206 THE FORESTS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



whose timber is in good preservation, ready to be ex- 

 humed when the present growth shall have been 

 exhausted. 



The most characteristic and. prevalent species of 

 the middle region are the oaks. Several kinds of 

 white oak, so much in demand, and so highly prized 

 in ship building and numerous domestic arts, are 

 abundant in all parts of this division and especially 

 in the mountains. There are also large tracts of 

 white pine on both sides of the Blue Ridge. The 

 hickories are found everywhere, and the black walnut 

 is plentiful in the river bottoms and on the fertile 

 slopes of the mountains, so common as to be used for 

 fencing ; and the wild cherry, mahogany (black birch), 

 and several species of maple furnish abundant cabi- 

 net materials; and to these should be added the 

 extensive forests of holly in the eastern region. 



Nearly every one of the 20 kinds of timber admit- 

 ted to the New York ship-yards as suitable for build- 

 ing vessels is found in this State in abundance ; and 

 since the forests of the North Atlantic States are 

 very nearly exhausted, and timber for ship building 

 is brought to the coast from the upper Mississippi, 

 and even foreign governments are exporting large 

 supplies for their navy yards from the interior of the 

 continent, it is evident that our forests have a value 

 and are entitled to a consideration which they have 

 never received among us. We have still some 40,- 

 000 square miles of forests of which the larger part 

 is as yet un violated by the woodman's axe. And I 



