214 FOBE6T8 OF NOETH CAEOLINA. 



The pines form from .1 to .3 of the forest, being in greatest 

 abundance in the Asheville basin and at the lower elevations. 



CONDITION OF THE PINE FORESTS. 



The short leaf and pitch pine forest covers a little more than 

 one-half of the area, and is largely of these pines mixed with broad- 

 leaf trees less than one-twentieth of the forest being pure pine 

 regrowth in old fields. It is divided chiefly among small farms. 

 On the uplands it is decidedly irregular, the cover broken by the 

 indiscriminate removal of mature trees, the young growth beneath 

 representing all ages. Where pastured and burned the forest floor 

 is poor and the young growth not abundant. On the best soils 

 these trees attain an average height of from 60 to 80 feet; on the 

 poorer and along the sandier crests from 50 to 70 feet, the pines 

 being the taller on the poorer soils but being overtopped or equaled 

 in height by the broad-leaf trees in more fertile situations. The 

 density is generally less than three-fourths of what it should be, 

 natural reproduction being prevented by excessive and injudicious 

 lumbering, pasturage, and burning. In many places the mature 

 pines have been largely removed, oaks taking their places, but 

 where there has been no burning many young pines are to be seen. 

 The milling poplar and oak have been largely removed ; poplar, 

 from its shade-demanding requirements, the fact that the young 

 plants are eagerly sought for by browsing cattle, and the removal 

 to a great extent of the seed-bearing trees, is reproducing itself 

 only to a limited degree ; the chestnut, the white oak, black oak, 

 and scarlet oak more freely. 



Where the woodland has been protected for a great many years 

 the mature timber shows little damage from fires or the effects of 

 pasturing; there are only a few localities, however, where this is 

 the case. Black oaks and chestnuts often have hollows from fires ; 

 more rarely pines and white oak. 



The merchantable timber still standing is chiefly valuable as a 

 source of supply for the numerous farms to which the woodland is 

 attached and the small towns lying near them. 



At present the forest is about exhausted, so far as the milling 



