FRENCH BROAD RIVER BASIN ABOVE SKYLAND. 143 



SOUTH FORK OF HOMINY CREEK BASIN (bUNCOMBE COUNTY, N. c). 



Area. Total, 39 square miles; cleared, 12 square miles; wooded, 27 square 

 miles. 



Surface. The stream drains an oval basin. The upper portion lies on the 

 upper slopes of the Pisgah and Su^artop mountains, and is divided by many 

 spurs of these mountains into a great number of deep, narrow, parallel, gorge- 

 like valleys. The lower part of the area is open, and consists of low hills with 

 broad alluvial bottoms and occasional low mountains. The mountain slopes in 

 the upper part of the basin are steep and in some places very rough, especially 

 those on Stony Fork and Glady Creek. Although the land on Warren Creek 

 and the main stream of the South Fork is very steep, it is largely smooth and 

 free from rocks. There is more or less bottom land on the South Fork from 

 2 miles above Dunsmore on down. 



Soils. The soils are gray loams and loose loams, derived from metamorphosed 

 sandstone over the southern and southeastern part of the basin and from gneiss 

 and schists over the northern and western part. The soils derived from gneiss 

 and schists are of much better qualit}^ than the others, and deeper and freer 

 from stone. 



Agricultural value. Corn is the staple crop. Some small grain is raised in 

 the lower part of the valley and some grass in the upper part. Apples are being 

 extensively cultivated and are yearl}' receiving more attention. Truck farming 

 is being carried on to a considerable extent to supph' the Asheville market. 

 The lower part of the basin is decidedly a farming region. 



Humus and litter. There is very good soil cover in nearly all of the coves, 

 but manj^ of the steep slopes have been badly burned. 



Timher trees. Oak form about 50 per cent of the forest and chestnut about 

 30 per cent. In the lower part of the basin there is some yellow pine; in the 

 upper part there is birch, ash, poplar, and maple, associated with oak and 

 chestnut. 



Yield. The M'Oodland in the lower part of the basin will cut less than 

 1,000 feet B. M. per acre; that in the upper part will cut from 2,000 to 3,000 feet. 



Demand. Qtood grades of timber are much sought for. On account of the 

 nearness of transportation facilities some low-grade timber can be profitabl}' 

 marketed. Tan bark has been peeled to the head of the stream, and chestnut 

 telephone poles and oak cross-ties are being cut as far as Dunsmore. 



Accessibility. There are fair roads up all the large valleys and most of the 

 smaller tributaries. From Dunsmore, in the center of the basin, it is only 9 

 miles to Hominy, on the Asheville and Murphy Branch of the Southern Railwav- 



