1905 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



407 



nation as a whole, and they point to 

 the necessity of protecting through 

 wise use a mountain region whose in- 

 fluence flows far beyond its borders 

 with the waters of the rivers to which 

 it gives rise. 



Among the elevations of the eastern 

 half of the United States, the South- 



wood forests were born on their slopes 

 and have spread thence over the east- 

 ern half of the continent. More than 

 once in the remote geologic past they 

 have disappeared before the sea on the 

 east, south, and west, and before the 

 ice on the north ; but here in this 



Southern Appalachian 



region 



they 



^*- SSi* '$f'~< w ,p-cjtfs>~- 



*%* <3&iK& 



View of Flood Damages on Doe River, Tennessee, May, 1901. 



ern Appalachians are of paramount in- 

 terest for geographic, hydrographic, 

 and forest reasons, and, as a conse- 

 quence, for economic reasons as well. 

 These great mountains are old in the 

 history of the continent which has 

 grown up about them. The hard- 



have lived on to the present day. 



Under the varying conditions of 

 soil, elevation, and climate many of 

 the Appalachian tree species have de- 

 veloped. Hence it is that in this re- 

 gion occur that marvelous variety and 

 richness of plant growth which have 



