144 



CONDITIONS BY COUNTIES. 



ties after the bark was removed. Xorthward from the three 

 towns mentioned above bark, ties, and lumber, to considerable 

 extent, is being removed and hauled on wagons to Keyser. 



Present Conditions. 



Roughly speaking, there are 57,000 acres of virgin timber- 

 land and 63,000 acres of cut-over timberland now remaining in 

 Grant county. In addition to these areas, which are held in 

 large boundaries, the farmers own Avoodlots of various sizes ag- 

 gregating not less than 100,000 acres. The main boundaries of 

 virgin timberland lie toward the eastern and southern parts of 

 the county along the Alleghanies and New Creek mountain south 

 of Maysville, and on the mountains which separate the several 

 tributaries of the South Branch, Smaller areas in other sections 

 are to be found the chief of which lies on the western face of 

 Patterson Creek mountain. 



In answer to an inquiry concerning the present forest con- 

 ditions in the county Mr. E. L. Judy of Petersburg, made the 

 following statements : 



' ' There is but little of the original growth of timber remain- 

 ing on top of the mountain, nearly all having been cut over to 

 some extent. The virgin part of the mountain is owned, largely, 

 by operators who are now engaged in removing the timber. A 

 few farmers, living north of a line running from Bayard to 

 Pigeon Roost, have small, virgin woodlots within their farms. 

 South of this line there are but few farms. ]\Iuch of the cut-over 

 forest there has timber worth marketing today and a few mills 

 are still in operation. The principal timbers now on the mountain 

 are the hardwoods, such as sugar maple, beech, birch, and the 

 poorer grades of white oak, red oak, and chestnut oak. These 

 were left as unprofitable timber when the spruces and hemlocks 

 were taken from the area some years ago. 



"The southern half of the eastern slope of the Alleghanies 

 contains an almost virgin growth of hardwoods, mostly chestnut 

 oaks, as yet but little cut; while the northern half, from the- 

 MaysviUe section, is largely the same kind of timber but culled 

 to some extent in later years. 



''That part of the county east of Martin and Maysville to 



