222 THE FORESTS OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



tain coves, with curled maple and black birch (or 

 mahogany). I have seen here forests o,f cherry, and 

 have measured trees of more than three feet in diam- 

 eter, and clear of limb for 75 feet. And almost un- 

 broken forests of the heaviest oak timber ; and chest- 

 nut, poplar, hemlock, white pine, linn, black locust 

 and birch, mantle cove, ridge and mountain slope, to 

 the highest summits." 



Currituck. (200 sq. miles.) — Baelie, Aug. 28, x 

 1882. — The navy yard at Portsmouth, Va., has long 

 since absorbed all the valuable oak. The avaricious 

 and insatiable saw mills, together with the desire of 

 every man who could buy a pair of oxen and " Car- 

 ry-Log," have demolished and transported nearly all of 

 our pine ; to such an extent have they carried on 

 lumbering that many pieces or sticks will not measure 

 100 feet board measure. Holly all gone to the north- 

 ern cities. Some cypress yet remains in inaccessible 

 swamps. Juniper very scarce, but cheap buckets in 

 abundance. This certainly looks like a gloomy re- 

 port, but more truth than poetry. It is true we have 

 some scattering small tracts of fair pine, but few in- 

 deed. The prevailing growth now that reaches the 

 vision is pine — pine saplings, sweet and black gum, 

 and occasionally some poplar and hickory. I cannot 

 inform you with accuracy of the wooded acreage, 

 but I presume I would not be far from correct to say 

 three-fifths.— W. H. C. 



Davie. (300 sq. miles.) — Farmington, August 29, 

 1882. We have the different kinds of oaks, white, 



