine type-group acreage is stocked with 

stands of old-growth timber and about half with second-growth sawlog-size 

stands (table 3). In the pine-hardwood type-group, shortleaf is also the 

leading pine species, while forkedrleaf white oak and post oak are the most 

common hardwoods. In this type-group, sawlog-size stands are found on 46 percent of the type-group area, while 54 percent is stocked with young stands 

not yet of saw-timber size. Only 14 percent of this area is in old-growth 

stands . 

Slope 

The upland hardwood type-group has nearly three-fourths of its area 

stocked with stands which are at present below saw-timber size. Some of 

these are located at the higher elevations along the ridge tops, and because 

soil and climatic conditions are unfavorable to rapid growth they may remain 

below sawlog size for many years; less than one-fifth of the type-group 

area is occupied by stands classified as old growth. The bottom-land hardwood type-group is limited to slightly over 100,000 acres; 21 percent of 

this acreage supports old growth stands, 28 percent second-growth sawlogsize stands, and 51 percent stands below sawlog size. 

River 

bottom 10 percent 

or less 

Total 

More than 

10 percent 

Proportioil 

of total 

North South 
Table 3. - Forest area cla.ssifiea accord in^ to forest condition 

and forest type-group 

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

Old growth: 

Uncut 371,600 66,300 89,600 &,do0 536,300 15.9 

Partly cut 86,300 49,600 66,300 13,600 215,800 6.L - 

Forest condition 

Total 457,900 115,900 155,900 22,400 752,100 22.3 

Second growth : 

Sawlog size: 

Uncut 597,800 171,100 64,700 17,600 851,200 25.2 

Partly cut 215,000 81,500 38,400 12,800 347,700 10.3 

Under sawlog size 281,400 430,800 600,200 52,800 1,365,200 40.4 

Reproduction 6,400 3,200 42,LOO 3,100 55,100 1.6 

Pine 

Total 

Clear-cut 4,800 800 - - 5,600 .2 

Total all 

Pinehardwood 

conditions 1,563,300 803,300 901,600 108,700 3,376,900 100.0 

Percent of total 

forest area 46.3 23.8 26.7 3.2 100.0 

Upland 

hardwood 

The species composition of the four type-groups shown in table 3 is 

graphically presentea in figure 1, wliere the net cubic volumes of each of 

the four species group; - (1) pines, including a negligible quantity of 

cedar, (2) gums and other pulpine hardwoods, (3) oaks, including scrub oak, 

and (4) hickory and other nonpdping species - are expressed as a percentage of the total net cubic volume in the individul type-group. The pine 

component of the pice type-group makes up nearly 89 percent of the typegroup volume, and nost of this is shortleaf pine. In the pine-hardwood 

type-gruup,over half the cubic volume is shortleaf pine with forked-leaf 

white oak the most conspicuous hardwood. The most abundant species in the 

upland hardwood type-group are the oaks, in which red, forked-leaf white, 

an6 post oaks occur in descending order, with hickory next in abundance. 

Red gum and water oaks are the most common species in the bottom-land hardwood type-group. 

Bottomland 

hardwood 

Total 

all 

types 

Proportion 

of 

total 
F/GURE / - SPECIES COMPOSITION OF FOREST TYPE-GROUPS. 

In figure 2 the age-class and volume distribution on the present pine 

and pine-hardwood forest area is compared with that of a hypothetical managed forest of the same general type handled on a rotation of 80 years. A 

rotation of this length should produce saw timber, poles, piles, and pulpwood in the mountainous Ouachita region, where growth is somewhat slower 

than in the Coastal Plains to the south. As shown in the figure, the managed forest is divided into 8 equal areas, each containing one 10-year ageclass, The per-acre volumes are based upon the present best stocked 10 percent of the uncut forebt stands of weighted average site in the pine and 

pine-hardwood types. The portion of the figure showing the prevailing ageclasses ad volumes represents a rough division of the 2,366,600 acres in 

the present forest into areas characterized by the dominance of certain (- 

age-classes, on the basis of their occurrence in the present forest. The 

volume per acre shown for a specific age-class is the average of all the 

stands, good and poor, in that class. 
I% 4 I I 15 16 12 9 5 2 7% 

PERCENT OF AREA IN VARIOUS AGE-CLASSES (1936) 

F/GURE 2 - PREVAILING AGE-CLASS AND VOLUME DISTRIBUTION COMPARED WITH THAT ON 

THE SAME AREA UNDER MANAGEMENT (BASED ON PIYE AND PINE-HARDWOOD TYPE-AREA OF 2,366,600 ACRES). 

A study of figure 2 brings out the following points concerning the 

present pine and pine-hardwood forest: (1) It is deficient in stocking, in 

thst it contains only 55 percent of the volume shown in the managed stand; 

(2) the distrib~tion of age-classes by area is irregular, in that the area 

in the youngest age-class is only one-twelfth of what it shoula be, while 

the area in the 80-year-and-over age-class is not needed for an 80-year 

rotation; (3) the areas in the five age-classes between 21 and 70 years 

closely approximate those of the managed forest. Theoretically, an approach 

to the ideal distribution by area of the age-classes might be achieved 

gradually through cutting half the area in the oldest age-class in the next 

10 years, and converting these areas into the young age-classes needed at 

the other end of the rotation. 
Volume Estimates 

Board-foot volume C 

The estimate of the volume in sound saw-timber trees is given in table 

4, expressed in terms of board feet, as measured by the Doyle log rule. Hardwoods included in this estimate were at least 13.0 inches in diameter at 

breast height (d.b.h.) outside bark, and pines 9.0 inches; and all trees contained at least one 12-foot butt log, or had 50 percent of their gross volume 

in sound material. Top diameters varied with the limits of usable material, 

but no hardwood logs less than 8.5 inches in diameter at the small end nor 

any pine logs less than 5.5 inches were included. Deductions were made for 

woods cull, such as rot, fire-scar, crook, limbiness, and similar defects, 

as well as for loss in sawing at the mill due to sweep and hidden defects, 

so that the volumes given here may be considered net log scale. 

