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CONDITIONS BY COUNTIES. 



Present Forest Conditions. 



All of tlie forests remaining in the county have been culled 

 except a few small boundaries, none of which contains more 

 than 75 acres. The cut-over forests, aggregating about 14,000 

 acres, are in areas ranging in size froTi 100 acres to 5,000 acres 

 and are scattered promiscuously throughout the southern and 

 western sections. 



In Grant and Murphy, the 2 districts embracing the western 

 half of the county, the areas of farmers' woodlots are consider- 

 ably in excess of their cleared lands: but in Clay and Union 

 districts, the percentage of cleared land is much higher. Taken 

 as a whole, about one-half of the county is still covered with 

 woodland, most of which is owned by farmers and has but little 

 valuable timber. In most sections, however, there is a good 

 stand of hardwoods that have almost reached the cross-tie size. 



ROANE COUNTY. 



Location and Area. 



Eoane county was formed in 1856 from parts of Kanawha, 

 Jackson, and Gilmer and is situated in the western part of the 

 State near the base of the Alleghany Plateau. Its area is 486.2 

 square miles or 311,168 acres. 



Topography. 



The surface of the county is diversified by a succession of 

 hills and narrow valleys. The elevation at the points where the 

 several rivers and creeks flow from the county are as follows: 

 Pocatalico river, 620 feet; Big Sandy creek, 620 feet; West 

 Fork of Little Kanawha river, 620 feet; Right Fork of Sandy 

 creek 640 feet; and Reedy creek, 670 feet. All the streams have 

 a moderate fall through the county, flowing slowly at eleva- 

 tions varying from 620 feet to about 800 feet. Most of the sum- 

 mits of the hills and ridges rise to 1000 feet, and from that ele-. 

 Vation up to 1,500 feet in some places near the southeastern 

 border. In most sections of the county the slopes are gradual 

 and the hilltops and ridges well-rounded and smooth. 



