168 THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN FORESTS. 



The tract has an area of 254,720 acres, of which 92 per cent is wooded. 



Soil. In general the soil is light colored and shallow, especially on the ridges 

 and steep slopes. In the coves, however, and along the foot of the ridges, where 

 the slope is more gentle, humus has accumulated, and the soil is fertile. In 

 general ph^^sical quality the soil is loam or clay loam. 



Agriculture. Corn is the principal farm crop, and 50 bushels per acre are 

 sometimes grown on the best lowlands. This land can not compete with the 

 alluvial river bottoms, however. Most of it is farmed only because it is cheap 

 land. The higher altitudes are favorable to fruit, grass, and vegetables, and also 

 to stock raising in a limited degree, as cattle may roam in the woods and subsist 

 on seedlings, shrubs, and weeds, and hogs in occasional years find abundant mast. 



As a rule the earth is fairly well covered and thus protected from erosion, 

 but the few old pastures are worn and gullied here, as elsewhere, on hilly land. 



In this region streams heading in unbroken forest are notably clear and 

 show little fluctuation, while those from cleared lands are muddy and inconstant. 

 While present erosion is limited, there is evidence that it would be very great 

 if large areas of the earth were uncovered. 



The forest. With the exception of a few "balds" or grassy areas on the 

 higher summits and the alluvial lands of the lower coves and creek valleys, the 

 forest of this great mountain side is practically unbroken. The tracts contain 

 926,160 M feet B. M. log timber, and 5,719,200 cords of small wood. 



Over 100 species of trees grow here, an unusually large number for one 

 locality. Northern and southern trees are close neighbors, and all may be seen 

 between elevations of 1,500 to 6,700 feet. The proportions of timber species 

 are as follows: 



Proportions of timber species on northivestem slope of Smoky Mountains. 



Per cent. 

 Oak 20 



Ash ' 2 



Hemlock 10 



Peawood 1 



Black gum 2 



Other species 12 



Maple ; 5 



Black pine 2 



Chestnut 12 



Spruce 2 



Cherry 1 



Buckeye 6 



Beech 2 



Hickory 1 