The total volume of 4,201,300,000 board feet is shown by species-group 

and forest condition in table 4. Eighty percent of the total volume is pine, 

over half of which is in old-growth stands. In the hardwoods also, over half 

the volume is in old-growth stands, with white and red oaks the leading species. Although not shown in table 4, it is interesting to know that twothirds of the pine volume is in trees 13.0 inches d.b,h. or over. It is impossible to say definitely how much of the total board-foot volume can be 

considered available for utilization at the present time, as the mountainous 

topography and scarcity of transportation facilities make logging difficult 

in certain areas. In the Ouachita National Forest, which includes about 

30 percent of the forest land in the unit, the management policy requires 

the distribution of the cutting of the existing saw-timber volume over a 

long period of time; consequently, only a part of the area and volume can be 

depended upon to supply the immediate needs of the existing industries. In 

the next 10 years, probably not more than 350 million board feet of Forest 

Service timber will be -cut. This will be replaced ~JJ an equal or greater 

amount through the increment of the reserved growing stock left on the areas 

cut over, and will be supplemented by the increment accumulating on areas 

now classed as inoperable because of thin stands or temporary inaccessibility. 

Although the Doyle rule is the legal rule of Arkansas, a more correct 

measure of the actual recoverable volume is obtained with the International 

?-inch rule, which, as used in this report, is the equivalent of green lumber tally. According to table 5, the volume is nearly 7 billion board feet 

when measured by this rule, an over-run of 65 percent above the Doyle scale. 
FOREST TYPES 

SHORTLEAF - 

SHORTLEAF-HARDWOODS 

0 SHORTLEAF-LOBLOLLY -HDWDS. 

EB MIXED UPLAND HDWDS. 

MIXED BOTTOMLAND HDWDS. 

n PRAIRIE 

I 

'I 

93. PWC 1-1-38 92- 

AREAS CHARACTER I ZED BY THE 

FIGURE 3 - FOREST TYPE MAP. 

i MAJOR FOREST TYPES 

; 

IN THE 

OUACHITA-MOUNTAIN REGION OF ARKANSAS - 

= I PREPARED ' BY FOREST SURVEY 

SOUTHERN FOREST EXPERIMENT STATION 

I 1938 I 
Table 4. - Net volume (Doyle) classified according to species-group 

and forest condition 

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

Pines : 

Shortleaf 1,576,400 232,300 1,265,100 96,800 3,170,600 75.5 

Loblolly z/ 1,700 900 198,800 2,600 204,000 4.8 

Species-group 

Total pines 1,578,100 233,.200 1,463,900 99,400 3,374,600 80.3 

Pulping hardwoods: 

Red gum 

Black and tupelo gums 

Other 

3' 

Nonpulping hardwoods: 

Red oaks 

White oaks 

Post oaks 

Hickories 

Others 

Total hardwoods 248,800 173,100 294,200 110,600 826,700 19 7 

Total all 

species 1,826,900 406,300 1,758,100 210,000 4,201,300 100.0 

Old growth 

Percent of total 43.5 9.7 41.8 5.0 100.0 

Includes 2.5 million feet on areas classified as reproduction and clear-cut. 

Uncut 

2-/ IncZudes 1.7 million board feet of cedar. 

3' Species not commercially pulped at present, although certain species have 

been used experimentally. 

Partly 

cut 

Second growth 

The old-growth stands occupy only 22 percent of the forest area, but 

they contain 46 percent of the board-foot volume shown in table 5. Of this 

volume in old-growth timber, amounting to nearly 3a billion board feet, 82 

percent is pine, 3 percent is red and black gum, and 15 percent is oak, hickory, and other miscellaneous species. Analyzing the volume per acre by typegroups, it is found that in the old-growth uncut condition, the pure pine 

type-group averages 5,820 board feet per acre, the pine-hardwoods average 

3,380, the upland hardwoods 2,060, and the bottom-land hardwoods 5,150 board 

feet, lumber tally. 'i \ *' 

-. 

Total Sawlog 

size 

Proportion of 

total 

Under 

sawlog 

size lJ 
1 Table 5. - Met volume, lumber tally, classified according to species-group 

and forest condition (bnsed on International ,$-inch rule) 

1 etc. etc. 

r,' Forest condition 

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

Old growth: 

Uncut 2,275,500 46,300 294,700 2,616,500 

Partly cut 358,600 57,300 178,700 594,600 

Second growth : 

Sawlog size 2,900,700 120,100 315,100 3,335,900 

Under sawlog size 1/ 221,706 16,900 149,400 388,000 

Total all conditions 5,756,500 240,600 937,900 6,935,000 

Includes areas classified as reprodcction and clear-cut. 

Pines 

Second-growth stands occur on 78 percent of the forest area ana contain 54 percent of the board-foot volume, amounting to 3-3/4 billion board 

feet, lumber tally. About 84 percent of this volume is pine, 4 percent red 

and black gums, and 12 percent oaks and other hardwood species. Average 

stands per acre are considerably lower than in the old-growth condition; 

for example, in the uncut second-growth sawlog-size stands of the pure pine 

type-group, the average volume per acre is 3,530 board feet, in the pinehardwoods it is 2,170 board feet, in the upland hardwoods 1,460, and in the 

bottom-land hardwoods 2,260. The uncut second-growth stands thus have 

29 percent (in the upland hardwoods) to 56 percent (in the bottom-land hardwoods) less volume per acre than the ola-growth stands, Although the secondgrowth stands have a smaller volume per acre, the proportions of the species 

represented are very similar to those in the old-growth stands. 

