LITTLE TENNESSEE RIVEE BASIN. 191 



frequently recurring iires, most of the trees are short-bodied and have large, 

 spreading crowns. 



Water power. There is one small gristmill in operation on Norton Creek, 

 and there are other sites for small mills. The power available, however, is not 

 large. 



Ownership. The forest land is largely owned by residents. There are 3 

 families on Grassy Camp Creek and 16 on Norton Creek. 



lances of land. Land suitable for farming sells at $4 to $10 per acre. 

 There is considerable land at present in timber, with gentle slope and well 

 situated for farming, especially for grass, though thin-soiled and light. Wood- 

 land sells at %\ to $4 per acre. 



SAVANNAH CREEK BASIN (jACKSON COUNTY, N. c). 



Area. Total, 41 square miles; cleared, 9 square miles; wooded, 32 square 

 miles; burned, none. 



SurfoAie. In the upper part of the basin is a series of deep, narrow, nearly 

 parallel gorges opening to the north and northwest, indenting the northern 

 slope of the Cowee Mountains. In the lower part of the basin are broader 

 valleys, with some level bottoms adjoining the stream and rolling uplands, which 

 descend gently from the surrounding foothills. 



Soil. The soils of the mountains and of the upper part of the basin are 

 gray, sandy, and loose loams derived from gneiss. In spite of their rockiness 

 they are generally deep and fairly productive. The soils of the lower part of 

 the basin are red, stiff loams, very deep, but often wash badly when cleared, 

 if not carefully cultivated. 



Humus and litter. There is only a slight accumulation of forest litter on 

 the hills and the drier soils, but in the deep gorges and coves at the heads of 

 the streams there is much humus. 



Agricultural value. The gray lands at the head of the stream are ver}^ good 

 grass lands and produce fair crops of corn. The red lands in the lower part of 

 the basin yield well in corn and small grain, pease, and clover, but will not 

 remain for a long while set in grass. The bottom lands are all productive. 

 Apples do well and are grown on a commercial scale. 



Timher trees. Oak forms about 45 per cent of the forest; chestnut about 35 

 per cent; in the mountains maple, birch, linn, buckeye, and poplar, with some 

 hemlock form the remainder. On the lower hills hickory and yellow pine are 

 associated with the oaks and chestnut. 



. Yield. There is very little merchantable timber in the lower half of the 



