FOREST CONDITIONS IN WESTERN NOKTH CAROLINA. 



21 



Sprout reproduction is abundant and makes up the greater part of 

 the undergrowth, but consists chiefly of inferior species. Where fire 

 has been kept out for many years, white oaks are more in evidence, with 

 occasional yellow poplar. 



On many of the dry, rocky slopes above the large streams which break 

 through the Unaka Mountains, such as the French Broad, the Doe 

 Eiver, Toe Kiver, and the N'olichucky, the pines predominate, and there 

 is an apparent gradation into an almost pure pine type. In such situa- 

 tions pitch pine and shortleaf are of almost equal importance, with 

 scrub pine on the lower slopes and Table Mountain pine on the higher 

 ridges. These slopes and ridges will never be worth anything except 

 for growing timber, and some slopes are so rough that it is even im- 

 practicable to log them. These dry slopes have suffered greatly from 

 fire. There are many areas, both in old fields and in cut over forest, in 

 which white pine forms a large proportion of the stand. On all such 

 areas it is the most valuable tree that can be grown. 



Chestnut Type. 



On practically all situations between 2,500 and 4,000 feet elevation 

 and in many cases above and below these limits chestnut predominates 

 and forms from 30 to 40 and often as much as 75 per cent of the forest. 

 The proportion, size, and merchantable value of this species vary with 

 the situation, which gives rise to three sub-types ; ridge, slope, and cove, 

 with several minor variations. 



Ridge. — Along practically all the ridges and extending the greater 

 part of the way down the southerly slopes chestnut forms from 25 to 50 

 per cent of the stand, and chestnut oak is about as abundant; and to- 

 gether these two species usually make up 75 per cent of the stand. Scar- 

 let oak, black gum, shortleaf pine, and pitch pine occur in this type more 

 than in any other, though there is rarely more than a small proportion 

 of each. The height growth of the trees is less and the quality of the 

 timber is inferior to that growing in the other sub-types. The trees vary 

 from 40 to 50 feet in height and are short-boled, crooked, and fire- 

 scarred. The open nature of the forest and the consequent exposure to 

 the sun make it dry out readily and become an easy prey to fire. As 

 a result, reproduction is poor, and generally confined to damaged sprouts 

 of oaks and chestnut. 



Slope.— This type comprises all forests on the northerly exposures 

 from the east to the west slopes and, on the higher mountains, it extends 

 around onto the south slopes. The soil is usually moist and is more fer- 

 tile than that on the ridges, and the trees are consequently taller and 

 contain more merchantable timber. Chestnut is still the most important 



