76 SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION. 



In forest conditions there is also great variety, dependent 

 largely upon the prevalence of fire. Fires are freely set 

 during autumn, winter, and spring, and great injur}' to 

 timber, forest seedlings, and soil results. A large propor- 

 tion of the timber trees are defective, and much of the 

 woodland area is imperfectly stocked. 



The reproduction of trees is remarkably vigorous on 

 cuttings, burns, and old fields, and growth is rapid. The 

 prevention of fire and the application of improvement 

 cuttings would wonderfully increase the value of the for- 

 est, which is the great natural resource of the mountainous 

 portion of this basin. 



FRENCH BROAD RIVER BASIN (NORTH OF SKYLAND). 



[555,840 acres; 51 per cent in forest, besides wood lots.«] 



Topography. 'jjjjg i^j^g. .^^^j wide crescent-shapcd valley heads on the 

 Blue Ridge, which it drains from Swannanoa Gap to 

 Panther Tail Mountain (62 miles) and reaches entirelj^ 

 across the highlands, which it leaves near the Tennessee 

 line, about 80 miles from its source. Around the borders 

 of this basin are the Craggy Mountains, Swannanoa 

 Mountains, and Estatoe, Panther Tail, Pizgah, and Max 

 Patch peaks, all high, forest-covered mountain.s. In 

 Madison County, where the river has cut through the 

 northwestern rim of the region, is a large area of broken, 

 mountainous ridges, with very steep and rocky slopes. A 

 great portion of the interior basin, however, is smooth 

 enough and fertile enough for grazing or farming. 



Soil. The soil is extremely variable, though in general very 



good. That of the lower hills is a red clay, a fine sedimentary 

 deposit. It is fertile and recuperates readil}- , but erodes 

 rapidly when uncovered. The ridge land, as usual, is well 

 adapted to grass, but if closely pastured erodes rapidly 

 and soon becomes worthless. The best soil is found in the 

 coves and on the broad alluvial bottoms which border the 

 river and its larger tributaries from the Blue Ridge in the 

 southeast to the head of the gorge near Marshall. 



Agriculture. Substantially all the lowland is occupied by farmers, and 

 many of the plantations are very productive and well 

 adapted to mixed farming. This is, in ract, one of the 

 best agricultural valleys to be found in the East. The 

 principal difficulties to be met are erosion of surface soil 



"These wood lots are small and scattered so as to make it difficult to 

 estimate their aggregate area. 



