FOREST CONDITIONS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 45 



southern part of the county, sand predominates. Most of the county is 

 absolute forest land, yet the forest is in. poor condition, the repeated 

 burnings having hastened the death of mature timber and largely pre- 

 vented its replacement by young growth. Near the railroad the woods 

 have been culled of their best timber during the past ten years, and the 

 poorer species are gaining ground. 



A tract of 50,000 acres in this county, belonging to the G. "W. Van- 

 derbilt estate, has had fire patrol for several years. In spite of some 

 wilfull setting of fires the reproduction is remarkably good over more 

 than half of this protected area. 



This county contains several large holdings, aggregating nearly 100,- 

 000 acres, or 42 per cent of the total area. Most of this land lies in a 

 solid body which could readily be placed under a system of fire patrol, 

 which could be maintained at a cost of only a few cents per acre. The 

 stock law is in force over probably a third of the county, but not in the 

 more mountainous parts. 



One of the chief sources of income is the summer tourist trade, and 

 some 12,000 acres are owned by summer hotels in solid holdings. This 

 is one of the best known summer resort regions in the Appalachian 

 Mountains, the celebrated "Sapphire Country" lying in this and Jack- 

 son County. For this reason, the forests should have special consid- 

 eration here, because of their great aesthetic as well as economic value. 



Aside from the summer resort business, the great industry is the 

 marketing of chestnut extract wood and tanbark, and the old over- 

 mature chestnut is being cut and disposed of for extract wood, of which 

 there is still probably 30 cords to the acre on the forested area of the 

 county. There is a large extract plant and a large tannery, both cen- 

 trally located. A very small proportion of this chestnut wood is fit for 

 saw-timber. Much pulp wood from hemlock, poplar, linn, and pine, is 

 shipped out of the county. 



The lumber trade is not active at this time, and no large mills are in 

 operation, though one is being erected in the Cathey's Creek region, 

 which will cut 1,000,000 feet a year. The reasons for the present small 

 annual cut are : the poor stand on much of the area ; the inaccessibility 

 of some of the better timber ; and, most of all, the control of large bodies 

 of timber by companies which do not wish to have them logged. 



The county has good railroad facilities, since the Transylvania branch 

 of the Southern Kailroad extends almost across the county, making good 

 connections at Hendersonville and Asheville for the north and south. 

 The roads of the county are good in the larger valleys, but much of the 

 county is still somewhat inaccessible, even by trail. Though there is con- 



