SOUTH FORK OF HOLSTON RIVER BASIN (SOUTHERN TRIBUTARIES). 89 



Soil. Usually light; much of it is derived from quartzite, and is a porous 

 loam. The slopes are so steep that the soil is very liable to wash. 



Agricultural value. Light crops of grass and corn are grown, but very little 

 of the land not more than 3 square miles is adapted to agriculture. 



Timber trees. Hemlock, 20 per cent; chestnut, 18 per cent; red oak, 10 per 

 cent; chestnut oak, 8 per cent; white oak, 10 per cent; ash, 5 per cent; maple, 10 

 per cent; white pine, 5 per cent; other species, 12 per cent. 



Yield. hog timber, 98,400 M feet B. M.; small wood, 489,600 cords. 



Demand. Very little logging has been done, partly because owners have not 

 cared to sell and partly because of difficulty of access. 



Accessibility. There can be very little logging done on this tract without 

 considerable expense for roads. The present wagon road,. which reaches only a 

 small part of the basin, crosses the high ridge of Iron Mountain. A railroad or 

 tramway could be built through the gorge toward Damascus, but only at great 

 expense. 



Fire. Fires have been frequent, especially on the ridges of Iron Mountain, 

 where the timber has been much reduced. The northern slopes of Balsam and 

 White Top mountains have been almost free from tire. 



Second growth. '^s.^Xmgs are abundant on all northern slopes, but on the 

 ridges and most southern exposures the stand is deficient because of the fires 

 and drought. 



Reproduction. Free, except as affected by fire. 



Rate of growth. Medium to rapid. 



Water power. Good power could probably be secured on the lower portion 

 of the stream, which is more constant than many others. 



Occupancy. There are about 60 resident families. 



Prices of land. Farm lands are worth from $5 to $20 per acre; mountain 

 lands, from $2 to $6. 



VALLEY CREEK DISTRICT (jOHNSON COUNTY, TENN.). 



Area. Total, 8.50 square miles; cleared, 3 square miles; wooded, 5.50 square 

 miles. 



Surface. Rolling to mountainous. 



Soil. On the ridges the soil is light loam derived from quartzite and gneiss. 

 In the valleys it is red clay derived from limestone. 



Agricultural value. All except the ridge land is adapted to grass. Even on 

 the ridge lands grasses grow very well until the surface is eroded. About 30 

 per cent of this land is adapted to agricultural purposes or grazing. 



