128 THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN FORESTS. 



ridges, fires have been frequent and have checked the development of young 

 growth. 



Rate of growth. Accretion is normal for the elevation and aspect. 



Water power. These streams are too small to aflford more than a very slight 

 power. 



Ownership. The greater part of the land on both streams is controlled by 

 a large company, though there are many small holdings near the mouths of the 

 streams. There are about 50 families on both streams. 



Prices of land. Farming land sells at $6 to $20 per acre; woodland at 

 $3 to $5. 



CANEY RIVER BASIN ABOVE BUBNSVILLE (yANCEY COUNTY, N. c). 



Area. Total, 57 square miles; cleared, 10 square miles; wooded, 47 square 

 miles; severely burned, 1 square mile. 



Surface. The basin is a deep valley lying between the Black Mountains and 

 Yates Ridge and opening toward the north. At its lower part the valley broadens 

 out, and there are low, rounded hills and some rolling land, but above the valley 

 narrows, and the steep mountain slopes rise almost from the banks of the stream. 

 There are small areas of level alluvial bottom bordering the stream at intervals, 

 but they are not extensive. The entire mountainous portion is steep, and the 

 greater part of it extremely rough and rocky, with a few bold cliffs. 



Soil. The soils in the lower part of the basin are deep and fine-grained loams, 

 and loose loams, derived from schists. Above they are derived from gneiss. On 

 the mountains they are shallow and are frequently sandy and coarse grained. In 

 many places they are rocky, even on the bottoms. 



Hmnus and litter. Except on the burned land in the mountains and on 

 some of the steepest and dryest slopes the leaf mold has generally accumulated 

 to a great depth and forms a valuable soil covering on the steep slopes. In the 

 spruce forests which cap the Black Mountains for nearly their entire length, there 

 is an excellent growth of moss and similar vegetation. 



Agricultural 'value. Over limited areas, in spite of their steepness, the 

 mountain slopes are very productive, especially in grass, which is the chief crop 

 in this portion of the river basin. Corn is the staple grain. Only a small amount 

 of wheat and oats is grown. The apples raised in this part of the valley are veiy 

 fine. The alluvial bottom lands are not extensive, but are generally fertile, 

 except in a few places, where they are sandy. Over limited areas they have 

 been badly washed by freshets. 



Timber trees. The oaks form about 40 per cent of the forest; chestnut more 

 than 30 per cent. Associated with these are maple, birch, ash, linn, buckeye, 

 hickory, poplar, and hemlock. On the summits of all the higher peaks of the 



