Kirby lumher Corporation 0perates 550,000 Acre $outhorn Pine Tree larm in fiast Tsxas

The Kirby Lumber Corporation, of Houston, Texas, is one of the'world's outstanding growers of commercial trees.

In the Piney Woods section of East Texas this concern owns a tree farm that totals something over 550,000 acres, and every acre of that great tract is growing Southern Pine trees, and reaping a constant harvest of logs for supplying their mills, all in the most modern, approved, and scientific manner.

This 'ivas the result of no new idea. In July, 1901, tlie late great Texas industrialist John Henry Kirby organized the giant concern that bears his name ; and t'ithin sixty days after the forming of the corporation, he advised the Forestry Department of the United States Government that he r,r'as startir-rg to raise trees in commercial fashion on more than ONE MILLION ACRES of East Texas land, and solicited the assistance and cooperation of the Government in scientifically carrying out that vast enterprise.

So, when someone asks rvhen the tree farming idea first came into existence, the above facts concerning the Kirby Lumber Corporation may be safely quoted. It should be added here that at that same time, over in Louisiana, Henry Hardtner and his brother Quinton, were already busily and scientifically engaged in commercial and scientific tree growing, knorving practically everything about it that our best foresters knorv today, and that enterprise of the Urania Lumber Co. at ljrania, Louisiana, still thrives and flourishes. Those early sawmill men of Texas and I-ouisiana really had the vision.

Kirby Lumber Corporation started rvith 14 major sawn-rills and a million acres of land. Now, just fifty years later, it operates five major sawmills in East Texas, and is supplying those mills abundantly with quality logs scientifically grown and logged from land from which the virgin timber u'as long since removed. The Kirby mills now produce an average of 100,000,000 feet of lumber annually, as well as vast quantities of other pine products, such as posts, piling, pulpwood, railroad ties, etc. And Kirby's group of foresters have told them that soon they should further develop and increase their manttfacturing department in order that it may keep pace with their tree growth. For that reason there are plans at Kirby's for sarvmill additions of vast importance.

Kirby employs a company of 16 graduate foresters who have complete charge of its timber affairs. the growth, protection, designation, and harvesting of the tree crop from the 550,000 acre farm. E,verv tree is accounted for from the time it starts uplvard from the earth. Nothing is left to chance. Tree gror'ving is a tremendous enterprise on the Kirby lands. The future of Kirby timber and lumber products seems completely secure.

I{arry M. Seaman, one of the lvorld's most enthusiastic tree growers, is at the helm of the Kirby Lumber Corporation, as executive vice president. Kirby Herndon is vice president and his top lieutenant. Both are located in the Houston offices.