Figure 4 presents graphically the frequency of occurrence of various 

volumes per acre, based on stands in the sawlog-size conditions in the pine 

and pine-hardwood types. Gross volumes used are measwed by the International 

&inch rule. The two volume-per-acre classes stocked with less than 2,000 

board feet per acre are wesk statistically when considered separately, but 

when combined they are a reliable basis for the statement that 30 percent of 

the area contains less than 2,000 feet per acre and has 10 percent of the 

volume; the more heavily stocked stands on the remaining area (70 percent) 

contain 90 percent of the volume. It is significant that more than half the 

total volume is found in stands of at least 5,000 board feet per acre, occurring on about one-fouth of the forest area. 

Red and 

black gums 

Red and 

white oaks Total 
GROSS VOLUME PER 

ACRE 

PER 

(BOARD FEET INT. %-INCH RULE)? 10 20 1 I 

LESS THAN 1,000 

90,300 ACRES 

1,000 TO 1,999 

403,600 ACRES 

601, I00 M BD.FT 

2,000 TO 2,999 

299, 700 ACRE S 

738,200M ED. FT. 

3,000 TO 3,999 

225,400 ACRES 

780, 000 M ED-FT. 

4,000 TO 4,999 

173,400 ACRES 

77 6, 400 M BD. FT. 

5,000 & OVER 

446.800 ACRES 

ENT 

-rr 

AREA 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . .. . . . . 

I 

3,571,600 MBDFT I I 

4 1 I 

FIGURE 4 - PROPORTIONAL AREA AND VOLUME OF THE SAWLOG-SIZE CONDITIONS 

IN THE PINE AND PINE-HARDWOOD T Y P E S , C L A S S I F I E D ACCORDING TO VOLUME 

OF SAW TIMBER PER ACRE. 

Cordwood volume 

The estimate of cordwood volume, as shown in table 6, includes the 

entire stand of sound trees at least 5.0 inches d.b.h., outside bark, and in 

addition the net sound volume in cull trees 5.0 inches d,b.h. or larger. 

These volumes are expressed in terms of standard cords (4 x 4 x 8 feet), 

containing 90 cubic feet of wood and bark in the case of pine and cypress, 

and 80 cubic feet in that of hardwoods. The volume shown in table 6 under 

"sound trees sawlog size" includes only the merchantable sawlog portion 

of saw-timber trees, while the rewining portion of the stem (i.e., the 

upper stem) taken to a variable diameter, but not less than 4 inches, is 

given under "upper stems of sawlog-size trees." In pines the "upper stemsv 

include only the stem, but in the hardwoods the usable limbs to a ,!+-inch 

minimum diameter are also included. "Sound trees under sawlog-size" include no limbs but do include the full stems of both pines and hardwoods 

to a variable usable top-diameter (not less than 4.0 inches). The volume 

shown under Ifcull trees" is the estimated sound usable portion in their I 

stems. Deduc~ion from the voLume of all trees is made for woods cull, -.. /

such as rot, fire-scar, crook, bad knots, and other defects. Although the 

volume shown for "upper stems" and cull trees is not being generally used, 

it is a potential source of supply. 
In table 6 the total volume of sound material amounts to nearly 22 million cords of pine, 2-2/3 million cords of pulping hardwoods, and about 14 

million cords of nonpulping hardwoods. In the pines, 58 percent of the material is in the merchantable portion of saw-timber trees,7 percent in the 

i upper stems of these same trees, 33 percent in trees below sawlog size, and 

2 percent in the sound portion of the sound and rotten cull trees. In the 

hardwoods considered suitable for commercial pulping, it is noteworthy that 

31 percent of the somd material is found in cull trees. The volume of the 

nonpulping hardwoods expressed in cords is largely found in sound trees below 

sawlog size (37 percent)and in the sound portions of the cull trees(34 per 

cent). 

Table 6. - Net volume in various classes of sound material, 

expressed in cords of rough wood 

------------ Cords - - - - - - - - - - - - Percent 

Species-group 

Hardwoods : 

Pulping 609,300 319,200 879,100 811,200 2,618,800 

Nonpulping 2,634,100 1,492,000 5,207,800 4,769,200 14,163,100 36,6 

Total hdwds, 3,243,400 1,811,200 6,036,900 5,580,400 16,721,900 43.4 

Total all 

Sound 

trees 

sawlog 

size 

species 15,924,000 3,292,300 13,430,000 5,910,900 38,557,200 100,O 

Percent of total 41.3 8.5 34.8 15 -4 100.0 

Upper 

stems of 

sawlogsize trees 

Although the total volume for all species given in table 6 includes the 

saw-timber portion of sawlog-size trees, amounting to 41 percent of the total 

cordwood volume, it is not likely that any large amount of this saw-timber 

material will be utilized as pulpwood. At the present time there are no pulp 

mills within the unit. The nearest mill is located at Camden, 65 miles south 

of the nit. Should a demand for pulpwood develop, it would be sound policy 

to limit cutting in saw-timber stanas to those trees which are of slow growth 

and of poor form and quality, reserving the better individuals for saw timber, 

poles, or other products more valuable than pulpwood. 

