230 THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN FORESTS. 



Soils. In the mountains the soils are thin and light, and generally very 

 rocky. The hills near the river have red, loamy or stiff soils. The alluvial lands 

 are limited in extent, and have silty or sandy loam soils. 



Humus and Utter. The leaf mold has accunuilated to a great depth in the 

 deep mountain hollows, but is very thin on the poor and dry southern slopes. 



Agricultural value. The sandy soils on the mountain slopes are generally not 

 so productive after they have been in cultivation several years as are the red 

 lands, though the}' often yield better at first. 



Tlmher trees. Mountain hard woods, intermixed with a small proportion of 

 hemlock and spruce, form the forests, except in the lower part of the basin, where 

 they are formed of small oaks, chestnut, and hickory, with some black pine. 



Yield. The forests in the upper part of the basin will cut more than 3,000 

 feet B. M. per acre; those in the lower part, not so much. 



Z)'/rta7^rf. There is an active demand for good hard- wood stum page for export 

 lumber. The local requirements are inconsiderable. 



Accessibility. The Southern Railway crosses the lower part of the valle\', 

 and a wagon road extends from it nearly to the head of the basin. 



Cutting. The choicest trees have been removed from the lower end of the 

 valley which is contiguous to the railroad, but only desultory cutting has been 

 carried on more than 10 miles from the railroad. 



Second growth. There is ovA^ a very small amount of second growth in the' 

 valley, and that is in the southern part. 



Undergrowth. A heavy undergrowth of laurel mantels the moister slopes at 

 the head of the stream, while many of the drier slopes support Kalmia and 

 other shrubs. 



Reprodtiction. Clumps of young oaks and chestnut are not infrequent where 

 windfalls have admitted light or where lumbering has been in progress. Young 

 growth of other species is frequent wherever there are suitable conditions for 

 its growth. 



Rate of grmvth. Accretion is good in the moist hollows, but slower on dry 

 south slopes and at high elevations. 



Water power. This stream is too small to afford more than a limited power 

 at any place, even under the best development. 



Occupancy. About 30 families live on this stream, the greater number of 

 them below the forks of the creek. 



Prices of land. Farming land sells at $6 to $50 per acre, woodland, at $2 to 



per acre. 



