PIGEON EIVER BASIN. 161 



Soil. The soils are gray loams, often sandy, and for the most part rocky, 

 derived from metamorphosed sandstone. The soils on the lower part of the 

 creek are much better and deeper than those near the head, which are ver}^ thin 

 and extremely rocky. The alluvial lands are sandy and light. 



Humus and litter' On north slopes and in hollows the leaf mold is deep. A 

 great many of the southern slopes, however, have been badly burned or are 

 sujQfering from excessive pasturage, and the humus has been greatl}- reduced. 



Agrictdturul value. Over limited areas, in spite of the steepness, the moun- 

 tain slopes are productive, and yield excellent crops of corn and grass. In 

 the greater part of the basin, however, the slopes are too sandy and thin to be 

 profitably cultivated, except in fruit. At present, however, there is only a small 

 amount of fruit produced. On account of their sandiness the bottom lands 

 are not nearly so fertile as those on other parts of the river. 



Tiinher trees. Oaks form about 50 per cent of the forest; chestnut about 30 

 per cent. Associated with these are more or less maple, birch, ash, hickory, 

 poplar, linn, and buckeye. In the deep, cold hollows at the head of the river 

 there is a small amount of black spruce and some hemlock. The hard-wood 

 growth at the head of the river is largely birch, mixed with beech, maple, and 

 buckeye. 



Yield. Below the mouth of Pisgah Creek the best grades of merchantable 

 timber have been cut, and the stand at present is not more than 2,000 feet 

 B. M. per acre. Above this point there has been less culling and the stand 

 will be from 3,000 to 5,000 feet B. M. per acre, except along the crests of 

 the mountains and the steep southern slopes. The entire basin of Pisgah Creek 

 has been badly burned and is lightly timbered. There is a small area of unculled 

 forest at the head of the river. 



Demand. There is a strong demand for extra and shipping lumber on the 

 lower part of the stream. Good timber brings from $1 to $3 per thousand 

 feet on the stump. 



Accessibility. It is 25 miles from the head of the river to Clyde, the nearest 

 railway station a distance which absolutely prohibits logging. The road down 

 the river is not good, though it could be improved very much at a slight cost. 

 A proposed railroad has been survej^ed through a gap at the head of the river, 

 across the Pisgah Range, from Waynesville, N. C, to Spartanburg, S. C. Should 

 this road be built the timber on this fork of the river would be about 3 miles 

 from it. 



Cutting. Many mills have cut on the stream at various times, and the best 

 grades of timber have been removed as far as the mouth of Pisgah Creek. Two 

 10336 No. 3705 11 



