50 FOREST CONDITIONS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 



altitude, 1,300 feet, is in the valley of the French Broad at the Tennessee 

 line. This river, which falls about 227 feet in its northwestward course 

 through the center of the county, together with its tributaries, the larg- 

 est of which are Spring and Laurel creeks, makes a very complete 

 drainage system. The valleys of the streams that flow into the Trench 

 Broad are generally narrow, with steep, rocky slopes near their mouths, 

 generally becoming broader with more gentle slopes near the head- 

 waters. The ridges are low and broad in the eastern portion of the 

 county, while in the west they are not uncommonly rocky and precipi- 

 tous. The principal rocks are conglomerates, quartz, and sandstone. 



In general, the soil may be described as a loamy clay. On the lower 

 slopes and in the valleys it is deep and alluvial in character, becoming 

 poorer and thinner in the upper slopes, until on the higher ridges it 

 occurs only in thin patches or between the crevices of the rocks. 



The principal agricultural crops, corn, hay, rye, and wheat, are raised 

 for home consumption; recently Burley tobacco has been tried in the 

 western portion of the county; stock raising is extensive. 



Marshall, the county seat, is built on a small area of flat land in the 

 French Broad Gorge, and is enclosed on either side by steep hills rising 

 some 200 feet above the stream. A cotton mill utilizes the water-power 

 at this point. 



The chief shipping points are all located along the French Broad on 

 the Southern Railway, of which Barnard, Stackhouse, Hot Springs, and 

 Paint Bock are the most important. Barnard has a hickory handle 

 factory. 



Transportation facilities are poor. The roads on the high ground are 

 washed and rocky, and many of the valley roads have been relegated to 

 the creek beds. These conditions, together with the rough topography, 

 prevent the close utilization of timber at present market prices, except 

 near the railroad; as a result thousands of feet of dead and down tim- 

 ber, which might be utilized for ties or cordwood, are going to waste. 



Approximately 29 per cent of the land is cleared. The agricultural 

 sections are along the valleys, the lower slopes, and the broad hilltops of 

 the eastern, southern, and central portions. Here the woods have been 

 cut over several times for lumber, so that the present forest is made up 

 of second growth oak, chestnut, hickory, maple, and poplar, mixed with 

 over-mature, stag-headed trees, chiefly of chestnut and oaks. These 

 stands would be greatly improved if the mature trees were removed. 

 Yellow and white pine have come in on the old fields of the eastern por- 

 tions of the county, forming dense stands that should be cared for and 

 protected from fire. 



