WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



199 



of the county were white and pitch pine and hemlock. These, 

 however, have not grown there in large numbers. 



The northern half of the comity has produced not only 

 the hardwoods common to this section of the state but large 

 quantities of softwood as well. Of the softwoods white pine 

 and hemlock have been the chief valuable species. The white 

 pine belt lies along the southeastern side of Bluestone river 

 (from a point about 2 miles above Spanishburg to near the 

 mouth of the river in Summers county. Northwestward from 

 the Bluestone there is a scattered growth of white pine which 

 joins the white pine area of Ealeigh county. Below are given 

 the approximate percentages of timbers growing on an 8,000 

 acre virgin tract in the white pine belt: 



White Pine 60 per cent. ^ 



White Oak 25 per cent. 



Hemlock 5 per cent . 



Yellow Poplar 5 per cent. 



Most of the timber has been cut in the southern part of the 

 county by a large number of portable mills. These began to 

 operate about the year 1882 when the Norfolk and Western rail- 

 road was built, and have continued to the present. A few mills 

 were running before that date but their small output was used 

 for domestic purposes. As late as 1897 there were but 2 saw 

 mills running in Rock district and not a stave had been cut 

 along the Bluestone river. A little timber was taken from the 

 northern end of the county by the William James Sons Com- 

 pany and sawed at Hinton about 1880; but active operations 

 have continued for only the past 13 years. The L. B. Farley 

 and the Beckwith stave mills, with the help of 2 or 3 smaller 

 mills, have cut not fewer than 50,000,000 staves since 1897. 

 The best of the white oak in Rock district, and some in Ply- 

 mouth and Jumping Branch districts, has been manufactured 

 into staves. The streams of the county will not admit of ex- 



Chestnut 



Hickory and others 



The Lumber Industry. 



