206 THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN FORESTS. 



high elevation, but they have been abandoned as a commercial crop, below 3,000 

 feet elevation, as the fruit no longer attains perfection. 



Timber trees. Chestnut, scarlet oak, white oak, black pine, red oak, poplar, 

 birch, and ash, with occasional hemlock, hickory, and black oak form the greater 

 part of the forest. The red oak, poplar, birch, ash, and hemlock are confined to 

 the hollows and cooler elevated slopes. Chestnut, scarlet oak, white oak, and 

 yellow pines form more than three-fourths of the forest. Pine is chiefly found 

 below 3,000 feet elevation, where it is associated with scarlet oak, black oak, white 

 oak, and the hickories, or in pure groves where it has colonized abandoned fields 

 or open places in the forest. 



Yield. On south slopes and on the lower hills, where much of the merchant- 

 able timber has been removed for domestic use, there are from 500 to 1,500 feet 

 B. M. of milling timber per acre. On north slopes and in the coves there is 

 about 4,000 feet per acre. There is very little tan bark perhaps 500 pounds of 

 chestnut and hemlock per acre. 



Demand. One dollar per thousand feet is offered for ash, oak, and poplar 

 on the stump. 



Accessibility. It is 12 miles from the mouth of the creek, by the wagon road, 

 to Almond, the nearest railroad station. 



Gutting. Two small portable sawmills are at present in operation on the 

 creek, one near its mouth and the other on the south prong. Their combined 

 capacity is not more than 12,000 feet per day. Most of the timber has been cut 

 below the forks of the creek. 



i<lV<g. Standing timber has been much damaged by repeated ground fires, 

 which have produced butt hollows, and by keeping the growth open have caused 

 short and knotty boles. The south slopes and crests, and the lower hills are 

 frequently burned. 



Reproduction. AH the trees reproduce well by seed, especially the scarlet 

 oak, chestnut, pines, and birch. The oaks and chestnut sprout freely on burned 

 land. 



Second growth. Second growth is scant in the forests, on account of the 

 frequent fires and browsing cattle. Where culling has been carried on in the 

 hollows there are occasional thickets of red oak, birch, maple, and ash, and groves 

 of young trees of black pine, birch, and maple in old pastures. 



Undergrowth. The forests are generally open below. 



Rate of growth. The hard woods make rapid accretion in the hollows, where 

 they are not too crowded. The growth is much slower on south sides and on 

 the lower hills. The black pine grows rapidly until about 40 years of age, when 

 there is a decided decrease in its rate of accretion. It does not make a large tree. 



