52 



SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION. 



except in the narrow valleys and coves. (See PI. XLIII.) 

 The soils are generally thin and light, in some places 

 sandy, rarel}'^ clayey. These mountains, however, are 

 surrounded by agricultural valleys, except near the north- 

 west ends of the Balsam and Newfound mountains, where 

 these join the Unakas. The forests on the northwestern 

 portion of the Balsam Mountains ai-e really a contiruiation 

 of those of the Great Smokies, and resemble them in the 



conditlonV*''^^*'' •''P^^'®^ ^'^P^'^^^"^^^ ^" general forest conditions. 



The forests on the east side of the Balsams and on the 

 Newfound, Cowee, and Nantahala mountains are much 

 alike, but the Balsam Mountains are much more heavilv 

 wooded than the others, especially on their northern 

 slopes, and have moi*e of the softer woods, like linn, 

 buckeye, and ash. The southern slopes of all are lightly 

 wooded and have been injured b}' fire to some extent, so 

 that in places the forest is open and young timber trees 

 are scant. Much of the best timber has been culled from 

 the Newfound and Nantahala mountains. The larger part 

 of the forest land on the eastern spur of the Balsams 

 (about Mount Pisgah) is under forest protection. 

 thf°'^^Newfou°nd '^^^ forests of the Newfound Mountains are formed of 

 Mountains. hard woods, largeh^ oak and chestnut, associated with wliite 

 pine. As they lie nearer the main line of the Southern 

 Railway, and on account of the topography were easily 

 lumbered, the}' have been more culled than those of the 

 other cross chains. Some genei'al lumbering has been 

 done on Wolf and Shut-in creeks, and an attempt has been 

 made to remove all the merchantable timber from some 

 large tracts. At most, however, it amounts to only severe 

 culling. The forests of the Cowee and Nantahala moun- 

 tains are very much alike. The\^ consist of hard woods, 

 in which oak, chestnut, hickory, and maple form the 

 largest element. There is almost an entire absence of 

 coniferous growth, the hemlock, which is associated with 

 the hard woods elsewhere, being almost wanting here. 

 Much culling has been done in the forests at the north ends 

 of these mountains, where the}' are nearer the Murphy 

 branch of the Southern Railway. 

 Forests about --phe Balsam Mountains are more heavily timbered than 



t n e B a 1 s a m 



Mountains. other cross ridges. On both northern and southern 



slopes there are deep, cool hollows, or coves, with fertile 

 soil, producing vigorous growth, and as there has been 

 very little culling these forests are very nearly primeval. 

 They consist of typical Southern Appalachian harp 



