Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-14
WASTE OF THE FORESTS
TIMBER-CUTTING IN THE SOUTHERN
APPALACHIANS.
Special Report to Secretary Wilson on
the Mountains of North Caro-
lima and Tennessee.

Practical Forestry in the Southern APP
palachians'' forms the subject of a special
report to Secretary Wilson of the Depart
ment OF Agriculture by Overton W. Price,
superintendent of working plans, division
of forestry. In part Mr.. Price says:
The Southern Appalachians offer an ex-
eellent field for practical forestry. The
need OF systematic and conservative for
est management is beginning to be keenly
felt, both for the timber tract and in the
wood lot. The present desultory form of
numbering, which dates from the settle
ment Of the region, has resulted in a Sc
riOus reduction of the existing supply of
timber
The rapid increase now going in the
values of timber and in the cost of fire.
wood is premature in so densely forested a
country and is the direct result of waste
full methods in the utilization of it's re-
sources A continuance of these methods
Will necessarily result in a serious check
TO the general prosperity of western North
Carolina and eastern Tennessee. where the
inhabitants have already to contend with
the remoteneSs and ruggedness of the re-
gion and with an exceedingly low percent
age of arabic land. These methods will,
moreover, not only render it costly to OBJ
tain wood for home consumption, but will
entirely destroy what is still the most
important source of revenue In the south
ern Appalachian-the numbering of it's VAL
liable hardwoods TO supply steady and
increasing demand in distant markets.
The mountain region of western North
Carolina and eastern Tennessee comprises
an area of 1900 square miles
With the exception of the natural mead
ows which occupy the submits of some
OF the higher peaks, the mountains are
covered with forest growth. Western
North Carolina and eastern Tennessee con-
tain over one hundred kinds of native
trees OF these, some. such the black
a a
too difficult of access to be often of com
mercial Importance. Others. such as the
black gum, sourwood, dogwood, buckeye
and aspen, are valueless for timber and
are used for frewood only when no better
kinds to be had. Others again among
which are the striped maple, the haw, and
the silverbcH tree have as vet no ,ner-
charitable value.
Among the commercial trees the more
important hardwoods are the yellow pop
lar, the oaks. hickories. chestnut birch
ash, cherry, Eastwood. black walnut and
maple The merchantable softwoods of
which there are comparatively few are
chiefly shortleaf pine, white pine and hem
lock.
The oaks. among which the white oak
Is most frequent. form the chief part of
the forest growth up to an elevation of
about 800 feet.
AT elevation of 800 to 300 feet the
number of the oak decreases and yelloy
poplar, hemlock, birch, beech, ash black
walnut and cherry reach their best de-
velopment and predominant especially in
coves and hollows with a northerIy aspect.
Above $500 feet the forest falls of both
in the number of different kinds OF trees
and In their size and quality. The chest
nut, chestnut oak and red oak are the
Characteristic trees of this belt and &C.
cur almost pure on dry, steep slopes and
ridges Finally, at about 1900 feet, derse
woods of black spruce and balsarn fir cover
the ground to the exclusion of all other
trees and reach to the mountain tops, .x-
cept on the balds, the local term for
those mountains, the crests of which are
occupied by natural meadows
There are two distinct types of lumber
ing In the southern Appalachians. similar
IN the extent Of the harm done ia the for
est but differing widely in the manner In