The total supply of material on hand, over 38k million cords, seems at 

first appraisal to be sufficient to meet the needs of present industrial establishment,~ and provide for new requirements, but it must be remembered that 

only the increment on forest growing stock is the correct long-time basis for 

industrial development, Then, too, present industrial installations have a 

considerably greater combined capacity than their present cut and may need 

any apparent surplus of material now existing. 

Sound 

trees under sawlog size 

Cull 

trees 

Total 

all 

classes 

Proportion of 

total 
The net volume of sound trees measured in cords is shown in figure 5, 

classified according to species-group and diameter-class. This sound volume 

includes the full stems of pines and hardwoods under sawlog size but at least 

5.0 inches d.b.h., the full stems of merchantable pines to a minimum variable 

,!+-inch top, and the saw-timber portion of sawlog-size hardwoods. The volume \- in cull trees, scrub oaks, and tops-and limbs of merchantable hardwoods is 

not included. 

TREE MILLION CORDS 

DIAM ETER-o 

SPECIES- 2 4 6 8 10 12 

GROUP tkCt 3 68 8 

PINES 10 a 12 

14 8 OVER 

PULPING HARD WOODS'^ ' 

14 L OVER 

8 9 8 

TOTAL 

PULPING I0 a 12 

SPECIES 

14 b OVER 

.............. ................................................... ............................................ ................................................. 

............................................................................ ............................ ................................................... ................................................... .............................................. 

............................................. NONPULPING lo , ,2 .......................................... .......................................... .......................................... ............................................. 

.............................................. HARDWOODS ............................................. 

............................................ 

........................................... ................................................ ............................................. 14 8 0 V E R <.:<<:?:?. :,.:<<.:.:<<*:<<+<<<<,::..:..:.. <<<<<<<;:<.: ....................................... 

............................................. 

I 

TOTAL ALL , ,, SPECIES I I I I 

14 8 OVER 

F/GUR[ 5- CORDWOOD VOLUMES OF PULPING AND NONPULPING SPECIES. 
Pine ~oles and piles 

The statistics relating to the supply of timber for pine poles and 

piles have already been presented in some detailL/, but the following table 

c, sw~arizes the available information on this question. 

Table 7. - Total number of pine poles or piles classified 

according to length and diameter 

Inches - - - - - - - - Thousand st,icks - - - - - - - Percent 

D.B.H. of trees 

(outside bark) 

1 

Total 9,645 3,040 2,091 540 343 37 15,696 100.0 

Percent of total 61.5 1. 13.3 3.4 2.2 .2 100.0 

. - 

Forest Increment 

Pole or pile length (feet) 

The volume of a forest stand is in a continuous state of change. The 

older trees grow in diameter and height, thus increasing their volume, while 

the younger ones are constantly attaining measurable volume. Negative volume changes occur when trees die, and when decay or injury cause loss of material in living trees. Forest increment is the balance between these various 

factors, and generally represents an increase in volume, although a decrement 

may occur in over-mature stands or in stands subject to the ravages of fire, 

insects, or wind. 

'Total - 

2 0 

Increment per acre of uncut stands 

Proportion 

of 

total 

The values given in table 8 represent the net increment per acre in the 

various forest conditions, all forest types combined, of the stands in the 

unit, assuming no cutting during the year 1936. On the land in private ownership, the increment per acre may exceed the values given in the table, while 

on the National Forest land, with its poor sites, the increment is commonly 

less than is presented here. In recent years, over 500,000 acres of the 

/ Ouachita National Forest has been silviculturally improved by girdling the 

-1 cull hardwoods. With expansion of this and other management practices, and 

with continued progress in fire prevention, it is reasonable to expect that the 

increment per acre can be increased materially on both private and public lands. 

2 5 

"Pole and pile timber in the Pine-Hardwood Region-West" Forest Survey 

Release #28, Sept. 25, 1937, Southern Forest Exp. Sta., New Orleans, La, 

- 15 - 

30 35 4' 

45 or 

over 
The increment given in board feet occurred only on saw-timber material, 

while cubic-foot and cordwood volumes include the increment on the usable 

lengths of all pines above 5.0 inches d.b.h., under-sawlog-size hardwoods, 

and the saw-timber portion of hardwoocis 13.0 inches d.b.h. and larger. No 

calculations of increment were made for cull trees or limbs of any species. 

Cordwood volmes include bark, but cubic-f oot values are for wood only. I , L 

Table 8.- Average per-acre increment in 1936, in the various forest 

conditioas {undisturbed by cutting) 

--------- Bd.ft. Cu.ft. Cords Bd.ft. Cu.ft. Cords Bd.ft. Cu.ft. Cords 

Forest condition 

Old growth: 

Uncut 68 15.9 .20 -1 -8 -.Ol 67 15.1 .19 

Partly cut 62 19.7 .25 6 1.9 -03 68 21.6 .28 

Second growth: 

Sawlog size: 

Uncut 178 38.7 .50 9 3.9 .06 187 42.6 .56 

Partly cut 113 24.8 .32 16 5.3 .08 129 30.1 .Lo 

Under sawlog size 40 15.8 .21 4 3.1 .05 44 18.9 -26 

Reproduction and 

clear-cut 2 .3 .O1 negl. .1 negl. 2 .4 -0.1 

Weighted 

averages 88 22.5 .30 5 2.8 .04 93 25.3 34 

Pine component 

Forest increment of the unit 

To determine the increment of forest stands subject to various degrees 

of cutting, it is necessary to deduct the proportion of growth on timber removed during the year, as well as allow for mortality and other natural losses, 

Table 9 shows the amount of wood that was added by growth during 1936, taking 

these factors into account. The vzlues given in this table, however, do not 

represent the net amount by which the inventory of the growing stock increased 

duing the year, as an almost equal amount of timber was cut and utilized during the same period, nearly offsetting the net growth. 

