LITTLE TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN. 213 



however, especially near the mouth of the stream, the rate of growth is much 

 more rapid. 



Water power. The stream is too small to yield any large amount of power, 

 but there are many falls and available sites for dams and buildings which could 

 be utilized by small plants. 



(hvnership. There are 5 families on the right-hand fork of the stream and 

 about 35 on the left-hand fork and on the main stream. These own the greater 

 part of the land. 



Prices of land. Farming land sells at $4 to $12 per acre; woodland, at %\ 

 to $3 per acre. 



WAYAH CREEK BASIN (mACON COUNTY, N. c). 



Area. Total, 13 square miles; cleared, 1 square mile; wooded, 12 square 

 miles; severely burned, none. 



Surface. The greater portion of the watershed of the creek is much broken, 

 it being a deep, narrow valley, about 8 miles long, surrounded, except at its mouth, 

 by high ridges with steep slopes. There are some limited alluvial bottoms on 

 the lower 3 miles of the basin and beyond these bottoms, on either side, some 

 low hills with gentle slopes. 



.Soil. The soil, except of the alluvial bottoms, is a gray loam, often sandy and 

 for the most part very rocky, derived from metamorphosed sandstone. The 

 alluvial lands have a fine-grained, loamy soil, largely mixed with organic matter. 



Humus and litter. There is very little humus on any of the south slopes. 

 On the north slopes, however, and in the deep hollows it is often abundant. 



Agricultural value. The soils are poor, difficult to cultivate, and wash badly, 

 except on the limited alluviums of the lower 3 miles. Much of the soil is 

 badly worn. Some fields have been in cultivation continuously for more than 

 fifty years. 



Timber trees. Chestnut, white oak, scarlet oak, black oak, poplar, birch, and 

 ash, in relative abundance about in the order named, constitute the greater part 

 of the forest. Chestnut, white oak, and scarlet oak form about 80 per cent of the 

 entire growth, and chestnut alone, nearly 40 per cent. On dry south slopes 

 chestnut, white oak, scarlet oak, black oak, and hickory are most abundant and 

 form nearl}^ the entire growth, while on north slopes and in the hollows chestnut, 

 white oak, hickory, poplar, birch, ash, and linn, with occasional hemlock, form the 

 greater part of the growth. A large part of the forest is composed of vigorous 

 young trees from 60 to 100 years old in nearly even age stand, which sprang up 

 on an old fire scald. Many of these trees are evidently stool shoots. This is 

 especially true of the chestnuts and scarlet oaks. The stand is very dense and 

 the trees are clear stemmed and straight. 



