The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-06-15
Southern Pine.
IThe Nation, New York. ]

IThe Nation, New York.
Tie future of the northwestern
lumber industry has already been
discussed at some length in these
columns, in the light of Professor
eargent's investigation into the
forest wealth of the United States.
Forestry bulletins covering several
of the southern states have lately
been issued by the census office, and
it is now for the first time possible
to obtain an accurate idea of the
extent and composition of the great
maratime pine belt which stretches
from Virginia nearly to the Brazos.
The statement that, at the present
rate of consumption, twelve years
would practically exhaust the pine
of the lake region, must have seemed
startling 10 persons unfamiliar with
the actual condition of the north
western pineries- 1t will be no less
surprise, even to those best in
formed in regard 10 southern forests,
to learn that Louisiana contains
over eigthy-iOur billion feet OF
merchantable pine, or more than was
left standing at the end of the census
year in Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota; or that Arkansas, which
has never been looked upon as a
great pine state, contains in addition
to its unrivalled hardwood forests,
over forty-one billion feet of yellow
pine, or rather more than the amount
of white pine credited to Wisconsin.
Texas is believed to possess some
siXty-seven billion feet of pine.
These three states contain more than
one hundred aud ninety billion feet
of merchantable pine, or more than
double the amount supposed to re-
main i'll the three Lake states from
which of late years the country has
been chiefly supplied with white
pine. The southern pine belt run
ming through nine states, is believed
to have contained, at the end of the
census year, not less than two hun
dred and twenty-five billion feet of
merchantable pine, or enough to
last, at the rate of consumption of
that year, some Two hundred and
fifty years.
The value of this great body of
timber is enormous, and must have
an important influence in developing
the material prosperity of the south.
But because southern forests con-
tain greater amount of pine than
they have been supposed to contain,
the almost total destruction of the
white pine of the north is none the
less n national calamity. The south
ern forests produce no pine which
can take the place of white pine.
The long-leaved pine, of which the
forests of the southern coast are
largely composed, is one of the most
valuable timber-trees. The wood of
no other at all equals it i'll strength
or fitness tor all kinds of heavy con-
struction. II is, however, as COM
pared with white pine, difficult TO
work, especially when seasoned, and
so full of resin as to be unfit
for those uses to which white
is universally applied. The
yellow pine of Arkansas, which also
covers much of Louisiana and cas-
tern Texas, is a valuable building
material, although inferior to the
long-leaved pine in strength, and
without the peculiar qualities of the
white pine. The destruction of the
white pine will deprive Eastern
America of her most available and,
all things considered, most general
lv valuable lumber, and southern
pine, whatever its value, can never
take its place.
The study of the actual condition
of our forests indicates important
commercial changes which may be
expected TO grow out of the chang
ing conditions of the lumber trade.
New Orleans seems destined at no
distant day to become one of the
greatest lumber-distributi and
manufacturing centres of the world.
Its position with reference to vast
forests, its commercial importance,
and the ease with which logs may
reach it by river and lake, point to
this conclusion. A great deal of
nCrther capital has been invested
during the last few months in south
ern timber lands, and the number of
persons seeking such investments is
increasing. The best informed
northern lumbermen realize at last
that the time has come when they
must seek new fields for their oper-
ations or abandon the business en-
tirely. These men are getting ready
to move their mills, capital and ell
ergy into the south and their atten-
ton is naturally directed TO the
Gulf states. The outlook for new
investments of this sort in the South
Atlantic states is not favorable
The four Atlantic pine states, inclu-
ding the whole of Florida, con-
tains less than twenty-four billion
feet of pine. The most accessible
timber, situated along the streams
and railroads, has already been re-
moved, and much of the remainder
has been injured in the manufacture
of turpentine. Alabama and Missis-
sippi contain greater bodies of pine,
but IN the three pine states west Of
the Mississippi, pine forests in which
the sound of the logger's ak has
never been heard extend over tens
of thousands of square miles. Here
during the next twenty-five years
will be seen, we believe, the great
numbering operations of the contl-
nent-if, indeed, these forests can
supply during twenty-five years the
demands which will probably be
made upon them. 1t is not easy TO
foresee how great these demands
will be. The population of an
enormous territory must pro-
cure its bHilding materials
from these trans Mississippi piner-
les. From the Brazos to the Sierra
Nevada of California, except on the
high and usually inaccessible noun
tain range of the southern Rocky
mountain region, a tree fit to saw
into boards does not grow. The
northern Mexican plateau is desti-
tute of valuable forests and must
depend, with growing prosperity,
upon the United States for its lum-
Der. West of Ell Paso the country
will be supplied from the Pacific
coast; east of Ell Paso-that is, all of
Texas and the provinces of north
eastern Mexico = must draw its
lumber from the pine forests imme-
diately west of the Mississippi river.
1t is needless to poiut out how
rapidly western Texas is now be-
coming settled, or to estimate even
the growing demand made upon
these particular forests. Their po-
sition with reference 10 a treeless,
although rich agricultural and graz
ing region, insures their entire de-
struction at no very distant dav.