Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Newspapers.....Big Woods, 1946 

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"Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 30, No. 308, Thurs., Mar. 7, 1946, p. 3 

Franklin Lumber Firm Leases Tract In Bigwoods to U. S. Forest Service 

  FRANKLIN, March 7. - The Camp Manufacturing Company, Inc., of Franklin, and 
the United States Forest Service have signed a lease on 1,365 acres of the 
Bigwoods, located in Hertford County, N.C.  Signers of the lease were James L. 
Camp, Jr., president of the Camp Manufacturing Company, Inc., and Dr. I.T. 
Haig, director of the Appalachian Forest Experiment Station. 

  The lease is renewable annually for a period of 30 years.  In accepting the 
lease, Dr. Haig pointed out that the rental is a nominal $1.00 per year.  In 
effect, the Camp Manufacturing Company, Inc., is dedicating the tract to 
research.  Dr. Haig further commented that the Company has long been a 
recognized leader and a major influence in the field of conservation and 
forestry in the Tidewater area and praised its present action as one of the 
most significant to date. 

  Camp described the 1,365-acre tract as a portion of the 10,000 acre, old-
growth Loblolly pine forest, locally known as the Big Woods, located in 
Hertford County, N.C., about 8 miles northeast of Murfreesboro.  The largest 
part of new experimental forest was purchased by P.D. Camp in 1883 and has 
been carefully preserved ever since.  The only cutting of consequence during 
this period was the removal of selected trees for piling during World War II. 
This was one of the few forests along the East Coast capable of supplying 
100-ft. piling in any quantity.  In preliminary surveys foresters have found 
trees over 50 inches in diameter at breast height and having a height of 150 
feet. 

  The research tract will be the scene of a number of different experiments. 
Some of these will be concerned with different methods of harvesting the 
forest crop to insure its renewal and perpetuation; others will be designed 
to determine a method of maintaining the maximum growth rate throughout the 
life of the crop.  All the studies will be directed toward a determination of 
the most profitable methods of managing Loblolly pine in the Coastal Plain of 
Virginia and North Carolina.  Dr. Haig summed up the objectives of the 
experimental work by saying he expected the results to show owners how to grow 
bigger and better lobolly pines more quickly and cheaply. 

  The Northern Coastal Plain embraces an area of 13 million acres in the 
Tidewater portion of Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. 
According to the most recent Forest Survey figures, 8 of these 13 million 
acres are classed as commercial land.  Forty-eight per cent of the forest land 
is owned by farmers in individual woodlands averaging 60 acres in size. 
Inasmuch as all the research findings on the Bigwoods tract will be made 
available to the public, a large number of small woodland owners as well as 
larger industrial owners will benefit by the results obtained.  According to 
Camp, the continued welfare of the wood-using industries of the Coastal Plain 
is in large part dependent on increasing the productivity of the forest 
resources. 

  The research work inaugurated at Franklin is a part of a broad program for 
Southeastern United States.  At the behest of the public, together with lumber 
and pulpwood interests throughout the South, Congress appropriated sufficient 
funds to establish 11 such research centers during the current fiscal year. 

  The Franklin Center is concentrating on the study of Loblolly pine as this 
forest type covers abount one-half of the 8 million acres in the North 
Atlantic Coastal Plain.  Bottomland Hardwoods comprise the next largest forest 
type, about 1.6 million acres.  These swamp hardwood lands are potentially 
large producers.  However, research activities in the swamps must be deferred 
for the present due to lack of funds. 

  The trees on the Bigwoods tract are of an unusual size and quality due to 
the high productivity of the soil and the care with which the area has been 
preserved in the past.  In order that the findings may be double checked, it 
is planned to secure another tract in Southeastern Virginia where the existing 
lumber stand is of a younger age class and growing on a different soil type. 


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