22 



FOREST CONDITIONS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. 



tree, and forms from 30 to 50 per cent of the forest. Red oak, white oak, 

 linn, hickory, chestnut oak, buckeye, ash, and other valuable hardwoods, 

 with a little yellow poplar in the lower part of the sub-type, form the 

 remainder. On the upper north slopes, at the higher elevations, there is 

 occasionally a considerable mixture of hemlock, accompanied by a dense 

 undergrowth of laurel and doghobble. On the lower ridges, mountain 

 ivy occasionally makes the woods almost impenetrable. 



Cove. — The mountain coves have always contained the heaviest and 

 most valuable timber. Yet many have been cleared for agriculture, and 

 most of them have been culled of their best trees. The soil of the coves 

 is usually rich and moist. Though chestnut is still the most abundant 

 tree, yellow poplar is the more valuable. It is typically a cove tree, and 

 averages from 80 to 100 feet in height with long, straight boles that pro- 

 duce a large proportion of high grade lumber. In estimating timber it 

 was formerly a common practice to include only that in the coves, since 

 it was claimed that the timber outside of these situations would scarcely 

 more than pay for the logging. Because of the moisture, fire is much 

 less frequent in the coves than on ridges and slopes, and reproduction is 

 much more abundant, with a larger proportion of the more valuable 

 species. 



Red Oak Type. 



Above the 4,000 foot contour and even extending up to the spruce 

 forest, especially on the northerly slopes, red oak is likely to be the most 

 important tree. Owing to the altitude, however, and to its exposure 

 to high winds, the tree does not usually contain a large amount of mer- 

 chantable timber, and, as such situations are very difficult to log, this 

 forest is not now of any great value. Mixed with the red oak are 

 chestnut, chestnut oak, sugar maple, buckeye, and linn given in the order 

 of their importance. 



Beech and Maple Type. 



At the higher elevations just below and often extending up into the 

 spruce type, as well as on mountain tops where spruce does not occur, 

 there are areas of almost pure beech or beech mixed with sugar maple. 

 In the southern part of the region the trees are of little commercial 

 value, being dwarfed and crooked; but in the northern part this type 

 contains some very good timber, — not so much of the beech and maple, 

 but of the species that are mixed with them, — buckeye, linn, cucumber, 

 chestnut, ash, and cherry. The ground is usually moist and covered 

 with moss and ferns. The reproduction is chiefly seedlings of sugar 

 maple and ash, with thrifty sprouts of linn and chestnut. 



