Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-06-06
TIMBERS OF TENNESSEE
Only Three States in the Union
Have More Timbered Land.
Nearly Every Variety Grows Within the
State, and the Finest Quality.

| $3.50 W w navy Uhu lOO years
from now as its timber. AS an element
OF wealth timber is growing greater
every year. All over the country the
forests have been destroyed down,
butchered, you might say, without a
thought for the future, until many va
rieties of lumber are so hard to obtain
that their prices is fabulous.
Fortunately for the State of Tenn es-
see, more discretion has been shown
and the people have had their eyes
open to the value of the timber lands.
Investors from the cast who have come
down here to buy up the timber, know
ing what handsome sum the invest
ment would mean in the way of profit
in twenty or thirty years, have found
the majority of the owners of such
property not any too anxious to sell,
and is it well that Tennessee farmers
and owners of timber land realize the
value of their property. To turn it
loose for a song simply because it
brings in nothing at present is folly.
About 80 per cent. of the land in
Tennessee is wooded. There is 26, $780,
600 acres in the State altogether, of
which between S12,O0O,0 900 and Is, ,000,-
900 are timbered. There only three
States in the Union having a greater
timber acreage. They are North Caro-
lima, South Carolina and Georgia. But
Florida, Arkansas and West Virginia
are about even with Tennessee in uuan-
tity of timber, though hardly in quality,
for not only dove possess within our
domain nearly every variety of timber
found in North America, but the tim
bers of Tennessee are exceptionally fine
in quality. If it is wondered that such
great variety of timber can grow in
such a comparatively limited part of
the United States that's easily explain
ed by the diversity of climate. If you
stand under the shadow of one Of the
hardy trees that grow upon the summit
of the Unakas you will be 5000 feet
above the level of the sea. But when
you cross the State and stand upon the
alluvial soil of the Mississippi you are
but 220 feet above the sea, and have in
the journey felt at all degrees of lati-
tude which would be met should you
travel along the Atlantic Coast from
South Carolina to Labrador.
And, as Tennessee, embraces within
it's territory the climates of many zones
1t bears on its fertile soil the trees of
many climes.
In one part of the State we find the
hard woods of Canada; in another the
tender trees of the sub-tropics, and by
reason of the exuberant fertility of the
earth many varieties of timber attain
size second only to the giant redwoods
of California.
Here is list of the principal and
most valuable varieties of timber found
in Tennessee
Ash-White ash and blue ash.
Elm-White elm, slippery elm and
witch elm.
Gum-Black gum and sweet gum.
Fir-Black fir and spruce fir.
Hickory-Scaly bark, pig-nut and
common hickory.
LOcust-Black locust and honey locust
Maple-Sugar maple, swamp maple
and white maple.
Oak twelve varieties Red oak,
white oak, post oak, chestnut oak, black
oak, scarlet oak, black jack oak, Span
ish, willow, overcup, laurel, bear and
other varieties in small quantities.
Pine-Yellow pine and white pine.
Poplar-Blue, white and yellow poplar.
Walnut-Black and white walnut.
These are few of the timbers whose
particular kind is varied. OF the tim
ber which abounds in but one variety
is the beech, birch, buckeye, red cedar,
wild cherry, cottonwood, cypress, dog.
wood, Eastwood, mulberry, tupello,
sycamore and sassafras.
Column after column could be written
about these timbers, as to their value
and adaptability to all classes of wood.
work. They embrace all the kinds of
timber necessary to day for utilitarian
purposes and ornamental uses. The
box elder and the crap apple are highly
ornamental. They grow in profusion.
The blossoms of the crap apple are the
sweetest and most fragrant found in
our forests, and the graceful form of
the box elder with its wide spreading
top and pea-green foliage makes it
favorite for yards and lawns.
While the oak is thought to be the
most valuable and important timber in
the State, it is hardly more important
than the ash, Of which, as stated above,
there are two species, the white and
the blue ash. Its wood is light, strong
and elastic. 1t has the grace to bend
but not to break. No wood is more
valued by manufacturers of agricultu
raj implements where lightness of ma
terial is demanded with strength to
hold burdens and elasticity 10 stand
strains. This timber, when thoroughly
seasoned, will never warp or shrink,
and for that reason makes beautiful
flooring. Years ago ash was plentiful.
Il is now found in quantities only in
places remote from transportation IA