264 THE FORESTS OF ALLEGANY COUNTY 



and trails, giving abundant opportunity for thoroughly exploring the 

 region from east to west and from north to south. 



The method of examining the county was, briefly, to gain first a 

 general impression of the topography and location of the w T ooded 

 portions by inspection from the summits of the highest mountains 

 or hills. A careful study of the various forest growths, the effects 

 of fires, timber-cutting, and mining was then carried out by actual 

 travel over representative portions of the wooded sections, including 

 all of the larger mountains. The photographs taken illustrate the 

 main features studied. 



Several county officials and other residents of the county identified 

 with railway and mining interests have kindly supplied important 

 data on the local prices of lumber and the amount of timber con- 

 sumed for mining props. Thanks are due for such information to 

 Mr. Somerville of Lonaconing, Messrs. Davidson, Armstrong, and 

 B. S. Randolph of Frostburg, and to Mr. J. W. Cook of Cumberland. 

 Special thanks are due Mr. B. S. Randolph for his cordial attention 

 to the writer while visiting the mines and timberlands of the Con- 

 solidation Coal Company. 



LOCATION. 



Washington, Allegany and Garrett counties form the western, 

 tongue-like portion of Maryland. Allegany county constitutes the 

 middle or narrowest section, with Garrett on the west and Wash- 

 ington on the east. The south boundary of Allegany county is 

 defined by the Potomac river; the east boundary, by Sideling Hill 

 Creek; the north boundary, by Pennsylvania (roughly between longi- 

 tude 78 20' and 79 55'); while the west boundary is formed by a 

 straight line from the crest of Savage Mountain at the Mason and 

 Dixon Line to the mouth of Savage river. 



The area of this county is 477 square miles, or 305,280 acres. 



TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES. 



The surface of this county is uniformly broken into low moun- 

 tains and hills, trending mostly in a northeasterly and southwesterly 



