The western sentinel., 1892-08-18

of the forest, sometimes scattered in
dividutlly, and often in broad
masses, covering hundreds of acres,
the Rho1odendron grows mixed
with bushy plants of the Noun
tain Alder (Alnus viridis.l No one
can Judge of the extent of the
RhOdOdendron- fields on this noun
tain, for the scale is SO vast that the
eye cannot estimate areas; certainly
there are spots on the summit from
which thousands OF acres are cover
ed with RhodOdendrons and AlderS
can be seen at once. The thlcketS
are impossible except where bears
and cattle have forced tOrtuOus
trails among the bushes which ten
DAYS ago were covered with flowers,
,hese are nearly all of one color,
deep rosy pink, very similar in shade
to that variety known in gardens as
Roseum elegans, although All occas
iOnal plant with darker flowers can
be fOund. An examina ton of the
conditions under which RhodendrOn
Catawbiense thrives in its home on
this mountain will show the treat
ment its hybrid descendants require
il. gardens The soil where the plants
are growing, and indeed, over nearly
the entire summit, is rich black, veg
etable mold, varying from eighteen
inches to two feet in depth; although
saturated with moisture, as small
springs are common. the surface
soil is perfectly drained, being under
lain by coarse gravel filled with large
stones. Abundant atmospheric mois
ture, for rarely day passes without
clouds settling over the summit OF
the Roam, increases the vigOr of the
plants; on the open slopes they rare
ly grow mere than four or five feet
high, but when protected by the Bal
sans (Abies Fraseri, specimens
twelve to fifteen feet high are not un-
common. These natural conditions
seem to Indicate that RhOdOdendrons
of the CatawbienSe blood require
rich, moist, well-drained soil, con
stant atmospheric moisture, and
protection from high winds, and that
grown under such conditions they
can support excessive winter cold rs
the temperature on the summit of
the Roam has been seen to fall, in
winter, to 80 degrees below zero of
Fahrenheit, while ice probably forms
during every month of the year eX-
cept in July and August.
But the RhodOdendrOnS do not
offer the only attraction of Roam
Mountain. The views from it are
superb 4 break in the mountains
Immediately to the west opens to the
eve all the Cumberland system of
middle Tennessee; to the south lies in
full view the Black Mountain range
eliminating in Mt Mitchell, the high
est land in North America east of the
Rocky Mountain; just to the right of
the Black Mountains, Pisglh, a hun
beyond Ashville, stands up boldly
and alone, while beyond it, in shad
owy outline, appear the high peaks
of the Smokes. TO the east of the
Roam the broken masses of the Blue
Ridge are in full view; to the north
east Grandfather raises its massive
dome, and to the north the eye, look
ing out over a sea of smaller ranges,
is carried into Virginia and West
Virginia. The panorama includes
eight states, and, owing to the isola-
ted position of the Roam, is not
equalod by that obtained from any
other Appalachian mountain.
Many summer days may be pleas
antly passed in wondering over the
summit of the Roam, in admiring the
ever-changing views, in exploring the
wild flowers which cover its slopes
and cliffs, or stretched on the soft |
masses of the Sand Myrtle Leiophyl- |
lum buXifOlium, var. prOstratum) |
most delightful of the high Appala-
chain understands and the softest |
of beds, in studying the aspects of
the forest, with its countless tones |
and shades or in watching the eagles |
soaring high over the cliff which |
bears their name. The atmosphere |
is cool and bracing, the temperature |
rarely rising to seventy degrees, |
Fahrenheit, in the middle of the hot
test days; the nights are always cool,
and black flies and mosquitoes are /
unknown. A residence on the sum /
nit is said to be Il certain cure for
hay-fever, and last, although not
least. the accommodations in the
Cloudland Hotel, built in the depres-
sion of the saddle at an elevation of
a little more than 5000 feet above
the level of the sea, are excellent.
Leaving the summit, of the Roam
several roads are open to the trayel
er. If he is in a hurry to return to
the north his quickest way is by
johnson City and the Shenandoah |
Valley. If two or three days more
can be devoted to mountain travel |
he can descend to Roam Mountain |
station, continue up the narrow
guage railway to Cranberry, and |
then ride through the mountains by |
the new settlement at Linville to |
Hickory, on the Western North Car |
olina Railroad. Another route is by |
Bakersvihe, on the North Carolina |
side of the mountain, now reached |
by q rough trail from the summit, |
and then by road through a pictu-
rescue region to Marion, long days
ride, or by q road directly into Ash
vile, a longer and less picturesque
journey of seventy miles. 1t must |
be remembered that the roads in all !
this mountain region are bad, and !
sometimes almost impossible for
wheels, and that it is less fatiguing
to ride than to attempt to drive. |
Pack animals are little used or un-
derstood, and it is better not to at
tempt to carry any luggage that
cannot be packed behind the saddle.
The mountaineers are uniformly
kind and hospitable, and do all that
they can to make the traveller COM
Portable, but their manner of life is
very primitive, and a ''pone" ofcorn-
meal, a dish of honey and pitcher
of buttermilk often exhaust their
supplies. If this seems too simple
fare, or the fatigues of a Journey in
the saddle are too great, one can see
,uhn Z iS most he.n IL tifiIl in tho ma