The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-07
POPLAR FOR PAPER PULP.
This Tree Is Found In Virginia,
North CarOIinn, Tennessee md
Georgia.
From the Paper Mill

Georgia.
From the Paper Mill.
The growth of the pulp and paper max
ing industry in the United States has
heretofore been largely in the New Eng
land, Middle and Northwestern states 1t
is DO sble that the next considerable de-
velopment Ct this industry will be in the
South, and especially In The Appalachian
mountain region, where are found two
great essentials for cheap pap rmak ng-
plentiful supplies of pulpmaking woods
and numerous and large water powers.
OF the forest area of the United States.
outside of Alaska, some hing over one
quarter is located in the states Of Virgin
ia North Carolina, South Carolina, Geor-
gia Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and
Kentucky The varieties of pup-making
woods found in other sections Of the
country grow in these states. The supply
of some varieties of these woods is small,
too small perhaps, to be considered ex-
cept in connection with the use CT other
woods. In the forest regions of the noun
tain and Pi dmont Sc tons of the South
however, are large supplies of plar, bal
sam, ncfnICck, anu SuIlCltul uGdhIlt5
of some other woods to give abundant
pulp-makirg material for a large number
OF mills for many years to come. From
the land and Industrial department of the
Sou heru Railway comes the following IN
form ion in regard to The supply of thes
woods in the terri tory mentioned.
Poplar grows abundantly in the Appa
lachan mountain regions of Virgin
North CaroHna, Tennessee, Northern
Georgia and other places. Poplar reach's
its best development on the slopes of the
high mountains of Nor h Carolira and
Tennessee, and is widely dis ributed. 1t
reaches in this 8 elton an average high.
of from sixty to one hundred feet, and an
average diameter Of from three to four
feet Some of the trees are of remarka-
BILE size 4 recent North Carolina publ
cation estimated that more than 10000
O00 feet of merchantable yellow poplar is
now standing In the mountains OF the
western part of that state. This estimate
is undoubt eily too low. Ashevlle might
be called the center of the poplar region.
The poplar areas are found in the neigh
borhood of good rivers and streams, fur
nishing abundant water power. ProDa-
bly, no other section of the United states
has such an abundant supply OF poplar
wood to-day for the soda process and for
producing fine papers. The Southern bal
SAM which is the Northern spruce, grows
in a good area in the mountain regions
along the Carolina and Tennessee border
and is abundant enough to furnish a first
class supply for a large number of mills.
This wood is not at present utilized to
any extent in the South, and is TO be had
very cheaply The supply of hemlock
through the mountain and Piedmont re-
gions Is very greet. There is more of 1t
in the aggregate probably than both bal
sam and poplar. No market has been
found for Southern hemiock lumber, and
its cheapness of supply should certainly
attract the attention of pulp makers look
ing for new fields for their industries. In
addition 10 the first growth there are
large quantities of second growth poplar
available for pulp-making.
Several varieties of gum are found in
large quantities in the Southern states
The sweet gum Is known TO be good
pulp wood. In the mountain regions adj
jacent to supplies of poplar. balsam and
hemlock, or in connection with them,
Eastwood is found in fair quantities. 1t
attains hight of from fifty to eighty
feet, and a diameter of from one to four
feet.
An idea of the supply of pulpmaking
woods in the mountain regions of the South
may be had from an estimate on tract
| in Western North Carolina, which was re-
Gently made The tract has an area of
about 5000 acres. and the estimates show
about 225 100000 feet of batsam, 25000,OO0
feet white pine. 100000 feet yellow pop
er, 100000 feet chestnut, 100000 feet
hemlock, 100000 feet of other woods, In
Guiding cherry, lynn, buckeye, hickory
birch and locust. These supplies of pulp
making woods in the mountain regions Of
the South are not unavailable on account
of distance from railroads aud cost of
reaching markets with the paper mill pro-
duct. The Southern Railway has several
lines traversing different sections of these
regions, and the wood supplies are tribu-
tRry to different points on these lines,
while nearby are to be found sufficient
water powers to run large mills. The fuel
supply of the South is. as a rule, much
cheaper than that of the North Labor
and building material cost less, and with
q much smaller cost of woods it ought to
be possible to produce pulp and paper
both newspaper and finer grades, cheaper
In the South than in the Northern paper
making sections.