New-York tribune., 1905-06-11
4 HARD WOOD FOREST.
Eight Principal Species of the South
ern 4ppaIdchians.

y
Tho greatest area Of hardwood forest and the
largest supply OF hardwoods in the united S'aees
are In the region comprising the SoulherH tAp
palachian Mountains and the country lying pe-
tween them and the Mississippi River For Ine
last two o. three years the Bureau OF borestis
has been carefully studying their region, whicn
is rich in commercial species. especially Seiio"
poplar. white, red. black and chestnut OAK
chestnut. white pine and henllock- study was
first made OF the proportion Of each OF 'hess
species in the various types of forest. their mer-
ohantable yield and their rate of growth Last
summer eleven agents Of the bureau were as-
signed to an investigation Of the market cohai-
tions governing the logging and use OF each oi
these species, and twelve more to stuoy OF 'ie
important characteristics of each tree ana INs
possibilities Of each under management AAe
data obtained In this and previous stuoles d q
now being formulated for publication seVeiai
bulletins will be issued. one Of general CHAR
soter discussing the conditions Of the region as
a whole. the others dealing with the seVeFai
species particularly.
The field study covered more than 400 coun-
ties. and included all Of Tennessee. KENTUCKY
and West Virginia. the extreme western part OF
Maryland, the western portions Of Virginia aho
the two Carolinas, and the northern parts Oh
Georgia and Alabama The bureau agents hrSt
visited the lumber centres Of each county TO H.
teryIew the millmen and lumber dealers- In
formation was sought specially on these poines'
The remaining stands Of timber and thelr qua -
ity. the annual cut and the uses 10 which ~ 20 20
put. land and stumpage values, the cost q!
logging and milling the prices OF the hnisheo
product; the methods Of logging employed, ths
specifications for timber In common use anu
how these specifications are changing, ano the
principal markets for lumber. The object OF TINS
preliminary work WAS to gain thorough unael-
prevailing In the hardwood regions. Such kIloWs-
edge was necessary before the men could go
into the woods and work out intelhgenty the
best and most practical methods Of handing the
forests.
The study of the general forest conditions
and the characteristics of each of the import
ant species followed This study included In
Quiry into the requirements OF each species as
to light, soil. and moisture. its seeding ana re-
productive capacity. its form and deveIopmen.
In different types of forest, and the ways In
which the various species affect each other in
the competition for place and light; also the
present methods of cutting, waste in logging
and the effects of logging upon the forest. To
determine the chances of natural reproduction
under existing logging methods second growth
and cuIled lands In all stages were carefully
studied. The effects of fire and grazing upon
the forest were also considered. Until the
voluminous data thus obtained have been tabu-
lated and compared absolute nsures ana coh-
clusions cannot be announced. but sufficient pro-
gress has been made to warrant some general
statements Of conclusions.
For market value and amount OF standing
timber yellow poplar and white oak are the
two most important trees OF the region. These
species were formerly found throughout almost
the entire region in Tnerchantable quantities,
but they have been cut extensively where
there are transportation facilities that is Is
now usually necessary to go back q long dis
tance into the woods to find first class STANDS
of either Of them Poplar attains magnificent
eize in the coves OF the mountain districts and
I'm the rich river bottoms of central Tennessee
and Kentucky, but its best development Is
reached In the higher mountains Of Tennessee
and North Carolina White oak reaches Its
best development in the river valleys Of Ten
nessee and Kentucky. White poplar always
forms a small proportion of the timber of the
area, 1t very often forms a large proportion or
. the merchantable timber. White oak Is present
In very much greater numbers than poplar
over the region a whole and occasionally
forms over so per cent of the stand.
LAUNDERING has had serious effect on the
reproduction OF both poplar and white oak.
is partially replaced by inferior species. as the
red and black oaks. Thus in many cases where
the virgin stand contained over 90 per cent
OF white oak, the second crop contains less
than 10 per cent. Often when poplar has been
lun nbersd only the best trees have been cut.
and these were compare lively few In number
and occurred ate irregular intervals the for
est has not been opened up enough to let in
sufficient light to allow young poplars to start
very easily injured by fire: slight ground
fires kill them. Fires have been very common
throughout the region and thus successful re-
production OF poplar has often been greatly
hindered.
Hemlock occurs over a small portion of the
region and white pine over still smaller part;
both confne themselves to the mountainous Sec
tons AS rule. hemlock has not been consd-
cred nerchantab BILE because Ii is generally i'm
possible to log and sell II In Northern markets
in competition with hemlock from Michigan and
Pennsylvania. The little remaining white pine
is numbered in few localities a large scale
and the supply will soon be exhausted.
Chestnut is very abundant It forms large
proportion of the stand In the mountain dis
tricts, but decreases in quantity westward. until
lfoar
and Kentucky. Mature chestnut is damaged
more severely by fire than any of the other spe-
ces Of the region considerable part of its
mature timber is defective for this reason.
Much of the timber is also wormy. In the past
but little chestnut has been cut for lumber. but
the output is increasing. for
chestnut which has developed very rapidly In
the last few years. is for making tannin ex-
tract. For this purpose all grades and sizes
of chestnut above about five inches in diameter
are used. There are number Of factories MAX
ing the extract. one of which consumes 100
cords OF this wood daily. This Industry makes
possible the utilization of the limb and tops
and the defective chestnut, which otherwise
would be wasted and materially assist IN con-
servative management by making this timber
more valuable and cleaner logging practicable.
Chestnut oak is abundant in the mountains,
Its stand decreasing westward. It is confined
chiefly to the ridges and in most sections is
short bodied and of little value for savings. 1t
IS usually expensive to lumber because of its in
accessibility. The chief value OF chestnut oak
in this region has been for tanbark, for which.
in some places. 1t has been largely cut.
Red and black oak are most abundant in the
western Iowiand part Of the region, where they
often form over 20 per cent OF the stand. In
addition to their use In large amounts for lunl-
ber and slack cooperage. they are also now ex-
tensvely cut along the navigable rivers for rail-
road ties. fer which purpose preservative treat
n7ent has recently made them available. These
oaks form relatively small part of the forest
In the ca stern mounteinou districts where in
the past almost none OF them have been cut.
There are a number of large permanent mills.
hut over the region whole most Of the lurn-
hertng js still done by portable mills. These
,n,v. through the timber, and the cutting Is