SOUTHEEN APPALACHIAN llEGION". 



49 



FORESTS OF ROAN, GRANDFATHER, AND THE BLACK 

 MOUNTAINS. 



Roan Mountain stands as a prominent figure in this ^jj^°Pf°fg'g'^P^gy: 

 group of four similar large, isolated mountain masses — 

 Beech, Grandfather, Roan, and Black mountains — in a 

 region which is largel}^ devoted to agriculture. These 

 mountains are alike in the genei'al character of the forests 

 on their slopes, and the agricultural lands about their 

 foothills and intervening valleys. They are all heavily 

 timbered, and, though much of their forest has been par- 

 tially lumbered, only occasional choice trees have been 

 cut, causing no break in the forest and little change in its 

 condition. Mixed hardwoods form the dominant element, 

 and associated with them are small areas of hemlock. 

 Limited areas of spruce are found on or near their tops. 

 Beech Mountain is the lowest of these four. It has 

 few coniferous trees about it except hemlock and white 

 pine on its northern slope, while large areas on the sum- 

 mits of Grandfather, Roan, Black, and Craggy mountains 

 are occupied by spruce and balsam forests. These forests 

 are virtually primeval, and trees of all sizes and ages are 

 found intermingled, showing abundant reproduction and 

 an undisturbed forest equilibrium. Along the drier por- 

 tions of the summits and the ridges leading up to them, 

 especially on the south slopes, fires have in some places 

 done considerable damage. But areas entirely fire killed 

 are small. 



(1) The Beech Mountain group, including Sugar Moun- ^ J°^|^/^^p'^f/\^ 

 tain and other smaller peaks near it, lies between Watauga 

 River and Banners Elk Creek and is the most northerly 

 group. It has an area of about 70,000 acres (110 square 

 miles), 20,000 acres (32 square miles) or about 30 per cent 

 of which are cleared. It is the lowest of the four groups, 

 having an altitude of onl}^ .5,522 feet. It is separated from 

 Grandfather Mountain, which is about 15 miles southeast 

 of its summit, by the valle}^ of the Watauga River and 

 from Roan Mountain, which is about the same distance to 

 the southwest, b}^ the vallev of Elk Creek, which is partlv 

 cleared. Although the south slope of the mountain is 

 steep, the soil is deep and mellow and grass farms extend 

 nearly to the summit. There are also a few farms on the 

 northern slopes. 



The original forests of Beech Mountain are now largely 

 confined to the deep hollows on the northern slopes. The 



*S. Doc. 8i 1 