Hardwood component 

In 1936 the total board-foot increment on the 7 billion feet of growing stock (lm.ber tally) amounted to 308,800,000 feet, of which 16 percent 

was in old-growth stands with an average stocking of 4,270 board feet per 

acre, and 65 percent was in second-growth sawlog-size stands that averaged 

2,780 feet per acre. Stands at present under sawlog size, but averaging 280 

feet per acre in scattered trees, produced 19 percent of the increment; this 

amounted to more than 60 million board feet. 

Total per acre 

In pine stands, the increment was positive i n a l l conditions, both in i 

board feet and cubic feet. In the hardwoods, all but the old-growth uncut 

stands increased their volun~e, In these mature hardwood stands the effect of 

mortality was to reduce the stand volume faster than new wood was added 

through growth, so that during 1936 there was a loss of 800,000 board feet 

or 460,000 cubic feet of material, It is problematical how much of this vol- 
ume is an actual loss to the forest in2ustries, as some of it occurs in trees 

and species that are not in immeaiate demand for commercial utilization. It 

is reasonable to suppose, however, that a large proportion of the trees that 

c die in old-growth stands are large, mature, high-quality trees that might 

have been salvaged if they had been utilized when their declining growth rate 

indicated that their financial maturity was reached. 

Table 9, - Forest increment in board feet and cubic feet in 

the various forest conditions. 1936 

- Thousand board feet - - Thousand cubic feet - 

Forest condition 

Old growth: 

Uncut 35,800 -800 35,000 8,340 -460 7,880 

Partly cut 12,800 1,200 14,000 4,100 380 4,480 

Second growth: 

Sa~flog size 186,900 12,700 199,600 40,970 5,010 45,980 

Under sawlog size 55,300 4,800 60,100 21,450 4,170 25,620 

Reproduction and 

clear-cut 100 negl. 100 2 0 10 30 

Total all 

conditions 290,900 17,900 308,800 74,880 9,110 83,990 

The increment is expressed in standard cords (4 x 4 x 8 ft.) in table 

10. This material is identical with that given in cubic feet in table 9, except that bark is included. In converting cubic feet to cords, factors of 90 

cubic feet of wood and bark per cord were used for pine and cypress and 80 

for hardwoods. 

Table 10. - Forest increment in 1936, expressed in cords of rou~h wood, 

in the various forest conditions 

Saw-timber material All material 

Pine 

Old growth: 

Unc~t 

Partly cut 

Second growth: 

Sawlog size 530,200 77,800 608,000 

Under sawlog size 283,900 65,300 349,200 

Reproduction and clear-cut 3 00 100 400 L- / 

Hardwood Pine Total 

To t,al 

Total all conditions 973,200 141,900 1,115,100 

Total Hardwood 

Forest condition Pine Hardwood 
Forest Industries 

Small, frequently moving, portable sav.mills are the prevailing type in ,,A) \ - 

this area. In 1936, as determined by a field canvass of the entire unit, there 

were at least 157 sawmills with a capacity of less than 20 M board feet per 

day; many of these actually have a capacity of less than 10 M per day. It 

is estimated that these small mills o~erated at 40 percent of capacity during 

1936, producing 51 percent of the lumber cut in the unit. These small mills 

are scattered throughout the unit (fig. 6) but tend to be concentrated near 

the larger towns and the main railroad lines. Usually the rough lumber produced is assembled at central concentration yards, where the product of several mills may be finished and kiln dried. 

Four mills were found with capacities between 20 and 19 M board feet 

per day. A11 of these mills were cutting chiefly pine. They represent a 

fairly stable type of mill as contrasted with the smaller, portable mills. 

In 1936 they operated at about 40 percent of capacity and produced only 7 percent of the lumber cut. 

There were three sawmills with a daily capacity of more than 40 M board 

feet. Two of these are large pine mills, operating in old-growth pine, each 

with facilities for cutting in excess of 100 M board feet per day. The other 

mill cuts hardwood entirely, producing about 60 M board feet per day when operating at full capacity. The two pine mills operated at inore than 90 percent 

of capacity in 1936, while the hardwood mill cut at about 70 percent; during 

that year these three mills cut 42 percent of all the lumber produced in the 

unit. 

Table 11. - Number of sawmills and extent of employment, 

classified according to size of mill, 1936 

I Mills 1 Employment provided 

Thousand board feet - - - - - Number- - - - - - - Thousand man-days - - 

Daily (10 bs .) 

rated capacity L/ 

Under 20 157 - 157 8 3 172 260 

20 - 39 4 - 4 14 43 

40 - - 79 1 1 negl. 297 27 

80 and over 2 - 2 101 142 243 

Total 163 1 164 203 370 573 

The rat,ed czpacity indicated size of mill rather than actual average 

daily production. 

The data given here on the number of mills in the smallest class are estimates based upon all available records, supplemented by a field check. 

