Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-04-01
SOUTHERN FORESTS.
The Great Timber Reserve Of Amrric
aud Its Commercial Value.

aud Its Commercial Value.
Not among the least of the great I'M
developed resources of the Southern
States j. it, forest wealth. These for
c,,s in large stretches Of country aro
ia primcval condition. The Southern
maritime pine belt extends from the
thir,y.,iNth degree Il north latitude III
Il narrow belt along the coast VARYING
from one 10 two hundred miles ia
width ~ Gar ,outh ~ Tampa bay. 1t
stretches across the State of Florida
and along the coast Of the Gulf If Mex
leo To the Mississippi bottoms. Beyond
these alluyial bottoms on the west it
occupies both sides of Red river and
gradually minglrS with the dcciduous
forest, oi Arkansas and Texas. These
forests are without any unlcrbrush and
are composed for the most part Of the
long-lraycd pine, which furnishes u
elias Of lumber that is growing in de-
mand in every part Of the United
States. Throughout the alluvial and
coast regions OF this belt are found
the live oak, the palmetto, the gum,
watcr-Oaks, hickorics and ash. All
these trees attain lorlly dimensions,
and the liyc-oak forests are considered
the finest in the world and form II
grand reserve for the Ship-building in.
tcrcsts of the country. The dcciduous
forests of the Atlantic plain and the
Mississippi basin are noted for their
richness and variety. Upon the slopes
Of the Allegheny mountains, Northern
and Southern species occur, only sep.
ara,cd by altitude. The balSam iii
(abicS Frascri), found 50 abundantly
upon the crcSts Of these mountains, Oc.
eur nowhere else in the South, while
lower down the white pine comminglcS
with the tulip tree, or poplar, the hem
lock. the wild cherry and the chestnut.
Many of these trees here attain II size
nowhere else found on the continent.
The forests Of the alluyial plains Of the
Mississippi and Red rivers arr not less
varied Almost every tree ot CONNER
cial value may be found, and among
them the red gum, which for beauty Of
finish is hardly surpassed by any wood
found i'm the United States.
Not the least important in CONNER.
mcrcial value are the rel cedar forests
of Middle Tennessee. In many places
in the central basin of the State cedar
trees form almost the only growth.
Wilson. Rutherford and Marshall Coun.
ties in Tennessee are particularly noted
for their proiusion Of cedar forests.
These forests are now supplying II mine
of wealth 10 their owners. Ash, poplar,
beech and walnut arr also abundant in
the central basin. All along the slopes
of the Cumberland mountains, and cs-
pecially ON tho western slope, poplar
and walnut attain II prodiSiouS size.
One walnut tree was cut in Crow Creek
valley that measured eight feet in di-
amc,er and scycn,y-iivc feet TO the first
limb. Wild cherry is also found in
abundance. The western valley Of the
Tennessee river is very heavily tim
bered with white oak and poplar,
while back from the river eastward. in
the uplands, are the finest forests Of
chestnut oak to be found in the State.
In the counties of Humphreys, Hick.
man, Perry, Wayne and Hardin these
forests cover many hundred square
miles, and have scarcely been toucheS.
On the western side OF the river many
large swamps occur, where the cypress
tree ilourishcs in princely magniiiccnce.
Perhaps the heaviest forests in Tonnes.
see are found in the counties of Obion.
Dyer, Laudcrlalc, Upton and Shelby.
and especially those parts of these
counties above the ilood-planc of the
Mississippi river where the bluff-loam
or loess formations occur. Upon this
soil the largest poplars and white oaks
of the South are to DO found, trees
having the largest girth with the long
est bodies. When Captain Eads was
constructing the grand railroad bridge
across the Mississippi river at st. Louis,
he had occasion TO use some pieces OF
timber over one hundred feet long OF
large size and strength. His requisi-
ton could be supplied from only one
place in the United States, and that
was from Obion County, Tenn. We
have barely indicated in this article
the character and extent OF Southern
forests. They constitute the great tim.
Der reserve Of America. and very few
years will form an element OF wealth
which the present generation can not
appreciate.-NdshriRe american.
IA new marble deposit has been
liscnv.r...l In Nyost RutianI VT