DESTROYING MT. MITCHELL 



85 



Cut Over and Then Burned. 



this is a sample of conditions on mt. mitchell where fire has swept over land from which the timber has 



been cut. reforestation is practically impossible on such land. 



named because of its extent in North 

 and South CaroHna. When the vegetal 

 soil or humus is either burned or washed 

 away, the mineral soil which is left is 

 of a character which breaks up quickly 

 and flows off into the streams, leaving 

 bare, uncovered, rocky places every- 

 where. 



In practically all of the lumbering 

 operations which have been carried on 

 on Mt. Mitchell, Clingman's Peak, and 

 in the vicinity, no thought has been 

 given for the future use of the land. 

 The big trees have been cut so as to 

 follow along the line of least resistance 

 regardless of what they crushed and 

 destroyed. The slash formed by the 

 tops and branches is not piled in small, 

 compact hillocks and burned as it is in 

 many of the western forests, in such a 

 manner as will do the least harm, but 

 is left scattered six or eight feet high 

 over broad areas. 



The burning of this mass of material 

 by the lumbermen in order to protect 

 the standing timber and the logs means 

 that all the new growth of trees is 

 burned at the same time and that the 



soil also is burned to a depth of eight 

 inches to a foot at times. In most 

 such cases the home and permanent 

 offices of the lumberman are generally 

 located in another State and he has 

 absolutely no interest in the mountain 

 regions except in the profit which he 

 will obtain from the timber and he 

 naturally desires all the profit he can 

 get. This, in a word, is the reason 

 why the work is carried on in such a 

 destructive manner without regard for 

 the permanent interests of the people 

 living in the State, and it is this condi- 

 tion which is arousing such protest. 



The people of the southern Appa- 

 lachian region have always recognized 

 forest fires as one of the great curses 

 of the country. The mountains have 

 frequently been swept over by fires ever 

 since the earliest days of the occupation 

 of the region. Many fires occurred 

 before the lumberman started his opera- 

 tions, but these hg.ve not been as destruc- 

 tive as those which have followed the 

 lumberman because the burning of the 

 slash has caused far more harm than 

 the simple burning of standing timber. 



