Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-02-01

this forest of yellow pine assume, with
every year, greater Importance to the
business of the Gulf ports; and their ex- {
ports from the seaport of this State, en- !
tering only since the beginning of this
decade in competition with its neighbors,
show steady and rapid increase in the
production and export of sawed lumber,
square timber, spars, shingles and partic-
ularly in the receipt of naval stores.
proper idea of the great wealth offered by
this lumber region Of our State, almost
exclusively derived from one single
species of pine, will be gained from the
following statements taken from the re-
ports of the Mobile board Of trade, exhib-
iting the receipts and exports of lumber
and naval stores from that port since the
year 1872 to the present time; the exports |
of sawed lumber amounting, in 1872, to |
1900, 900 feet, increased to 4 OO, 900 in the
following year, to 100000 In 1876, to
$4,000, 900 in 1877, and it can be safely as
sumed that in this year (iS7S) the export
will not fall short of 20,O0O,0 900 feet, rep
resenting value Of at least 100000.
"The production OF naval stores exhib-
its an equally rapid increase. The rosin
and spirits Of turpentine reaching the
Mobile market from the adjacent country
in 1873 amounted to S750,000, showing
already at that period, an increase Of 80
per cent oyer the production Of any for
= mer year; increasing to over 100000
in 1874; and in the year 1876 the receipts
were much greater, their value amount
ing to 100000, involving vastly in
, creased production by the much reduced
: prices of these articles ruling during the
last two years. In these sums, the guam
!, titles required for home consumption are
not included. II those and the quantities
of sawed lumber and squared timber de-
= rived from the pine belt within the con-
fines of our State, and which are export
ed from Pensacola, so far the chief center
of the lumber business on this coast are
=, considered, the amounts given above will
:. certainly be doubled. Lastly, with the
: exhaustion of the yellow pine forest that
- encrcled Pensacola bay, and of those in
:, convenient reach upon the coast of CONT
:, mental Florida, a very large quota of the
- saw logs are drawn from Alabama by
- the tributaries and head waters of the
Escambia and the Perddo river.
~ "The average height of the yellow pine
in the virgin forest is from 60 to 20 feet,
with diameter of II to IS inches for
d. two-thirds of its height. 1t is of slow
u. growth, particularly at the later periods
u of its life. According to the number OF
g annual rings, trees of the above dimen-
y. sions must have reached an age of 60 tc
VI 20 years. The reproduction of tree
es from the seed, furnishing an equal sup
ply of timber, would at this rate take
IN about two generations. 1t is poor seed
g. er, as the younger Michaux observed. Ii
~ fruitful years forest of hundreds Of
er miles may be ransacked without finding
single cone, and these, according to my
40 observations, are far more frequent thai
n fruitful ones. In its struggle for exist
IT. ence in our days, the odds of a surviva
st of its kind amongst the aborescent vege
% tation that disputes its ground are great
st ly against it. Taken from the fiat ant
It's moist lands and it is replaced almost ex
Re. clusively by the pond and old field pine
M the billy, broken, dry upland, denuded O.
'st the grand old pine forest, is with surpris
IN ing rapidity covered by dense ant
RI scrubby growth of blackjack, turkey oak
ga scarlet and upland willow oak, abov'
'al which seldom young yellow pine raise
on its head, crowned with its large white
Its fringed terminal bud. Full Of resinou
In juices, through all stages Of its life, tn
on young trees are not as able to withstand
IN the raging fires that annually devastat
nd the woods as the less resinous specie
RI and the deciduous leafed trees; beside
TO that being Of much slower growth, thi
noble tree is doomed to extinction, If no
he protected by the aid of man. On tract
tic sheltered from the invasion Of fire, grove
he of young trees from Is to 20 feet hig
he can be observed around Mobile, testify
&C. ing that its existence for the future ca
by in some measure be secured If protects
IN from these destructive influences, unneC
re- essarily caused by man. The utmost ei
ito forts by an enlightened communit
should be made through active and eff
by cient State legislation, without turtle
he delay, to guard against the calamit
est of total destruction Of such magnif
Of cent estate entrusted to the hands of on
an people. Besides its contributions to tn
rt, manifold necessities of the agriculturisi
nd the builder in naval architecture, the cor
red struction of railroads, the arts, medicin
his and the innumerable smaller demands Q
by domestic economy and the varied indu;
nd tries of the world, the influences of thi
ing great pine belt upon the climatic cond
Or tons and the salubrity of this coast ar
Der even of more far reaching Importance t
est the interest of the community at large
md extending far outside of its confines