PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE I51 
IN KENTUCKY’S MOUNTAIN. 
Our article upon erosion may well be illustrated by the photographs 
taken at the head waters of Licking River in Kentucky, and shown in our 
engravings. 
A dozen years ago these rough mountain slopes were covered with 
timber, there being at that time some of the best white oak and chestnut oak 
forests of the state located about Licking River, in Magoffin, Breathitt, Floyd 
and Knott counties. 
The debris from the trees, moss, and leaf accumulations, aided by the 
living roots of the trees, held the soil upon the slopes, and, as the rains fell, 
washing a portion of this decaying mould down upon the fields in the narrow 
valleys, these were maintained in fertility. But the demand of commerce for 
oak ties and lumber has been very great during these twelve years, and 
the timber has been stripped from every mountain slope. Erosion has quickly 
removed the virgin soil, and hard, stiff clay remains, while the steep fields 
cultivated in corn and tobacco are fast being cut into gullies and will soon be 
worthless for any purpose whatever. 
I rode horseback over these mountains, at times traversing the plowed 
fields which are so steep that it was not possible to descend directly, but must 
be taken at an angle diagonally with the corn rows. 
Our picture shows the steepness of these fields, yet the mountaineers 
manage to plow the precipitous slopes by curving around the mountains, and 
raise a few bushels of corn, scarce enough to pay for the labor. 
Such lands could be made very productive for all time to come, if planted 
at once with quick-growing timber trees. 
There can be but a few years of cultivation until these mountains will be 
gullied and washed so as to be forever worthless, but once securely planted 
with locust, ash, oak, etc., the erosion would be checked and the lands con- 
stantly improved by the decay of leaves and twigs. 
It is extremely laborious, this plowing, sowing and harvesting grains 
from such rough localities, while in forest, after the trees are planted, there 
is but slight labor in maintaining it. 
Were an Iowa man or a farmer from Illinois or other level or rolling 
region to undertake plowing these precipices, neither himself nor his team 
could work for an hour. It requires the hardy mountaineer, who has been 
raised upon these elevated regions, to perform this work, and he must be 
satisfied with a minimum of wages, and be content with the roughest fare and 
less enjoyments than his brother who lives in an agricultural country. 
The geological formation is sandstone, the grinding away of which makes 
all the farms along this valley of sandy loam. 
At one time there was much poplar along the valley and on every stream 
tributary to Licking. Owing to the floating qualities of the yellow poplar, 
or tulip tree, the logs were cut first, and by their aid some oak was also floated 
to mill. 
The raft seen in the river bed is composed of squared walnut logs, 
