26 THE SOUTHEKN APPALACHIAN FORESTS. 



be furnished for many farm products, and these primitive mountaineers would be 

 brought into contact with the outer world. 



If a forest reserve were created in this region, some protection could be 

 given to the fish and game. Trout have been dynamited, deer hunted, and turkey, 

 quail, and pheasants slaughtered until game is nearly exterminated. Game can 

 be thoroughly protected onlj^ by establishing a system of forest patrol. This 

 would be too expensive merel}^ for the protection of game, but would be almost 

 a necessary part of forest management. The reestablishment of beaver on the 

 numerous sources of these streams would go far toward steadying the flow and 

 preventing floods. 



TREE SPECIES. 



White pine {Pinus strohus).T\i\s tree reaches a height of 160 feet and a 

 diameter of 40 inches, and forms nearly pure groves or is associated with smaller 

 hard woods. It prefers sandy or gravelly soils on northwest slopes lying between 

 1,700 and 4,000 feet. It is the most important timber tree of eastern United 

 States. Its wood is light, strong, and durable, and is applied to nearly all uses. 

 It grows rapidly and reproduces freely. It is most abundant, attains its maximum 

 size, and grows most rapidly on the western slopes of Smoky and Iron mountains. 



Loblolly pine {Pinvs tseda). In the Appalachians the loblolly pine reaches a 

 height of 80 feet and a diameter of 30 inches. It is found only in the southern- 

 most part of the region, below an elevation of 1,200 feet. It occurs chiefly as a 

 second growth in old stands, and is of great value in restocking them and pre- 

 venting erosion. Nearer the coast it is a timber tree of the first importance. 



Shortleaf pine {Pinus echinata). The shortleaf pine reaches a height of 100 

 feet and a diaineter of 36 inches. It is found on well-drained soil below 2,000 

 feet, becoming more common as the altitude decreases. The wood is yellow, 

 strong, and very durable, and takes a fine finish. The species seeds freely and 

 reproduces abundantl}' under full light, often restocking old stands and waste 

 places. It is one of the most valuable of the yellow pines, and forms the chief 

 building material over much of this region. 



Black pine {Pinus riglda). The black pine reaches a height of 90 feet and a 

 diameter of 28 inches. It is associated with the shortleaf pine, but is more 

 abundant than that tree at higher elevations. Like the shortleaf pine, it seeds freely 

 and often and restocks waste lands. It is not so large nor so valuable, however, 

 and the wood is coarser, more resinous, and not so free from knots. It is much 

 used as a building material. 



Table Mountain pine {Pinus pungens). The Table Mountain pine is a medium- 

 sized tree, which reaches a height of 70 feet and a diameter of 24 inches. It 

 occurs on dry, rocky ridges between 1,500 and 3,000 feet, and is most common 



