Excerpt from Loblolly Pine in Eastern Texas: With Special Reference to the Production of Cross-Ties

The short history of loblolly pine lumbering in eastern Texas repeats, almost to the letter, the characteristic features of the develop ment of the lumber industry in this country. In early lumbering in the United States only the most valuable and easily obtainable kinds of trees were cut. Gradually, as the supply of choice and accessible timber decreased and the stumpage prices advanced, the. Less valuable species came to the front. Their properties were better understood, and means were found by which they could be made serviceable for many purposes for which Originally only the choicest species were used. A decade ago the cutting of loblolly pine in eastern Texas was very limited. It was used only locally in the counties where no other pine was near at hand or could easily be obtained. As the center of the lumber industry shifted from the Northeast to the South, the demand upon the Southern pineries greatly increased, and caused a corresponding advance in the stumpage price of the longleaf pine, which led to a greater recognition of the suitability of loblolly pine for many uses for which previously only longleaf pine had been employed.

A new stimulus to the use of loblolly pine was given about eight years ago, when the chemical treatment of wood to preserve it from decay was first introduced in this section. This preservative treat ment made it possible to utilize loblolly pine for cross-ties, for which it is in its natural condition unsuited on account of its rapid decay on the ground. At present the bulk of all the ties produced in eastern Texas are of loblolly pine. The economic importance of this pine is bound to grow still more in the future.

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