The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1945-08-30
Timber Exceeded Only
By Cotton and
Livestock Production

~
county, exceeded only by cotton and
livestock, according to Albert A
Leggett, State Forester, in a report
given Holmes farmers and business
men last Friday evening at a meet
ing held at the Lexington Hotel.
The four and a half year period
ending December 81, 1914 shows that
166,310.855 board feet of timber was
cut in Holmes county. BY placing
a value of $1,000 per thousand on
this timber, it is easy to figure that
it brought $1,633, 10000 to the coun-
ty farmers. To manufacture locally
into lumber at $4,000 per thousand
board feet, its value would have
been $4,989, 1925. 90.
In the last eleven years, Mr.. Leg
gett went On to state Holmes county
farmers have sold 34,080,343 board
feet of timber and at the same time,
we have grown 39,033,600 board
feet. This covered a period that end
ed January l, 1945. Where the big
drain has come on our timber has
been the cutting and selling of over
a million cords of pine and hard
wood. Holmes county has averaged
during the past II years, $1,000 cords
per year and it has been estimated
that we grew an annual average of
1888 cords. So, it can be readily
seen that we are cutting our timber
just about as fast as it is produced.
We are producing, according to
Mr.. Leggett, about 2200 board feet
per acre in Mississippi, which is one
third of the amount of timber we
should be growing. With good man.
agement, the production of timber
could increase the income at least
three times what it is at present.
Another significant point stressed
by the speaker was that only 40 per-
cent of the trees we cut r used.
The balance, 60 percent, represents
total waste. In foreign countries
every part of the tree is used. For
example in Sweden, a country about
three times as large as Mississippi,
they are converting much of their
waste into pine oil and from this
heretofore waste product, they are
geetting resin, pitch, motor fuel, tur-
pentine, pine oil and 80 percent of
her hard and soft soaps. BY process
ing the sulphate waste pulp and
liquors in the 33 mills having alco-
hol plants, she is obtaining in the
neighborhood of 80 million gallons
of ethyl alcohol. This alcohol is Sc
cured by fermenting the sulphated
sugars and waste liquors and distill-
ing them to obtain the alcohol.
In Germany, wood is being hydro
lyzed to obtain alcohol and sugar.
This is done by impregnating the
wet chips with sulphur dioxide gas,
then grinding them into powder for
fermentation and distillization. The
residual wood is then made up into
fuel for the steel industry and for
propelling automobiles.
Mr.. Leggett further stated that
the South is growing now so per-
cent Of all the nations forest pro-
ducts and she must continue to grow
the majority of Americas timber in
the future. Mississippi's soils, rain
fall and climate are the most favor
able of any state in the union and
although 1880 showed Mississippi to
have about 20 million board feet OF
timber, today IS years later, this has
increased to 35 billion board feet
This has been accomplished by a few
conservation minded farmers and
timbermen throughout the state in
spite of the fact that the majorit,
of our farmers have been careless
in cutting and in the general man
agement of their woodlots.
Inc TdllTOdOS III NAioSioSARPA
cording to the Mississippi Forestry
and Chemurgic Association, shows
the following cars loaded last year
Livestock and related products
4,365 cars.
All other agricultural products
55,1e8 cars.
Forest products l73,793 cars.
After the war, timber will play Z
large part in keeping the trains roll
ing.
The State of Mississippi is spend
ing less than t~hree-fourths cent pei
c r annually on her more than 1t,
million acres Of forest lands, or Sc
percent OF the states total 80 millio'
scres. For each dollar of state ap
rropriation, the public is receiving
in return s994.63. There is no othel
resource, crop or product in the state
of Mississippi which is receiving sc
$500. ----I ---.---- -AA A..I