Pine 

-. - 

Hardwood Total In woods In mill Total 
PREPARED BY FOREST SURVEY 

FOREST INDUSTR l ES 

Y b SAWMILLS a COOPERAGE PLANTS 

f VENEER PLANTS HANDLE PLANTS 

OTHER PLANTS 

THC COMPARATIVE SIZES Or SAWMILLS PCR (0-HOUR 

DAY CAPACITY IN BOARD FEET ARE lNDlCITL0 AS 

FOLLOWS 

I.000-IYOOC 20.000-39.000 &I000 L DVtR 

LOCATION OF ALL FOREST IYOUSTR$CS WITHIN WIC9 

APPROXIMATE ONLY 

FIGURE 6- FOREST INDUSTRIES MAP. 
Other forest industries 

Among the forest industries, cooperage plants rank next in numerical 

importance after sawmills. In 1936 there were 11 such plants in the unit, 

with consumptive capacities varying from 10 to 60 cords per day; they operated at about 60 percent of capacity for the year. Practically all of these 

plants, using white oak chiefly, make bourbon, oil, and other tight cooperage 

staves. None of the plants own forest land; all buy their timber, most of 

it delivered on the yard, The total wood used by these plants in 1936 

amounted to 38,000 cords, of which LO percent came from this unit and the remainder from adjoining Survey units, mostly in Arkansas. 

There are 3 veneer plants in the unit, located at Little Rock, Benton, 

and Fort Smith. Their daily capacities vary from 6 to 9'\M board feet green 

lumber tally; their combined production in 1936 amounted to 70 percent of 

capacity. Red and black gum, and cottonwood are the chief species used. 

Two of the plants secure about half their wood requirements from this unit, 

while the other plant draws its entire supply from southwest Arkansas outside 

the unit. The bolts used, which are large and of good quality, are usually 

purchased delivered-at the mill yard. 

Miscellaneous establishments include 2 hardwood dimension plants, 5 

furniture plants, and 10 shingle mills. Hand-made products obtained directly from the forest include hewed cross ties, pine poles and piles, mine 

props, fence posts, and fuel wood. Most of the cross ties are purchased by 

local railroads, while the poles and piles are shipped to adjacent treating 

plants, and to plants in the North and East. Some fence posts are produced 

for sale to commercial treating plants, but most of them, as is the case with 

fuel wood, are for local use. The mine props are used mainly in the coal 

mines centering around Poteau, Ark. Plants outside the unit but drawing raw 

material from it include one handle mill and one excelsior mill. Some dogwood is also shipped to Memphis, Tenn., for manufacturing shuttle blocks. 

Table 12 gives a summary of the production and employment data occasioned by the forest industries in 1936. The amount of material shown as 

produced or used by the sawmills and by the veneer and cooperage plants represents the produckion of these plants regardless of the source of their 

wood supply, while the material shown for the remaining commodities comes 

entirely from the Survey unit. The woods employment shown is based upon 

the material cut from within the unit, while the mill employment is the 

total labor furnished by the mills within the unit, irrespective of the 

source of the wood supply, 
I Table 12. - Production and employment, 1936 

Sawmills 

Veneer 

Kind of plant 

or commodity 

Cross ties 

Poles and piles 

Fence posts 

M bd. ft. - - Thousand man-days - - 

164 196,400 203 370 5 73 

3 4 , 000 4 15 19 

Number 

of 

plants 

M pieces - 5 24 

M cbrds 

Cooperage 11 3 8 18 67 85 

Amomt produced 

or used 

Fuel wood - 412 - 

1/ 412 

Miscellaneous 17 73 8 81 

Total 195 808 460 1,268 

Includes 2 hardwood dimension plants, 5 furniture plants, and 10 shingle 

mills. 

Employment provided 

Includes material used for mine props, excelsior, shingles, and shuttle 

blocks. 

Employment 

Total 

, In 

woods 

Table 12 shows that the total employment furnished by the forest industries during 1936 amounted to 1,268,000 man-days. If 250 days is considered 

a working year, this is equal to 5,100 man-years, but since most employees 

work only part time in the forest industries, the actual number of men employed 

is much greater than is thus indicated. The sawmill industry contributed 45 

percent of the total labor, and if a wage of $2.00 per man-day was paid, this 

industry returned over a million dollars to wage earners within the unit. If 

the timber supply and economic conditions should warrant capacity operation 

of the present sawmills, the return in wages would be approximately doubled. 

In 1936, the cut on the Ouachita National Forest amounted to about 25,000 14. 

board feet, lumber tally, providing 66,000 man-days of employment. The allowable cut (approximately 60 percent of the increment) is about 35 million 

board feet, which would provide about 92,000 man-days of labor annually, 

In 

mill 
Utilization Drain 

Although table 9 shows that the increment in the unit amounted to 

nearly 309 million board feet of sound material during 1936, this does not 

represent the net amount by which the timber stand increased in volume during the year. Wood used in 1936 by the forest industrial plants or consmed (2 in the form of fuel wood, fence posts, cross ties, poles, and piles, amomted 

to 277 million board feet and nearly equaled the volme of increment. This 

utilization drain includes the material cut from the growing stock-both 

the sound usable material left in felled trees after logging as well as that 

utilized-but does not include any material cut from limbs or from dead or 

cull trees. In table 13, the utilization drain is shown by commodity, with 

the drain on the saw-timber section of the tree, including both the utilized 

and wasted portions, expressed in board feet. The volumes given in cubic 

feet inside bark include drain on saw-timber material, upper stems of sawlogsize pines, and small trees under sawlog size but at least 5.0 inches d.b.h. 

Table 13. - Utilization drain from sound trees, 1936 

- Thousand board feet - - Thousand cubic feet - 

Commodity or use 

Lumber 

Cross ties 

Poles and piles 

Veneers 

Cooperage 

Misc. manufactures 

Fuel wood 

Fence posts 

Misc. farm use and 

land clearing 

All material 

Total 

Saw-timber material 

Pine 

. 

Pine Hardwood Total Hardwood Total 
Com~arison of Increment and 'Drain 

Table I4 is a sumnation of the effect of growth, mortality, and utilization drain upon the boara-foot growing stock during 1936. The values are 

expressed in lumber tally. 

