THE SPRUCE INVESTIGATION. 



217 



western portion of Grant, the eastern portion of Tucker, Pres- 

 ton and Randolph, western portion of Fendleton and the north- 

 eastern portion of Foeahontas county, and on the higher eleva- 

 tions of Webster and Greenbrier counties, where reasonably 

 healthy and almost pure 

 spruce forests occur. We also 

 find in this same region areas 

 from one to a thousand acres 

 or more in extent on which all 

 of the spruce timber has been 

 killed by insects or other 

 causes. Much of the timber is 

 yet. standing, however, and 

 that which has recently died 

 will remain in fairly good con- 

 dition for the manufacture of 

 timber and pulp- for a number 

 of years. 



The spruce is the principal 

 tree in the northern! section 

 of the area, while the other 

 typical evergreen forest trees 

 are hemlock, (Fig. XIII) white 

 pine and balsam fir, and two or three other species of pines. 

 The hemlock is abundant throughout the area, in some places 

 occuring in pure forests, but as a rule, mixed with spruce 

 and hardwood. The white pine is common in the southern 

 section, while the fir occurs only in the swampy plateaus of the 

 southern portion of Randolph county, in the north-western 

 edge of Freston there is a small area occupied with a mixed 

 growth of spruce, larch and an occasional red pine. Among 

 the deciduous trees which are classed with the hardwood, the 

 birches and beech are the most common; the black, cheery fre- 

 quent, mixed with the spruce, and the soft and hard maples 

 common, while the white arid red oak and tulip poplar are fre- 

 quent on lower elevations. 



Within recent years extensive lumber manufacturing com- 



. XIII. The edge oi: a Hemlock 

 Pore.st in Carman Valley. 



