The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-04-30
CASTORIA
For Infants and Children.
The Kind You Have Always Bought
s' sssss ses Of lhAzzzzx
Pine Trees Reclaim Abandoned Farms,

Pine Trees Reclaim Abandoned Farms.
WASHINGTON, d. c., April u. Every
where IN the eastern and southern
States the ak is Transforming the mag
nificent forests of the past into culled
and cut-Oyer land The demand for
lumber is so great and operations are
so extensive that III comparatively
few years those who wish to see timber
in its virgin luxuriance will have to
visit distant and isolated sections of
the country.
Under the new conditions brought
about by the exploitation of the virgin
forests type of woodlands known as
the old field pine has developed into
commercial Importance within recent
wears as a result of clearing away the
original forests for agricultural pur-
poses. This old field type promises to
increase in value more and more with
the corresponding increase in the price
of wood products Old fields are COM
mon both in the south and in the north,
although they arise from different
causes and become retOrested with diff
ferent species of trees
In the south, before the Civil War,
vast areas of land were in cultivation
which have since been allowed to return
to forest. Many thousands of acres
were often included within single
plantation, mostly cleared, and grow
ing splendid crops of cotton, corn, to-
bacco, and many other valuable farm
products. 1t is common today TO see
In certain sections Of the south, old
plantations of great extent that are
now growing up with loblolly, or as it
is generally called, old field pine.
The war was responsible for tins
| neglect of cultivated land. With the
! freeing of the slaves the immense plan
tations could no longer be managed and
| the land was abandoned. In many
cases, however, the land was lmpover-
ished through many years of cultlva-
| ton, but with the use of fertilizers will
be reclaimed in the future. Farmers
now point out splendid stands OF pine
already large enough to be Numbered,
on land that they once plowed. Growth
has been phenomenal, the trees being
often II to IA inches i'll diameter at an
age of no more than twenty to twenty
| five years,
Loblolly pine bears seed prolifcally
nearly every year ana Delng llsht these
| seeds are carried long distances by the
!
| for the young trees to start. The
ground has been worked many years
| and there is no young oak brush to ill.,
terfere with their growth as i'll the case
| of the stump OF cut-over lands. Long
! leaf pine, on the other hand, seeds much
| less abundantly and the seeds being
| heavier are not carried by the wind far
| from tie mother trees, so That its re
production is Wuch less abundant, The
/ Ioblolly, however, is most aggressive in
| taking possession of abandoned lands
and prominently deserves its popular
name of ''old field pine.
Through THIS natural reforestatlon
/ nature has freely furnished source OF
| income on land that would otherwise
| have been unproductlve all these years.
! Yet it has not been until recently that
/ the old field pine was thought to nave
any value, There were forests of long
| leaf pine everywhere close at hand and
the wood was much superior for every
purpose. Fence rails made from long
Leaf pine last many years, but lobiolly
rails soon decay and must be frequent
| ly replaced Railroads Though the
pine country would accept nothing but
| long-leaf pine Tor ties. SO the old
! fields were allowed to grow up and re-
main untouched except that occasion
ally the owner would cut down few
| trees TO prevent them from encroach-
| ing into his very yard.
Ideas are changing rapidly now as to
| the values and uses of certain woods.
| The longleaf pine Is disappearing from
| the land and there are few young trees
to take the place OF the old. Necessity
| for future wood material has resulted
in many Investigations and expert
mtnts with interior kinds of wood.
LobloIly OF Old field pine has been
found to be exceedingly durable when
impIegnated with creosote. This has
given the Old field pine a new value
and today thousands of railroad ties
are cut near the railroads and shipped
to treating plants to be creosoted
| Small portable mills are easily and
cheaply located and many of these are
now cutting the best trees in these old
field stands for lumber to be used local,
| ly among the farmers. The future
| numbering will be carried on extensive.
| ly in these second growth stands OF old
field. pine.
The situation in the north is very
much the same White pine is here
found occupying the old fields much as
loblolly pine does in the south. The
seeds are light and are carried consider
able distances to the open fields where
they find plenty of light and suitable
soil conditions to make excellent
growth.
Fifty years ago or more there were
| lAr