244 THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN FORESTS. 



Accessibility. Easy of access. A railroad traverses the whole lencrth of the 

 valle}^, and wagon roads lead up most of the tributaries. 



Cutting. Very little log timber is cut, except for local use. Bark is the 

 principal material marketed at present. 



Fires. Fires have been prevalent for many years. 



Reproduction. Free where not repeatedly burned. Old fields are soon 

 recovered with persimmon and oak. 



Second growth. Saplings are abundant on some of the moist culled lands, 

 but are scant on the ridges. 



Rate of grmoth. Medium. 



Water poioer. Valley River would supply a number of mills, but the flow 

 is very unsteady and difficult to control. 



Ownership. Several large tracts are held by nonresidents, but most of the 

 area, especially the farm lands, is divided into small holdings, owned by residents. 



Prices of lands. Fift}' dollars per acre is asked for the best bottom lands, 

 but some of the mountain lands could be bought for 50 cents to %\ per acre. 



PEACFITREE CREEK DISTRICT (CHEROKEE COUNTY, X. c). 



Boundaries. 'Y\\^ divides, including the entire drainage basin of Peachtree 

 Creek east of the Hiwassee road; also that portion of Cherokee Count}- lying 

 between the Hiwassee road (south of Peachtree Creek) and the eastern boundar}' 

 of Cherokee County, and north of Hiwassee River. 



Area. Total, 11 square miles; cleared, 1.33 square miles; wooded, 9.67 square 

 miles. 



Surface. The lower portion of the valley has arable bottom land about three- 

 fourths of a mile wide. Three miles above the Hiwassee road it becomes narrow 

 and interrupted. The mountain slopes are steep. 



Soil. The bottoms are fertile loam. The ridges are light and poor. 



Humus and litter. Scant, owing to tires and grazing. 



Agrimdtural value. The bottoms yield good crops of corn, but little else is 

 grown, as vegetables and hay are not productive in this low altitude. 



Timber trees. 0^^%., 75 per cent; the hickories, 5 per cent; chestnut, 10 per 

 cent; cucumber, ash, poplar, and cherry together, 5 per cent; others, 5 per cent. 



Yield. \jo^ timber, 7,680 M feet B. M.; small wood, 1\M\ cords. 



Demand. One dollar per thousand feet is considered a good stumpage price 

 for the best of the log timber. The greater portion has no market value 

 whatever. 



Accessibility. The wagon road to Murphy, the shipping point, is long and 

 hilly, but the forest itself is not especially difficult of access. 