Table 14. - Balance between increment and drain of saw-timber material 

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

Item 

Net growing stock, Jan. 1, 1936 5,756,500 1,178,500 6,935,000 

Growth, 1936 316,700 52,900 369,600 

Mortality, 1936 25,800 35,000 60,800 

Forest increment, 1936 290,900 17,900 308,800 

Utilization drain, 1936 237,100 39,600 276,700 

Pines 

Net change in growing stock, 1936 53,800 -21,700 32,100 

Net grov~ing stock, Jan. 1, 1937 5,810,300 1,156,800 6,967,100 

Hardwoods 

As shown in the above table, the pine growing stock increased by about 

54 million board feet during 1936; while the hardwoods showed a decrease of 

nesrly 22 million feet. Apparently there is an adequate pine supply for present industries, but this is not the case. Approximately 90 percent of the 

pine board-foot drain was caused by the lumber industry, and about half of 

this lumber drain was from old-growth timber cut by two large mills within 

the unit and two ajacent to the unit in the south. Reference to table 9 

shows that increment in old-grov~~h pine is slightly less than 50 million 

board feet, which means that in 1936 these four mills were cutting the olcigrowth timber twice as fast as it was growing. While the drain in the second 

growth amounted to only 50 percent of the increment, a part of the surplus 

incremeni may be needed by the present lumber industry to supplement its 

waning supply of old-growth timber, Also some part of the surplus increment 

in second-growth pine should be reserved from cutting to build up the growing stock. It is doubtful whether the large pine mills will continue their 

operations on the present basis after the old-growth timber is gone. The 

Forest Service has been trying for several years to work out a cooperative 

plan with these large operators, in which their operations would be placed 

on a sustained-yield basis through the utilization of some of the old-growth 

timber on the Ouachita National Forest, but the practical attainment of such 

a plan seems difficult, Present Forest Service policy recognizes the needs 

of the smaller but more permanent concentration plants such as those located 

at Booneville, Waldron, Eagleton, Mena, Norman, and Hot Springs, since in 

this way real assistance is given to the local industries ana people in main- ( /I taining permanent operations. 

Total 
The hardwoods are being overcut, both in the old-growth and secondgrowth stands. In addition to the fact that the drain exceeds the increment, 

is the disquieting truth that a large proportion of the hardwood drain is centered upon a very few species and on only their highest-quality trees, while 

the increment shown is on all species. In 1936, for example, 25 percent of 

the total board-foot drain of hardwood was for cooperage, practically all of 

which ;vas of high-quality white oak. Cross ties accounted for an additional 0 

42 percent of the drain, and a large groporti-on of these were cut from white 

oak and the better red oaks. As a result of this concentration of drain on 

a few species, there has been a constant tendency for the hardwood stand to 

degenerate in quality. 

The comparison of increment and drain, for the total sound-tree growing 

stock above 5.0 inches d.b.h. is expressed in cubic feet (inside bask) in 

table 15. Here also the net result is to increase the growing stock, since 

the gain in the pine growing stock more than balances the loss in the hardwoods. The actual situation is comparable to that described above for board 

feet. In 1936 there was no pulpwood drain from the unit, but it is likely 

that a demand for pulpwood will develop from the pulpmills in the southern 

part of the State. 

Table 15. - Balance between increment and drain in cubic feet. 

- - - Thousand cubic feet (i.b.1 - - - 

Net growing stock, Jan. 1, 1936 1,664,570 605,650 2,270,220 

I tem Total 

Growth, 1936 83,380 28,330 111,710 

Mortality, 1936 8,500 19,220 27,720 

Forest increment, 1936 74,880 9,110 83,990 

Utilization drain, 1936 46,790 13,210 60,000 

Net change in growing stock, 1936 28,090 -4 , 100 . 23,990 

Pines 

Net growing stock, Jan. 1, 1937 1,632,660 601,550 2,294,210 

Hardwoods 

Summary and Outlook for the Future 

In the area covered by this report, agriculture is a submarginal industry. At present nearly 70 percent of the land area supports forest growth, 

and it is probable that this percentage will increase in the years to come. 

Forests long have been the chief use of the land. This use must be continued 

if the land is to contribute its share to the support of the people. Permanent yields of forest products are essential in a planned economy based upon I 

the timber resource, and this unit is fortunate in that 30 percent of the < 

forest area is in public ownership, managed for the express purpose of assuring a continuous wood supply. 
Although in 1936 the forest increment amounted to 32 million board 

feet more than the drain, the situation is not entirely satisfactory. On 

the National Forest the present allowable cut is set at about 60 percent 

of the increment, because the portion of the growth accruing upon the recently purchased heavily cut-over land is not considered in calculating the 

increment or in setting up the immediate cutting budget; furthermore,a 

portion of the increment on the area to be logged is being reserved to build 

up the growing stock which is now below normal. These two measures are 

desirable, in that eventually the forest stand will be increased materially 

and a greater annual yield will result, particularly when those stands now 

omitted from the cutting budget become merchantable, The conservative Forest 

Service policy of management on the Ouachita Forest will insure a continuous 

supply of timber on only one-third of the forest land of the unit; it cannot 

in so doing provide for the future supply on the remaining two-thirds now in 

private ownership. The forest industries dependent upon this portion of the 

unit must adopt forest management policies designed to perpetuate their timber 

supply or eventually face a reduction in operations. While clear-cutting is 

by no means the rule on all private land, several of the larger owners have 

cut such a large proportion of their forest capital that it will be difficult, 

if not impossible, for them to maintain a continuous operation. The cutting 

practice on practically all private land is open to improvement if the supply 

of timber is to be maintained or increased. 

