San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-13
Pinus Serotina; 0. Pinus glabra, and
Z, Pinus CLAUSE.
Large Economic Importance.

Pinus Serotina; o. Pinus glabra, and
Z, pinus CLAUSE.
Large Economic Importance.
These seven trees vary widely in
their economic Importance. The first
three produce large quantities OF
wood aud other forest products of high
commercial value, while the last
three are trees of little economic I'M.
portance on account of their restricted
range and small size. All of the
Southern pines belong to the Yellow
Pine group. They are called Yellow
Pine because of the yellowish color of
their wood and bark. They are also
called hard pines because their wool
is very hard in comparison with the
wood of such trees as white pine ana
sugar pine. both of which belong to
the same pine group. The wood of
the Southern yellow pine Is famed.
not only for its hardness. but also
for it's strength and durability. In
fact, the wood has such good quail
ties that it is put to wide range Of
uses in every part of the civilized
world. The pine forests of the South
have been exploited for naval stores
and other forest products from the
time of the first settlers, but there
was no extensive development of the
lumber industry until the early seven
ties of the last century. 1t was then
that the yellow pines of the South
were first placed upon the market
on large scale. The wood was then
exceedingly low in price. This created.
a strong demand for it and as nat
ural consequence. by the carly nine
ties, Southern yellow pine was leading
the country in the cut of soft wool
lumber.
Reaches Peak in 1909.
In 1909 the production Of South
ern yellow pine reached its peak. 1t
then produced nearly one-half of the
entire country's cut Of soft woods. II
is still the most important single fac
tor in the lumber products of the
United States. 1t furnishes about 30
per cent of the total lumber cut Of
the country.
The Longleaf Pine is one of the
most valuable evergreen trees of the
United States. What the White Pine
was to the forests Of the Northeast
and the Lake States. the Longleaf
Pine was, and in restricted areas
still is, to the forests of the coastal
plains region of the South. 1t occurs
from Norfolk. Va. to the neighbor-
hood of Tampa. Fla. and west along
the coast to the Trinity river in
Eastern Texas. Seldom does it ex-
tend inland more than $50 miles, and
in some regions its range is less than
so miles in width. Few trees have
a longer list of common names than
the Longleaf Pine has. 1t has no
less than 90 and some claim that 1t
has 33 common names. Of all the
common names. Longleaf Pine is the
most appropriate, for its leaves,
which range in length from 0 to u
inches and occasionally reach IS
inches. are truly distinctive. Other
common names are Pitch Pine, Tur-
pentipe Pine and Fat Pine. These
three names refer to its resinous
wood.
Other Common Names.
1t is also called Heart Pine be-
cause Of the large proportion Of heart
wood produced, and the hardness Of
its wood gave it the name of Hard
Pine. Many. Of its common names
are long, and often have the names
of states as a prefix. Among these
combination names are Long-leavel
Yellow Pine, South Carolina Pitch
ZINE, tl0rlda Yellow Pine and Ge0r-
gia Pitch Pine. Small plume-like
tranchlets covered densely with leaves
and from . to 3 feet long, are sold
for decorative purposes in Northern
markets at Christmas time under the
name Of Florida Palm and Louis
lana Palm" The straightness anil
statelincss of the stems of Longleaf
Pine are among It's distinctive fea.
lures. Pure stands often cover cx-
tensive areas and are made up o!
rs fine tree specimens as one cnh
find anywhere IN the country. The
attractive appearance of many trees
is however. MARRIED BY the scars whith
they bear from resin trapping opera
tons.
The height Of its stems rarely rs
more than 40 feet and diameter
Of 2 IL feet is seldom exceeded. Prob
ably the average tree cut In lumber
ing onerations does not exceed so feet
in height and 2 feet in diameter
breast-high.
For more than two centuries Short.
leaf Pine has held prominent com
mercial place in the American lum'