468 LUMBER RESOURCES OF VIRGINIA, 



in Nortli Carolina, varying in width form 20 to 30 miles, and with an 

 area of G,GSO square miles. The surface varies between 200 and 500 on 

 the east, and from COO to 1,200 on the west side. The Blue Ridge varies 

 from 2,000 to 4,000 feet, its general elevation being 2,500, and its highest 

 point, near Tennessee, 5,530 feet. 



4. The Blue Bidge, 310 miles long, for two-thirds of its length is 

 embraced in the Valley and Piedmont counties, which have their com- 

 mon lines on its water-shed. It varies from 3 to 20 miles in width, with 

 an area of nearly 2,500 square miles. It increases in elevation toward 

 the southwest, is generally of a deep blue at a few miles distance, and 

 consists of a series of domes connected by long ridges meeting between 

 the high points in gaps or notches and sending out long spurs in all 

 directions from the general range, more especially on the eastern side, 

 and these again sending out others, giving great variety to the surface 

 and exposure. 



5. The Great Valley op Virginia is the belt of limestone west 

 of the Blue Eidge and east of an interrupted range of mountains of 

 various local names on the west. It extends from the Potomac to Ten- 

 nessee, a distance of 330 miles, of which 25 at the north end are in 

 West Virginia. It is drained by the Shenandoah to the extent of 136 

 miles, the James 50 miles, the lioanoke 38 miles, the Kanawha or New 

 Eiver 54 miles, and the Holston or Tennessee 52 miles. The elevations 

 are 242 feet at the Potomac, 453 at the forks of the Shenandoah, 1,000 

 at Port Republic, 1,803 at the Augusta Summit, 700 at the James Eiver, 

 1,293 at the next summit southward, 825 (?) at the Roanoke, 2,049 at 

 Christianburg, 1,780 at New River, 2,594 at Mount Airy, and 1,078 at 

 the Tennessee line. It is a region of great natural fertility and tine re- 

 sources. It is remarkably adapted to the growth of wheat. 



6. Appalachian Virginia. — This is a mountainous region, with long 

 parallel valleys running from northeast to southwest, separated by long, 

 narrow mountains. In crossing this region to the northwest, one must 

 cross from six to ten of these mountain ridges and as many valleys. 

 In Virginia, this belt is 2G0 miles long and from 10 to 50 miles wide. 

 The heads of the valleys are 2,000 to 2,800 leet above tide, and the wa- 

 ters often flow both ways out of the depression. There are four i)riuci- 

 pal drainages of this part, the James Eiver, the Kanawha or New Eiver, 

 the Tennessee, and the Big Sandy. This is a pastoral region, its cool, 

 moist air, and fertile soil being finely adapted to the growth of grass. 

 Woodlands in the several regions of Virginia reported as included in farms in I860 and 1870.1 



The whole of Virginia was naturally timbered, and no difficulties are 

 met with, either in soil or climate, in planting trees successfully in every 

 part. In many portions of the tide-water region, where the soil is light, 



'It would lead to error if sujiposed that the actual amount of woodlands had de- 

 creased iu the piopor iou or to the degree indicated iu this table. The diiterence m;iy 

 probably be ascribed in a great degree to otuiMsions in the returns of 1870. So unsat- 

 isfactory, indeed, was the census of 1870, that the enumeration of IbGO was taken as 

 the basis of estimates iu the survey above noticed. 



