164 THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN FORESTS. 



Agricultural value. On account of the coldness of the region and the gen- 

 eral thinness of the soils, the land is not productive; the valley is thickly settled, 

 however, as far as Three Forks. Many steep hillsides are under cultivation; 

 very little of the land is badly washed, but a few of the bottoms have been 

 much eroded by freshets. Corn, grass, and apples are the staple crops. 



Timher trees. Oaks and chestnut form the dominant growth. With these, 

 especially near the head of the river, birch, buckeye, beech, maple, and hemlock 

 are associated in greater or less abundance. There are several hundred acres of 

 spruce mixed with balsam on the upper slopes of the high mountains. Some of 

 the timbers show the effects of ancient fires and there are a few areas which 

 have recently been badly burned. 



Yield. The average yield above Three Forks will be more than 4,000 feet 

 B. M. per acre; below Three Forks, about 2,000 feet B. M. per acre. 



Demand. Good hard- wood timber, suitable for the manufacture of shipping 

 lumber, is in active demand, and there are several mills at present sawing such. 

 The local demand, except for chestnut for fencing and domestic use, is limited. 



Accessibility. A road, which could easily be much improved to facilitate log- 

 ging, runs to within a few miles of the head of the river. The distance from 

 Lavinia to Waynesville on the Murphy Branch of the Southern Railway is about 8 

 miles, over a well-kept wagon road, a part of which is soon to be macadamized. 



Cutting. The greater portion of the best timber has been cut from the lower 

 end of the valley, but the upper slopes at the head of the river are practically 

 in a primeval condition. 



Second growth. There is no second-growth forest, except a few small areas 

 connected with the farms. 



TJndergrmjoth. Rhododendron forms a heavy underbush on many of the north 

 slopes. In a few places there are Kahnia and other shrubs which would be 

 troublesome in logging, though they are probably of value as soil binders where 

 the slopes are steep. 



Reproduction. The dominant species seem to seed frequently and reproduce 

 freely, under suitable light conditions, and groups of young trees are frequent. 



Rate of grmuth. Rapid accretion is made where the soil is moist and deep. 

 It is slower on dry soils at high elevations. 



Water power. Although there is ample fall, the stream is able to yield 

 only a limited power. 



Ovinership. At the head of the river large tracts are held by nonresidents. 

 The lower part is owned by residents. 



Prices of land. Farming land sells at $4 to |25 per acre; woodland, at $2 to 

 $15 per acre. 



