LITTLE TENNESSEE RIVEE BASIN. 21^ 



Agricultural value. The soils are not productive, though when first cleared 

 they produce good crops of corn and grass. They are too steep, however, and 

 too sandy to work well agriculturall3\ 



Tirnbet' trees.- The basin is generally lightly timbered, though in the coves 

 and on the north slopes at the upper part of the basin there are some small 

 areas of very heavy timber. Oak, chestnut, and hickorj^ form the greater part 

 of the growth on the slopes; while with these are associated birch and maple, 

 with some ash, linn, and hemlock in the hollows and in other cool moist situa- 

 tions. There is some yellow pine, but its commercial importance is slight. 



Yield. Th.Q yield is not more than 2,000 feet B. M. per acre. 



Demand. There is at present no demand, as the distance from the nearest 

 railroad station makes remunerative sawing impossible. 



Accessibility. The mouth of the stream is 20 miles distant, both from 

 Maryville, Tenn., and Bushnell, N. C. There is a rough road for 4 miles up the 

 stream, which could easily be improved. 



Cutting. There are no mills at present in operation. Some of the best 

 timber has been cut and floated down the Tennessee River to Chattanooga. As 

 the river between the mouth of this stream and Chilhowee, Tenn., is extremel}' 

 rough, where it breaks through the Smoky Mountains, man}' logs are badly 

 split in going through, and there is often a great loss of stranded logs below 

 Chilhowee. 



Second growth. There is no second growth of importance. 



Undei^growth. There is considerable undergrowth on some slopes, especially 

 where there have been ancient fires, and many shoots have sprung up from the 

 stools of young fire-killed trees. In places are Kalmia thickets, but there are not 

 enough of these, nor are the}^ dense enough to present an}^ serious impediment 

 to logging, except at the head of the stream in a few of the deep coves. 



Beproduction. Groves of young trees, some apparently seedlings and others 

 evidently stool sprouts, are frequent in woods that have been burned. 



Rate of groiioth. Accretion is fair, except on the thin, dry soil of south 

 slopes. In the cool, moist hollows it is good. 



Water power. There are numerous sites for dams. In some places they 

 could easily be built from 20 to 40 feet in height, where there are steep slopes 

 on either side of the creek. Good building sites, however, are few. The amount 

 of power that could be secured would in any event not be very large. 



OcGupamxyy. There is ovXy one family at present living on the stream. 



Prices of la7id. Lands are held at about $2.50 per acre. It has been 

 reported that valuable mineral deposits have been found on the stream. 



