LITTLE TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN. 231 



PANTHER CREEK BASIN (gRAHAM COUNTY, N. c). 



Area. Total, 23 .square miles; cleared, 1.50 square miles; wooded, 21.50 

 square miles. 



Surface. Moderately mountainous. Some of the narrow bottoms and lower 

 slopes are arable. 



,(^6^^. Fertile. 



Humus and Utter. Light. Repeated fires have reduced them. 



Agricultural value. Slight, except along the narrow bottoms, where corn 

 and grass do well. 



Timber trees. The principal timber trees are the oaks, hickory, chestnut, 

 cucumber, and buckeye. 



Yield. Log timber, 27,520 M feet B. M.; small wood, 247,680 coi-ds. 



Demand. One dollar per thousand feet on the stump is paid for "export 

 timber." 



Accessibility. The remotest part of this tract is within 12 miles of the 

 railroad at Bushnell. 



Cutting. Poplar, ash, walnut, and cherry have been culled from the lower 

 portion of the valley and from the lower coves. 



Fire. Ground fires have been very frequent. 



Reproduction. Free, except along the crests of ridges. The new stock is 

 of the same species as the old. 



Second groicth. Deficient, owing to the prevalence of fires during many 

 years past. The best stand of saplings is on wood lots where protected from fire. 



Undergrowth. Reduced by fire and grazing. 



Rate of growth. Moderate. 



Water power. The stream is small, except in its lower course. 



Prices of land. The best land could be bought for about f5 per acre. 



STEKOAH CREEK DISTRICT (GRAHAM COUNTY, N. c). 



Boundaries. The divides, including the whole drainage basin of this stream 

 and Sawyer Creek. 



Area. Total, 20.60 square miles; cleared, 2.80 square miles; wooded, 17.70 

 square miles. 



Surface. Moderately mountainous ridges, with narrow creek bottoms. 



Soil. The bottoms are fertile; the ridges have light soil and become very 

 dry at times. 



Humus and litter. Usually scant because of much burning. 



Agricultural value. On\y the bottoms and coves are worth cultivating. 



