HARDWOOD RECORD 



33 



silver-bell tree. Among the more scattering but still valuable growths 

 are white pine, short-leaf rellow pine, the river and paper birches, 

 sassafras, dogTvood, persimmon, holly, black locust, beech, yellow- 

 flowered cucumber, red and black gums, sourwood and gopherwood. 

 The original lower level growth, as well as a large part of it at the 

 higher altitudes, is magnificent both in size and physics. This is 

 notably true of the splendid yellow poplar, the red oaks, the chestnut 

 and the hemlock. Both the white pine and yellow pine growths are of 

 rather ordinary character from a commercial viewpoint, and produce 

 very little save good common lumber. The spruce which abounds ou 

 many of the tops of the mountains is of high value, chiefly on account 

 of its availability for pulp and paper making purposes. The hemlock 

 and chestnut oak bark and chestnut wood are of high utility for 

 chemical purposes, and notably for the production of tannic acid for 

 tanning purposes, and are very extensively utilized. 



It must be borne in mind that the rapid change of altitude in this 

 region materially alters the complexion of the forest. The oaks, pop- 

 lar, chestnut and gum forests in their richest growth prevail on the 

 lower levels, and the lands bearing them have been largely denuded. 

 Higher up on the slopes still remains a wonderful variety of high 

 type forest trees, which are constantly increasing in value with the 

 progressing extinction of American forests. The deep coves of the 

 higher altitudes stOl contain a comparatively large quantity of 

 yellow poplar, red birch, cherry, buckeye, basswood, chestnut, soft 

 maple, silver-bell tree, hemlock, spruce and balsam but the larger 

 quantity of the oaks, hickories, white pine and yellow pine does not 

 grow on the higher levels. 



A source of income of these native farmers is their live stock which 

 in numbers is only about equal to the human population. This stock 

 is allowed to range in the forest, especially on the open flats. (Inci- 

 dentally a "flat" in the Southern Appalachians is any piece of land 

 that does not have a slope of more than fifteen degrees.) This live 



UPPER WHITEWATER FALLS, OCONEE COUNTY, SOUTH 

 CAROLINA 



MEIGS MOUNTAIN FROM ANDERSONROAD, SEVIER COUNTY. 

 TENNESSEE 



stock is confined largely to cattle, although some sheep and hogs are 

 raised but the damage to the forest by even this limited number is 

 very marked, and is second only iu destructive importance to fire. 

 The stock eats off the young growth, tramples and hardens the soil, 

 mars bark and roots, and is a positive menace to tree reproduction 

 over large areas. 



A remarkable feature of this forest is its regenerative power, which 

 is greater than in any other region in the eastern or northern states. 

 This power of reproduction will enable the judicious forester to secure 

 a valuable stand with little planting, as thinning alone will in 

 most cases be sufiicient to insure a new crop. If taken in hand 

 promptly and this method of sylviculture applied to the remaining 

 forest it wiU undoubtedly yield handsome returns. 



Up to within a few years and even at the present time, choice 

 timber was girdled and killed to make fields on which to produce corn 

 costing a dollar a bushel, or to be grazed until worn out and gullied 

 by erosion. 



Roads 



As one conceives an industrious people in the greater portion of the 

 United States, the mountaineers of the lower Appalachians can not 

 be regarded as particularly diligent. They may be described in 

 the local vernacular as "triflin". Few work save when necessity 

 compels them. "Values are graduated to their wants. The moun- 

 taineer with fair supply of "meat" and a full "poke" of corn 

 meal in his shack, is not likely to seek employment in the lumber 

 camp, but with his stock of provisions exhausted he becomes a com- 

 petent and willing worker until his food is replenished. Then he quits 

 and goes fishing, hunts "whistling pigs", or sets bear traps. The 

 women do the most of the cultivating of the com and other field work 

 on the farm. To illustrate the shiftless habits of the natives, it 



