6 REPORT ON THE TIMBERS OF THE NORTH 
blue ash, birch, linden, and white hickory, that I have never 
seen surpassed. 
As no mountain could be chosen for study which would 
fairly represent the timber of the country, my method was to 
make sections across Black Mountain and its spurs, and also 
across Brush and Pine Mountains. I chose some as nearly 
representative locality as possible at which to cross the moun- 
tains, and at every hundred barometric feet in height, more or 
less, I noted the proportion, size, and condition of growth of 
all the timber distinctly visible from that point. This method 
will, of course, give the height above drainage at which any 
species disappears or is introduced. I tried also to get the 
proportional effects of alluvial soil and of nearness to water 
upon what are known as swamp timbers. It is well known 
that some timbers are found only on bottom lands, and never 
appear very high above water-level; but, whether this fact is 
due more to the presence of the detritus from the hills, which 
always forms an alluvial soil along the streams, or whether 
the presence of water is absolutely essential to their growth, 
I was not able to determine. In the former case, the same 
timbers would grow on such soils, whether close to water or 
not. An experiment, showing whether these swamp timbers. 
will grow on alluvial soils high above water, or whether they 
will grow near water without an alluvial soil, would be very. 
interesting. My own opinion is, that the soil, not the water, 
is the essential part with most of them. I was led to this. 
opinion by noticing that little benches, high up on the moun- 
tains, where there is no constant drainage, but where deep. 
alluvial soil has accumulated, grew most of the swamp tim- 
bers; but, as a certain amount of water always found its way 
during rains into these depressions, it was impossible to get 
data enough to warrant more than a mere conjecture. 
In regard to the relation between the old and the young 
forest growths in this region, with the exception of walnut — 
timber and of other timbers in certain localities, I see no rea- 
son why the present proportions between the two should be 
materially changed in the near future. 
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