470 



FOREST RESOURCES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



heiug the long-leaf pine [Pinus austraUs), whicli is limited to this part 

 of the State, aud forms a promiDeut article of inauufacture aud a source 

 for the production of turpentine.^ It covers an area of nearly 15,000 

 square miles.^ The yellow pine (P. mitts), is an important building tim- 

 ber throughout the State. The white pine (P. strohns), is limited to the 

 spurs and plateaux of the mountain regions, where it grows in some 

 places abundantly and of large size. The other species are less widely 

 distributed, and,less valuable, except the Pinus taedia, which in the east- 

 ern section grows to a large size, and furnishes an excellent timber. 



The middle district reaches westward to the foot of tbe Blue Kidge, and 

 is characterized by the predominance of oaks, of which there are about 

 twenty species, of which the white oaks {Quercus alha^ Q. ohtusiloba, or 

 *' post oak," and Q. prinus), are most important and form extensive for- 

 ests, and afford timber of great value. The vegetation of this district 

 embraces many species found over a large i)art of the Southern and 

 Middle States, and few that are peculiar to this part. The upper or 

 mountain district ascends to tlie region of firs, and its flora partakes 

 largely of the northern type. This region has from an early period been 

 of interest to botanists, and has been explored by many" eminent ob- 

 servers.^ 



The long-leaf pine forests were reduced about one-third throughout 

 the whole region east of llaleigh to the coast, about thirty years ago, by 

 a species of borer. They have not recovered. The chestnut was for- 

 merly abundant in the Piedmont region, down to the country between 

 the Catawba and Yadkin Eivers, but within the last thirty years they 

 have mostly perished. They are now found east of the Blue liidge only 

 on higher ridges and spurs of the mountains. They have suffered in- 

 jury here, and are dying out, and both here and beyond the Blue Eidge. 

 They are much less fruitful than they were a generation ago, and tbe 

 croj) is much more uncertain. — (William C. Kerr, State geologist, Ra- 

 leigh, N. C.) 



Rainfall of North Carolina. 



Prof. William C. Kerr, State geologist, has published the records of 

 eighteen stations, embracing an aggregate of &2^ years' observations, 

 which may be concisely stated by divisions, months, aud seasons, as 

 follows : 



Bain-fall by motiiTis in inches. 



Variation from mean of State. 



E.Tstern , 



Mi<l(lle , 



Western 



.4 - .2 - .2 



.8 - . 7 0. 

 .9 (-3.0 -1-1.5 



+ 0.0 + .9 1+ .2 

 - .3 - .8 - .4 

 + 1.4 -1-1.2 , + 1.0 



+ 1.0 

 -1.3 

 -t-0.6 



+ 1.0 

 -1.2 

 + .3 



+1.3 

 -1.1 

 -1.7 



'A sketch of the extent of the piue legiou of this State is giveii ou page 137 of this 

 Report. 



'Appendix to the Beport of the Geological Survfy of Xorth Carolina, 1873, by William 

 C. Kerr, p. 13. 



3 III the preface of his report Mr. Curtis mentions the various botanical explorations 

 that have been made of this region. 



