The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1949-09-01
Mi~ssissippi's Forests-DecIinine Resource

Mississippi's large forest industries are based on a
declining resource in spite of the great progress we nave
made during the past few years in forest conservation, Is
the major conclusion drawn in a survey of Mississippi
forests in 1946-48, facts of which have just been pubisnea
by the Bureau of Business Research of the University OF
Mississippi.
Forests of the state are at a generally low level be-
cause of the failure of farmers and landowners to treat TIM
Der as a renewable crop and what we have had in the way
of timber resources has been seriously depleted through
heavy use.
The Importance of timber and Embarrassing indus
tries in Mississippi is not generally understood or appre-
ciated. The fact remains, however, that 81 per cent OF the
state, or a total of 1~6,5325oo acres, is in forest land, the
bulk of which is held by small owners numbering many
thousands of individuals. These small owners hold 76 per
cent of the saw timber. Ten per cent of the forest land
and thirteen per cent of the saw timber is in public owner
ship-mostly in national forests. The remainder is owned
by forest-product industries.
The value OF our state timber products in 1916 was
1922 million or II per cent of the state income $1,182 mil
lion from all sources-this compares with % per cent from
agriculture, "a per cent from trades and services, rs per
cent from all forms of government, and IL per cent from
miscellaneous sources including non-timber industries.
Thus the Importance of timber as a crop in Missis-
slppi is readily seen when income derived from it last year
was only six per cent less than from agriculture.
Pulpwood production is the most important OF the
timber industries in the south where we have half of the
nations wood pulping capacity. There are five mills located
IN Mississippi and the sixth is being built. Much of the
a large amount is shipped to mills in adjacent states.
Mississippi ranked second among southern states dur
ing 1948 in pulpwood production. From 2S2, 900 cords of
1,433, 900 cords in 1948.
This increase in pulpwood production, for which
1AAsA CiHUt Is pTeleITcu, HAS cHcHuO III III uC-
manu- is still greater. Therein lies the answer to a source
Of added income for thousands of landowners scattered
throughout the state-hundreds of them in Holmes county.
Grow pulpwood as a crop-for regular income.
You will be putting idle land into use, giving it need
ed prAtection and add dollars to your bank account. At the
same time you will be making a valuable contribution to-
ward arresting the downward trend in our forest resources
thereby averting curtailment of industries using timber
using unemployment with its attendent evils.
The Soil Conservation Service in Holmes county
stands ready to help any and all farmers of the county plan
q wei rounded forestry program for your land.
Seeding trees can be obtained for rs cents per
thousand up to 5000 trees and the AAA will pay 500 per
acre for planting the trees. 1t takes from 1000 to LOO
seedlings per acre. Orders for the seedlings are now being
taken by all agricultural workers in Holmes county.
In ten or twelve years, if these acres are managed
properly, they will yield from $500 to $500 per acre per
wear for the ensuing rs to 80 years at the end of which
around $4,000 in timber could be harvested from each acre
and at the same time leave a young forest.
There are $4,000 acres of idle land in Holmes county
Within ten to twelve years they would, with proper manage
ment, be yielding an income of from 100000 to $250,00O
that should be put to use by planting these seeding trees.
annually and perhaps more for a % or 80 year period.
In these days of lean cotton crops an extra $4,000
or more farm income in Holmes county would not be sneezed
at hy anvnne