The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-07-29
.HEroREsrATIon OF SOUTHERN

REFoREsTATIoN OF SOUTHERN
PINE LANDS.
/ The yellow pines OF the Eastern aid
Southern States are being cut n the
rate OF $4,000. 100000 board feet Il
year. The total stand at this time Is
approximately o,ooo.ooO.ooo board
! feet. 4
One discouraging condition on cut
4 over lands In the Southern States is
4 the lack, for various causes. OF ade-
qlnte young growth. Much OF the
i cnt-over land has grown mp to scrub
= oaks with very little or widely scat
tered pine reproduction. A realization
4 ofEthese unfavorable conditions Is be
L coming apparent nil through the
I South, and there Is q manifest Interest
In retoresting such lands.
Successful renewal of southern pine
{ forest lands depends essentially upon
4 conservative numbering and adequate
\ protection from fire. The problem OF
fire protection, however, is both
Z serious and a difficult one.
ReforestatIon of southern pine lands
can probably be effected by direct seed
4 ing. but such efforts would prove fu.
tile unless the lands were protected
against fire. The Forest Service has
made plans for several private land
owners and companies in the South
for direct sowing OF pine seed OIL the
permanent sites. Because OF the more
rapid growth OF loblolly pine 1t Is pre-
ferred where the soil and moisture con-
ditinns are favorable. The feasibility
\ Of establishing loblolly pine plantl-
stions by sowing seed broadcast. On
sprepared ground Inns been determined
Thy experiments and by observation on
the natural reseeding of this tree OIL
abandoned fields. The pernetuati:,n OF
e1oblolly pine on sites suited, to It Is
therefore not q matter of much con-
Germ. But there are vast areas ON
which the less exactlng but slower
growing longleaf pine Is the only one
i that will thrive. Artificial rcscnerl-
ton OF tongleaf pine. either by sowing
seed or by strunsplautlng seedlings. is
still in the experimental stage. Long
leaf pine seedlings grow very slowly
!; IN height for the first four to six years,
but In the meantime develop long.
fleshy taproots. This habit OF growth
makes 1t very difficult to transplant
them successfully and makes Soma
method OF direct seeding necessary.
4 "a planting plan for the lands OF the
!Granitevllle Manufacturing Company.
! GnnitevIlle. s. c.. mas Just been pre-
pared by. the Forest Service. The plan
provides for direct seeding OF lobloilv
and longleaf pines on about 500 acres.
y It :recomemnds that loblolly pine seed
1t recommends that loblolly pine seed
which occur on the lower slopes.
Longleaf pine seed Is to be planted
on the high sandy land in seeds spots.
prepared about six feet apart each
way. The plan also includes detailed
directions for preparing the ground
and sowing the seed.
y It is estimated that the cost of
planting will be about $3.50 per acre
for, broadcast sowing of loblolly pine
and about s6.35 per acre for seed spot
planting of longleaf pine. A conser
vative estimate of the time required to
produce merchantable crops. the yield
OF each pine and the total cost Of pro-
duclng lumber. per thousand board
feet, compromising the initial invest
ment at four per cent. are about as fol-
1ows:'
Loblolly pine. forty-year' rotation.
10000 board feet per acre; cost per
M board feet, $3.65;
lSS Longleaf pine. seventy-year rotation.
II, 900 board feet per acre; cost per NJ
board feet, $9.G7.
is Thus anything above s3.G5 for lob
Jolly stumpnge Will be In excess OF
I four per cent. compound interest OH
the investment. 1t Is also apparent
that unless the stumpage value for