SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION. 



63 



Not only is there no unfavorable condition in the South- th?sregion"avo° 

 ern Appalachians which is sufficient to render pi'actical ^[^'^g^^^j.^^"^^'"^- 

 forestry inadvisable as a business measure, but the oppor- 

 tunit}' offered for good returns from careful and conserv- 

 ative forest management is a peculiarly favorable one. 

 The forest contains valuable timber trees, which not only 

 command a high price at present, but are rapidly increas- 

 ing in value for the lack of satisfactory substitutes, notably 

 in the case of Black Walnut, Cherry, Hickor^^, Yellow Pop- 

 lar, and White Oak. , The transport of timber presents some 

 difficulties, as in all mountain countries. These are, how- 

 ever, seldom sufficient to impair seriousl}^ the profits from 

 lumbering. Effective protection from fire is practicable 

 without prohibitive expense, while in its rate of growth, 

 readiness of reproduction, and responsiveness to good 

 treatment the forest offers silvicultural opportunities which 

 are seldom excelled in this country. 



SOME EVILS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF L,TJMBERING. 



Practical forestr}^ in the Southern Appalachians must 

 comprise those modifications of the present methods of 

 lumbering which will not only insure a fair profit upon 

 present operations, but will presei've the productive 

 capacity of the forest and provide for the desired repro- 

 duction of the timber trees. Unnecessary damage to the 

 forest and total lack of provision for a futui'e crop is 

 characteristic of the lumbering now carried on in this 

 region. Logging operations have generally shown an 

 inexcusable slovenliness, as foreign to good lumbering as 

 to practical forestry. 



A clean lumber iob is seldom seen. There is great waste wasteful meth 



, , Y followed. 



of good timber through poor judgment in gauging the log 

 lengths and in cutting stumps much higher than is neces- 

 sary. Butting off unsound portions of trees is not always 

 done; trees not wholly perfect are sometimes left to rot 

 where the}' fall. Care is seldom taken to throw trees 

 where the}^ will do the least harm to themselves and to 

 others, and in consequence lodged and smashed trees are 

 very common. Overlooked sound trees are also numerous. 



However, criticism of lumbering in the Southei-n Appa- 

 lachians must take into consideration the circumstances 

 which led to it. Almost all of the work has been done by 

 the farmers of the region in order to suppl}' their fuel 

 and other household material and to add to the poor living 