A disquieting result of the too rapid harvesting of the timber on private land is its effect upon regular employment. During 1936, a large proportion of the labor used by the forest industries in the unit was employed 

directly in the utilization of timber held in private ownership. Continued 

over-cutting on private land inevitably will reduce the opportunity for future employment in the forest industries andfunless needed adjustments are 

made, it is probable that within a relatively few years at least two large 

operators will cut-out, leaving two towns virtually abandoned. 

One means of prolonging the life of these large operations lies in 

perfecting cooperative agreements between the Forest Service and the private 

operators for the coordinated management of National Forest and private timberland in sustained-yield working circles. Local conditions, such as the 

remaining supply of timber in private ownership, location of plants in relation to National Forest timber and to existing or proposed transportation 

faciiities, and the financial status and management policies of the individual companies, all affect the feasibility of such a plan and must be thoroughly evaluated in its practical application. On the other hand, it is 

questionable whether the Forest Service should increase its cut to keep these 

two large operations going awhile longer, or whether it should handle its 

present forest iand conservatively with the ultimate object of providing needed employment for smaller but more stable operations, when the large mills 

finally cut out. Actual conditions in the unit seem to justify the adoption 

of the Iatter course. 
While the National Forest has a definite responsibility in the maintenance of forest industries in the unit, the owners of private timberlands have 

even a greater one. The National Forest can only partly ameliorate the situation; in the long run the maintenance of the greater part of the forest growlng stock rests directly upon the private operators and timberland owners who (-, control the forest practices on two-thirds of the forest land in the unit. , , 

The cutting practices of the present sawmill industry, however, are not conducive to the establishment of sustained yield on private lands. About 40 

percent of the pine lumber produced is cut by two large companies, which, because of various factors, are operating on a liquidating basis. Also, of 

the 164 sawmills in the unit, 157 are small portable mills, only a few (if 

any) of which hold forest land in sufficient quantity to justify growing 

successive crops of timber; nor do they have, as a rule, the financial 

stability to buy lands as the basis for such management, The small mills 

are, in reality, simply an outlet or market for the timber of the land owners, and it is incumbent upon the land owner to regulate the cutting of his 

forest if he expects to manage it for a continuous supply of material. 

When the foregoing facts are considered - those relating both to private and to National Forest land - it appears that a reduction in the cut 

of lumber must occur eventually in this unit if there is no marked change for 

the better in the management of private forest land. The cut on the National 

Forest will be maintained on a sustained-yield basis and will be relatively 

constant throughout a given cutting cycle although it can be increased eventually. Generally it will be allocated so that a certain number of plants 

can be maintained continuously, but these favored plants will, of necessity, 

equal only a Small part of those now operating in the unit. Those sawmills 

dependent entirely upon old-growth timber in private ownership probably will 

be forced to close aown upon the exhaustion of the virgin stands, although 

there may be an opportunity to maintain reduced operations using secondgrowth timber and producing material of lower quality. With the large 

mills out of production the numerous small portable mills can continue to cut 

second-growth timber at the present rate, or even at a greater rate, on private land for a long time. 

In order to help meet the demand for continuous employment and to divert to another part of the growing stock some of the excessive industrial 

drain now largely concentrated on the best trees and most valuable species, 

new plants are needed to make use of the low-quality material so abundant 

in the forests of the unit. Utilization of the inferior hardwoods offers 

the best opportunity from a supply standpoint, but there is also an opportunity to increase the use of small low-quality trees removed as thinnings 

from pine stands. Such material is suitable for the manufacture of rayon, 

paper, liner board, building board, or plastics. 

If the situation is to be improved, several measures must be given 

wide-spread application. Basic to any timber-growing program is the need 

for a comprehensive and effective system of fire control. On publicly 

owned lands, fires are held within reasonable limits. On the private land, L,,' the State, in cooperation with the Federal Government, is rapidly extending 

a fire-control system. If the forests are to be built up to their full productivity, it is necessary that& forest land in the unit should receive 

adequate protection from fire at the earliest date possible. 
Paother essential need is a program of education, carried to the timberland owner, the forest o?erator, and the general public, d~signed to acquaint all concerned with the profits, principles, and applications of good 

forest practice. The existing forestry Extension Service should be expanded 

and organized so that it can carry forward its share of this work. The 

Arkansas Stzte Forestry Commission, vihich recognizes the need of education 

and of assistance to private owners and operators, has recently orgacized a 

department for the exclusive pwpose of bringing forestry methods directly 

to them. The work of this department should be expanded and continued. The 

Ouachita National Forest serves as an excellent demonstration area in good 

forest practices, but there is a place for strategically located State Forests to serve as demonstration areas in addition to the National Forest. 

A planting program to reforest all, or the greater part, of the 310,000 

acres of idle and abandoned fields is needed. Most of the fields are suitable 

only for pine, but those located in the more fertile stream valleys may meet 

the requirements of white oak and other hardwoods. The State Forestry Commission should provide planting stock at reasonable cost. and, through its 

fie16 officers, should encourage and advise private owners who wish to build 

up their forest acreage by planting. 

With the general application of fire control and improved forestry 

practices throughout the unit, there will be a gradual increase in the stana 

per acre and a resulting increase in the increment. The opportunity for increasing the forest crop is apparent; figure 2 shows that the present average stand contains only 55 percent of the volume of a managed stand, indicating that through ma-nagement the increment could be nearly doubled. This can 

be attained, however, only by the continuous ana concentrated efforts of 

L public agencies and of private owners and operators.