194 THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN FORESTS. 



Ovmership. The greater portion of the timber is at present owned by 

 residents. 



Prices of land. Agricultural lands sell at $5 to $50 per acre. Forest lands, 

 in the mountains, sell at $2 to $4 per acre. 



EAST FORK OF TUCKASEGEE RIVER BASIN (jACKSON COUNTY, N. C). 



Area. Total, 89 square miles; cleared, 10 square miles; wooded, 79 square 

 miles. 



Surface. The greater part of the surface is extremely rough and rugged, 

 especially on the northern slopes of Bell Coney Mountain and Big Ridge and on 

 the southern slopes of the Balsam Mountains. 



Soils. The soils of the valleys of the northern tributaries are gray, loose 

 loams, sometimes fine grained, but generally coarse, and in many places gravelly, 

 often rocky. They are derived in large part from metamorphosed sandstones. 

 The soils of the watersheds of the southern tributaries are coarse, sandy, or 

 gravelly loams, derived in large part from a coarse granite. They are very thin 

 and porous, and are apt to dry out during prolonged droughts. 



Agricultural value. In the lower part of the basin, especially on Gladie and 

 Sol creeks, there are some limited areas of very good soil, and nearly all of 

 the staple agricultural crops are successfully and profitably raised. On Wolf 

 and Tennessee creeks the land is too steep and the soil too thin for agriculture 

 to be profitable, although there are many small farms. The elevated region 

 at the head of the southern tributaries, lying along the crest of the Blue Ridge, 

 is too cold for successful farming, grass and hardy apples alone being consid- 

 ered profitable crops. 



Hwnus and litter^ A great portion of the south-side land, lying on Wolf 

 and Tennessee creeks, has been very badly burned and the humus destroyed or 

 very much reduced. Elsewhere, except on badly burned land, there is much 

 more humus. It is generally thin, however, on the elevated land lying along 

 the Blue Ridge. 



Timhei' trees. Oak forms about 45 per cent of the forest and chestnut about 

 30 per cent. On nearly all the streams are some fine groups of hemlock, and 

 in the hollows are small quantities of poplar, ash, birch, and buckeye. There 

 is some white pine, especially on the southern tributaries, but the stand is not 

 heavy. 



Yield. The average yield is about 2,500 feet B. M. per acre. 



Demand. At present there is no demand for any kind of lumber, on account 

 of the lack of transportation facilities. 



Cutting. There are no mills at present in operation. Little cutting has 



