218 FORESTS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



cultivation, as the soil is of superior quality and stands tillage 

 better than that of the adjacent hills. The forests on the hills, 

 however, should be regarded as permanent, and care bestowed on 

 them accordingly. 



Larger pines, being protected by their thick bark, are damaged 

 only to a slight extent by fires; young ones while the bark is yet 

 smooth are more readily scorched and injured and sometime 

 killed. Oaks and chestnuts show hollows from the effects of fires, 

 particularly along ridges and in dry woods. 



MERCHANTABLE TIMBER OF THE WHITE PINE FORESTS 



'. Extensive areas of unlumbered forest still exist in Transylvania, 

 Macon and Mitchell counties. The standing trees will yield fairly 

 good lumber, though it is seldom that over two cuts, 16 feet in 

 length, from which clear boards are obtainable, can be secured 

 from one tree. Smaller bodies yielding a larger proportion of 

 knotty timber are standing in Wilkes, McDowell, and Caldwell 

 counties. Lumbering is in progress in Mitchell, Caldwell, and 

 Wilkes counties. 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE WHITE PINE FORESTS. 



At the higher altitudes these forests are capable of producing 

 pine milling timber of good quality, large chestnut and oak tim- 

 ber, ties and fencing. At present there is no local market. Below 

 2,000 feet the pines fail to clear their stocks and the growth is 

 slower, so that very little lumber free from knots can be made 

 from any trunk. 



In places where there is young growth, protection from fire and 

 cattle is imperative. Defective seed-bearing pines, which are not 

 seriously interfering with young growth, should be allowed to 

 remain as seed-trees, both in lumbering and where culling is 

 carried on. It is essential that the growth be maintained at the 

 fullest possible density until the young pines have cleared them- 

 selves, as otherwise from their tendency towards perfect symme- 

 try in the development of most of the buds into limbs, the boles 

 will -be limby and knotty. As the young trees require small grow- 

 ing-space, the crowns standing much lateral compression and 



