SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION. 73 



porous or too ston^^, but mostl}^ excellent farm land. Alto- 

 gether, the newly cleared soil is very good, but many 

 burned ridges and old washed fields are in a very poor 

 condition, notably in the valley of Little Doe. 



Along Stony, Cove, and Roane creeks, Doe River, the Agriculture, 

 main Watauga, and many minor ,valleys are excellent 

 large farms, growing corn, wheat, rye, oats, grass, and 

 vegetables. On almost every creek and in man}- of the 

 mountain coves are families depending upon the farm for 

 the greater portion or all of their living. While much 

 has been cleared that would be better adapted to timber 

 growing if a timber market were within reach, there is 

 altogether a large area that is best adapted to farming. 

 It is safe to say that a broad economic policy would have 

 little or no more forest land cleai'ed than is now under 

 cultivation, and that attention should be given to keeping 

 what land is cleared in good condition rather than to clear- 

 ing more to be exhausted and washed until worthless. 



In this basin it is estimated that the average damage by Erosion, 

 erosion during the season of 1901 to farm land has been 

 not less than |1 per acre. This amounts to over $200,000 

 for the whole basin. 



Damages to railroads amounted to $250,000, 19 bridges 

 and about 25 miles of track being washed out. 



The damage to wagon roads can hardly be estimated. 

 In many places entirely new roads were necessary. The 

 damage was probably $500,000 altogether. 



Buildings and personal propert}^ destroyed swell the 

 total loss to something like $2,000,000. 



Distribution. — The remaining forests are on the ridges The forest, 

 and mountain ranges and spurs. These are somewhat 

 dotted with clearings, especiallj' in the granitic region 

 south of the Iron Mountain Gorge and along the north 

 slope of Beech Mountain and the Elk Creek Basin. The 

 lowlands have been almost entirely cleared. 



Composition. — The hard woods, in which the oaks and 

 chestnut predominate, form a mixed forest on most of 

 the area; some ravines carry hemlock almost exclusively, 

 and on some of the ridges white pine is one of the prin- 

 cipal timber trees. Spruce is found almost exclusively in 

 some high mountain groups, while beech rules in zones on 

 high mountains and on the crests of some ridges. 



Condition. — Nearlj^ all of the forest has been or is being 

 culled of its most valuable timber, and is rapidly becom- 

 ing inferior bj^ the predominance of old and defective 



