TREES OF THE SOUTHERN -APPALACHIANS. 



By W. W. Ashe and H. B. Ayees. 



The following is a list of the trees growing in the Southern Appala- 

 chians, with notes concerning their distribution, size, uses, and repro- 

 duction. Accompanying this is a list of shrubs indigenous to that 

 region. 



White Pine {Pinus strobm) reaches a height of 160 feet and a diameter 

 of 40 inches and forms nearly pure groves, or is associated with 

 smaller hard woods. It prefers sandy or gravelly soils on northwest 

 slopes lying between 1,Y00 and 4,000 feet elevation. It is the most 

 important timber tree in the Eastern States, for its wood is light, 

 strong, and durable, and is applied to nearly all uses, it makes rapid 

 growth and reproduces freely. It is most abundant, attains its maxi- 

 mum size, and makes most rapid accretion on the western slopes of 

 the Smoky and Iron mountains, especially in Shady Valley. 



LoUolly Pine {Pinus taeda) in the Appalachians reaches a height of 

 80 feet and a diameter of 30 inches, and is found only in the southern- 

 most part of the area, below an elevation of 1,200 feet. It occurs 

 chiefly as a second growth in old fields, and is of great value in restock- 

 ing them and preventing erosion. Nearer the coast it is a timber tree 

 of the first importance. 



Shortleaf Pine {Pinus echinata), reaching a height of 100 feet and 

 a diameter of 36 inches, is frequent on well-drained soil below 2,000 

 feet elevation, becoming more common as the altitude decreases. The 

 wood is yellow, strong, and very durable, and takes a fine finish. It 

 seeds freely and reproduces abundantly under full light, often restock- 

 ing old fields and waste places. It is one of the most valuable of the 

 yellow pines, and forms the chief building material over much of 

 this region. 



Black Pine {Pinus rigida) reaches a height of 90 feet and a diam- 

 eter of 28 inches. It is associated with the shortleaf pine, but it is 

 the more abundant at higher elevations. Like that tree, it seeds freely 

 and often, and restocks waste lands. It is not so large nor so valuable 

 a tree, however, and the wood is coarser, more resinous, and not so 

 free from knots. It is much used as a building material. 



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