FEENCH BROAD RIVER BASIN ABOVE SKYLAND. 141 



WOLF CREEK BASIN. 



This stream flows northward from Butt Mountain, in which it has its source, 

 into French Broad River. It is in many ways very similar to Laurel, Brush, 

 and Paint creeks, which enter the river from the northern side, nearlv opposite. 

 The stream is very rapid, often cascading-, and the basin is composed of narrow 

 valleys, which are often constricted, especially near their mouths, but which 

 widen out above and have generally rounded slopes and often small alluvial 

 strips at their head. 



The soil is rather sandy and is derived in large part from conglomerate, quartz- 

 ite, and sandstone; less frequently, tine slates and gneiss. Gneiss and slates give 

 rise to the more fertile soils, and where these are the country rocks the greatest 

 erosion has taken place, and rounded hills or small open valleys have been 

 formed. Wherever quartzite occurs steep ridges or bluffs are formed, and nar- 

 now chasm-like gorges result with a scant, light, often strong soil. The stream is 

 crossed at its mouth by the Southern Railway, and offers excellent opportunities 

 for logging and shipping. Wolf Creek can be splashed for a distance of 5 miles 

 above its mouth. The timber has been very tine. On account of the accessibility, 

 however, considerable logging has been done and the basin has been culled of 

 the poplar, ash, oak, and linn which was situated a convenient distance for hauling 

 from the main stream. A company is now operating on the creek under 

 contract to cut all merchantable hard wood more than 12 inches in diameter and 

 all merchantable white pine 6 inches or more in diameter. This company expects 

 to cut within the next year 6,000,000 feet of pine and hard woods. The land on 

 the creek is largely owned b}^ the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company. 

 There is some hemlock on the stream, but no Imrk has been peeled. 



Few of the farms are extensive. There is a considerable area of steep land 

 at the head of the creek which could be placed in cultivation as soon as the 

 timber has been cut and the land sold to settlers. Much of the woodland in which 

 there is any pine has been Ijurned and the timber to some extent damaged. 



PAINT CREEK BASIN (mADISON COUNTY, N. c). 



Area. Total, 11 square miles; cleared, 1.5 square miles; wooded, 6.5 square 

 miles; severely burned, none. 



Surface. Nearh' the entire basin is broken into steep hills or is mountainous. 

 There is very little alluvial bottom land. 



Soih. The prevailing soil is sandy loam, derived from gneiss and mica 

 schists. Though generally deep, it is too coarse grained and sandy to be very 

 productive. In many cases it washes badly when cleared. 



