APICAL ACHI AN AND WHITE MOUNTAIN WATEK3HEDS. 23 



FOEEST. 



The Southern Appalachian forests fall naturally into three types- 

 cove, slope, and ridge — each with peculiar characteristics. The soil 

 in the coves is usually deep, moist, and fertile. The naturally good 

 conditions are supplemented where miafEected by fire by a deep, 

 partially decomposed layer of humus, which increases the moisture- 

 holding capacity and prevents erosion. Yellow poplar, maple, and 

 hemlock are strictly limited to the coves. Black walnut and black 

 cherry once occupied the cove land also. It is in the coves that the 

 Southern Appalachian forest attains the greatest variety and lux- 

 uriance. It IS here that growth is most rapid and the best quality of 

 timber is produced. The situation is also best for lumbering, hence 

 it was that the first cuttings of the Appalachian forests were in 

 this type. 



The slopes have a better-drained soil than the coves, but one which 

 is less fertile. The maple, hemlock, and poplar of the coves give way 

 on the lower slopes to oak, chestnut, and hickory, where these species 

 have their most perfect development. White oak extends all the 

 way from the coves to the summits of the ridges, but on the slopes it 

 does best. 



The ridges have a dry, stony soil and an exposed situation which 

 distinctly affects the kmd and quality of their timber. The more 

 valuable trees of this type are chestnut, chestnut oak, black and red 

 oaks, and sometimes white oak and white pine. The severe condi- 

 tions result in scrubbier timber than is found on the slopes and unfit 

 the ridge lands to be handled profitably for the production of saw 

 timber. The lumbering of the ridges for the production of telephone 

 poles, railroad ties, tanbark, and extract v/ood is profitable, but on 

 account of the slow growth of the timber on the ridges the lumber- 

 man generally does not consider it profitable to cut conservatively and 

 protect the young growth for a second crop. 



DAMAGE THROUGH CLEARING. 



Originally the forest covered almost the entire Southern Appa- 

 lachian region. Due to clearing for agriculture, the forest is now 

 confined to the mountains and to the valley lands which are stony, cut 

 into steep hills, or wanting in fertile soil. All the best valleys are 

 cleared. The fields in many places extend far up the mountain sides, 

 frequently even to the summits. 



In clearing land, only the undergrowth and small trees as a rule 

 are removed. The large trees are killed by girdling and left stand- 

 ing. One fi'equently sees fields worn out and abandoned before the 

 girdled trees have fallen. New ground is usually cleared beside the 

 abandoned field and the same destructive process repeated. In 

 places may be seen three successive clearings — new, still cultivated, 

 and abandoned — with the dead trees still standing on all of them. 



Clearing virgin forests for farms is going on steadily from year to 

 year to replace worn-out, eroded, and abandoned lands. Always the 

 movement is toward the higher lands, those lower down having fin- 

 ished their course. 



Many small tracts, reaching thousands of acres in the aggregate, 

 unsuited for either tillage or grazing, have been cleared, especially 



