The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-02-14

TIMBER SUPPLY.
CENSUS BULLETIN FOR TEXAS, FLORIDA,
| ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI AND MINNESOTA
Mobile Register.l
| The Census Office has commencement
to issue a series of bulletins regarding
the timber supply of the United States,
the investigation being conducted by
Prof c. S. Sargent, of Harvard Univer-
sity. Five of these have recently ap-
peared, relating to the States OF Texas,
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Min
nesota, each bulletin treating of State,
and each accompanied by a map of the
State, colored to represent the regions
covered by different species of valuable
timber, and those from which the timber
had been cut.
The southern fourth of Alabama is COW
cred with forests of the long-leaved pine.
mixed in the northern part with much
hard wood A comparatively narrow
belt of pine runs nearly across the State
between latitudes 80 and SO degrees. be
| sides smaller bodies further north. The
| total amount of standing pine is estimated
at q, 1872, 5000 feet, and the-cut during
the census year 245, ,396, 900 feet, being a
little more than l per cent. Of the total
supply.
The pine region of Mississippi is the
southeast two-ffths of the State. From
this main body strip of pine, mixed
with hard wood, extends northward, east
OF the middle line of the State, nearly to
the northern boundary, following In gen
eral the divide between the Big Black
and the Tombigbee rivers. A small
body also exists in the northeastern cor
ner of the State. The total amount Of
standing pine in the State Is estimated at
23,975, 100000 feet, Of which 1920, ,OOs
feet are long-leaved pine, the remainder
being Of the shOrt-leaved species. The
cut was lis, ,775, 900 feet, or about one
half of per cent of the total supply.
The pine supply Of Texas appears to
be confined to the eastern part, bordering
upon Louisiana, and is entirely comprised
in forty-two counties. The total amount
standing on May 81. 1880. is estimated
81 7,5Os $685. 900 feet (board measurel, com
posed of the three species known as
long-leaved pine Pinus AustraEis), short
leaved pine, (Pinus Nitis,) and Ioblouy
pine Pf0sas faedd), in about the propor-
tons of twenty, twenty-six, and twenty
one. The cut during the year ending on
the above date was PA ,440, 600 feet. or
about four-tenths of one per cent of the
total amount standing.
The pine supply of Florida appears to
be quite uniformly distributed over the
State. The long-leaved pined covers
Western Florida and the upper half OF
the peninsula. The timber of the lower
half of the peninsula is almost entirely
pitch pine (pin,ts cubensis). This Is
found also everywhere in the neighbor-
hood of the coast, especially that of the
Atlantic. The amount of the long-leayed
pine standing is estimated at 6.6I5. .OOO.-
600 feet, and the cut during the year at
2O6,O54, 900 feet, or a little more than
three per cent of the total amount. It's
noted that the long-leaved pine forests
of Central and Southern Florida are less
heavy than those of the northern part of
the State, and south of latitude % de-
grees north of little present commercial
value, although included In the above es-
innate"
1t is to be noted in regard to the above
States that the annual cut Is very small.
varying from a small fraction of l per
cent. up to about 3 per cent. only. The
color upon the maps, representing the
total cut areas, shows that only a small
proportion of the timber has been used As
yet-the color being confined mainly to
narrow belts along the streams. This Is
IN decided contrast to the conditions in
the Northern States The forest region
OF minnesota may be roughly denned as
the northeastern half of the State. This
is bordered on the south and west bx
hard wood, while northward the pine for
ests gradually change in character and
decrease in value. Lakes and swamps
cover large areas, while the pines become
small and scattered, and cease entirely
before reaching the northern BOUNDARY Of |
the State, their place being taken bv
tamarack and cedar. The species of pine
is that known as white pine (PSnsss stro-
bHs). Among the hard woods the priDci- /
pal species are oaks, sugar-maple and |
poplar. The total amount of standing
white pine is stated at 9, 100, ,0oo. 900 feet.
while $50, ,977, 900 feet, or s-s per cent.
were cut during the census year. The /
amount Of standing hard woods Is esti-
mated ut 81 SOC, 900 cords The cut for
the census year, exclusive of 7.s25. 900
slaves and $4,000 sets of heading. was
81, ,Se4, 600 feet The map shows that
nearly onehaf Of the total area Of the
pine lands has already been cut In the
older States Of Michigan and Wisconsin
the proportion il even greater.