The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-04-06
DESTROYING MT. MITCHELL.

RMS aflcle WIS WTltteu before the I
<orth Carolina Legislature passed an
act 10 establish a State park on Mt.
Mitchell and thus save the forests on |
She famous mountain from d%estruc-
fion. The article shows the necessity |
Cor the action that the Legislature
fook in this connection. The News
and Observer is permitted to publish
pv the courtesy Of the American
forestry Magazine, which magazine
las also kindly loaned the two cuts
with which the article is illustrated.)
The magnificent spruce and balsam
forests on Mt. Mitchell. the loftiest
1eak in the eastern United States and
the hub of the Southern Appalachian
range which rises to its greatest at
irsctiveness in Western North Carroll
1.-THE Land of the Sky"-are be-
ING cut down and the mountain, it is
f-9rad, will become bleak and barren
a. q result.
virgin stands Of spruce and balsam
Trees which nave taken hundreds Of
Gears 10 develop are being cut down
without thought to future forest
growth. Principles Of forestry are not
5nlv disregarded in cutting the timber.
nut the lumbermen'S contract gives
1hem the authority to burn the slash
behind them. The object Of burning
this heavy slash is to lessen the fire
hazard which would exist If the slash
were 70 stay on the ground near the
standing timber or cut logs and per-
baps be in danger Of accidental firing.
TIL result of the careless burning Of
the slash, however, is not only to kill
off all OF the young growth but tc
burn the soil which is formed Of hu-
mus a foot or more thick in mos,
places, and at the same tim CONSUME
All the tree seed deposited in it.
The thinking people Of North Caro-.
lima, particularly the business men 0,
Asheyille, deeply resent h devaSta
sion Of the wooded slopes of Mt
Mitchell. and, in recent weeks. {
movement has been started looking
toward the preservation of the forest
on its slopes through action either b.
she State of North Carolina or by tn
federal Government. Not only ar
the citizens of North Carolina thor
oughly aroused over the situation, bu
Uncle Sam is interested also In tn
preservation Of the forest on tn
mountain. The cutting Of privatel
owned timber on Mt. Mitchell ha
been accompanied by a number Q
fires on government National flores
land, caused by sparks from the log
sing engines used in the 1umberin
operation. The government has a.
ready purchased large sections of Ian
IA NV W.. 4hiteAiNii All -
ance with the Appalachian Nations
Forest Act, and this government-oWr
ed timber is in constant danger be
cause off crest fires starting On tn
cut-Over and bu~rned-oyer areas whiC
have been left by the lumbermeIl.
The Eastern Pixies Peak.
Nj. Mitchell is to North Carolir
and, in fact, to the whole easter
United States, what Pixies Peak is
The Rocky Mountain region n VIII;
Mt. Rainier and Mt. Shasta are to II
Pacific coast. 1t is the highest pea
east of the Rocky Mountains, risir
10 a height Of 6,711 sfeet above 81
level. 1t is one of the peaks of Il
SLACK Mountain range so named b
cause the trees which cover the slap
took black in the distance. The beau
and grandeur of his section OF Nor
Carolina. has long made the region
mecca for tourists n each year t
country is becoming more popular
o. great National recreation ground.
Nh. Mitchell is about 80 miles mort
east OF AsheviAle, air line, and it is b
natural that the citizens of this Nor
carolina city have been the first
protest against the numbering opeI
ions which are resulting in denudi
me mountainous slopes. AT a meetl
oi The Asheville Board OF Trade