Texas Almanac, 1945-1946 Page: 148
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TEXAS ALMANAC.-1945-1946.
S. . . .-Photo by T'exas Forest Service.
There is very little virgin, or original, native pine growth left in East Texas, but natural conditions
and protective measures sustain a rapid growth of young trees.Merchantable Timber.
The total merchantable wood volume in
Texas, classed either as saw timber or cord-
wood, on Jan. 1, 1939, the most recent figures
available from the Southern Forest Experi-
ment Station based on survey data, was as
follows:
Tree Group- Saw Timber. Cordwood.
Pine .....19,290,000,000 bd.ft. 73,189,000 eds.
Hardwood ..10,336,000,000 bd.ft. 55,084,000 cds.
Total ....29,626,000,000 bd.ft. 128,273,000 cds.
The saw timber tabulated includes pine 9
Inches and larger and hardwood 13 inches
and larger, in diameter, measured 4,2 feet
above the ground line. The cordwood in-
cludes trees over 5 inches in diameter, 4
feet above the ground line, but excludes culls
and hardwood tops and limbs.
Also, these estimates cannot be considered
as the exact total of commercial timber since
such products as fence posts, small poles and
pulpwood can be obtained from trees not in-
cluded in the tabulation, which can economi-
cally be removed through the process of thin-
nings or improvement cuttings.
Timber Growth.
The annual growth in East Texas on areas
with a fair to good stand of trees averages
100 to 150 board feet per acre; on areas with
good restocking and protected from forest
fires growth may average between 200 and
300 board feet on each acre. With the appli-
cation of approved forestry practices and
more intensive protection the growth rate,
especially on the better sites, could be ma-
terially increased.For the four years preceding 1939, the
growth showed an average for the period of
approximately 16 per cent more than the cut.
However, this gain was somewhat offset, at
least for the immediate time, by the fact that
most of the saw timber was removed from
the large, high-quality trees, thus temporarily
reducing the quality and value of the forest
lands on which the cutting was done.
Wartime Demands.
With the start of the war emergency dating
back to the erection of the camps required
under the selective service act, the defense
and war efforts have been placing an increas-
ing demand on the production of essential
forest products. The result is that the cur-
rent cutting is undoubtedly greater than the
amount being replaced by growth.
Even with the overcutting in the present
emergency, the future supply of timber may
be assured if reasonable care is taken to pro-
vide for restocking with trees either naturally
or by planting. The adequate rainfall, cou-
pled with a long growing season and soil
suited to timber growth, offers exceptional
possibilities for sustained forest production.
SECONDARY TIMBER BELTS
While the timberlands of appreciable com-
mercial value are located in the East Texas
pine and hardwood belt, the remaining for-
ests and woodlands, designated generally as
"protection forests," have their own values.
Most of these areas produce a limited crop of
posts and poles and usually provide part
of the fuel wood requirements. Supplement-
ing the products that may be harvested are
the protective values In helping to provide
food and shelter for wild life, to conserve
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Texas Almanac, 1945-1946, book, 1945; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117166/m1/150/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.