OK, no discussion of nasty political races, banned sportsmascots, wars or World Series dreams gone awry.

Today we’ll talk about how money really does grow on trees.

Those of us who live and work in southwest Mississippi know theimportance of forestry in this area. In Lincoln County, timber isthe leading agriculture product with an estimated value of around$25 million.

Statewide, according to the the Mississippi ForestryAssociation, timber is the second most valuable crop, just behindpoultry. More than 55,000 Mississippians are directly employed inforestry or the forest industry, earning some $1.67 billionannually and accounting for one in four manufacturing jobs.

As the state observes Forest Products Week, officials at theForestry Association put together a Mississippi trivia quiz. Seehow you do:

1. What is the Mississippi’s largest tree?

It is a bald cypress located eight miles north of Belzoni inHumphreys County. It is 46 feet, 4 inches in circumference (about15 feet in diameter) and 70 feet tall. The state champion islocated within 300 feet of the former champion bald cypress, whichis only slightly smaller. Either tree would produce enough lumberto build six ordinary houses.

2. What is Mississippi’s tallest tree?

At 152 feet, Mississippi’s tallest tree is a black willowlocated in Jefferson County.

3. What two states’ official state flowers are also theblossoms of their official state trees?

You probably already guessed Mississippi, with it’s magnoliatree and blossom. The other is Virginia and the dogwood tree andblossom.

By the way, the Forestry Association says the national championmagnolia tree is located in Jones County, Miss.

4. What is the largest tree ever transplanted,anywhere?

A live oak, weighing almost 300 tons, that was picked up andmoved 100 yards during the weekend of April 13-14, 1996, in Biloxi.The giant tree, which weighed 593,049 pounds, was 50 feet tall, 52inches in diameter and had a 95-foot branch circumference, wasmoved from the path of construction.

5. Does most of the paper manufactured in the U.S. comefrom whole trees?

No. Over half of the raw material used to make paper comes fromrecovered paper and wood waste, such as chips and sawdust, leftbehind from lumber manufacturing.

6. True or false: The U.S. has more trees today that itdid 70 years ago.

True. And, so does Mississippi, which has more forest acrestoday than it did in the 1950s.

7. Which of the following are notforest products: spray paint, window shades, roadside flares, videocassette packaging, bumper stickers, flashlight batteries, coffeefilters or suntan lotion?

None. All of the items are produced from trees or woodbyproducts.

8. What is dendrophobia?

Dendrophobia is the fear of trees. Xylophobia is the fear ofwoods of forests.

Both illnesses are thought to be extremely rare inMississippi.

Write to Nanette Laster at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven, Miss.39602, or send e-mail to news@dailyleader.com.