More and Better Pines on the Eastern Shore, Part I
V.P.I. Extension Service
Pine Forests Part of the Farming System
Because of the type of farming which has developed, pine timber is more highly regarded on the Eastern Shore of Virginia than in any other section of the State, possibly any other section of the United States. Lumber for building and repair work, fencing material, fuelwood, shipping containers, etc., are valued here as elsewhere, but it is from two peculiar needs of the truck grower that the special value arises: Forest litter and windbreaks.
According to figures taken from the 1935 census report, of the 107,437 acres of crop land harvested in Accomack and Northampton counties in 1934, 65,168 acres or 61% were in potatoes, and only 695 acres -- six tenths of 1% -- were devoted to small grains for thrashing. With such a distribution, it is obvious that some supplementary source of organic matter is necessary. Forest litter has met that need, and for various reasons pine straw is the preferred type of litter. So generally is this need for an adequate supply of forest litter recognized that it has been reduced to one word -- "resources." One of the first questions asked about a farm that is up for sale or rent on the Eastern Shore is: "Has it plenty of resources?"
The other special value has to do with the value of the forest as a wind-break. This has two angles: the needs of the soil and the needs of the crops, especially those which stay in the ground over winter. The characteristic soil throughout both counties is loose and sandy. High winds are the rule, especially through the winter months. This is also the season when the soil is most exposed, and when the surface is apt to be frozen dry and very powdery. The result is that there is frequently serious wind erosion and drifting, and the only way to control it seems to be with cover crops and adequate wind-breaks. The value of cover crops is fully appreciated and their use is almost universal, but they occasionally fail to catch. A good windbreak is there always.
As for the crops: the following quotation from a statement by T. C. Johnson, for many years Director of the Virginia Truck Experiment Station, sums up the matter briefly: "It is generally conceded that with soil and drainage conditions equal, land which is protected by forests will produce such crops as strawberries, potatoes, sweet potatoes and cabbage several days earlier than will those that are exposed to north and northwest winds." And, it might be added, in addition to those "several days" advantage in getting on the market, there is another advantage which may frequently be of even more value: better survival and more uniform growth.
Privet hedges and other low growing plants are frequently used for windbreaks, but have two distinct disadvantages: being short, their influence is felt for a correspondingly short distance; and they have no value other than that of a windbreak. Pine trees, on the other hand, are taller, retain their foliage throughout the winter, and yield both wood and litter, in addition to serving as a windbreak.
Most farmers appreciate the situation, and what they want to know is: how to get more and better pines. This question will be discussed next week.