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

frequently been swept over by fires
ever since the earliest days Of the
occupation Of the region. Many fires
occurred before the lumherman start
ed MS operations. but these nave not
peen as destructive as rnose which
nave followed the lumberman because
the burning Of the slash has caused
Tar more harm than the simple burn
ing OF standing timber.
The numbering railroad has already
been built to within a mile and a half
OF the summit OF Mt. Mitchell and
the large spruce trees which run from
twenty inches to twenty-six inches. |
and sometimes to thirty inches in
diameter-the best spruce timber il |
the eastern United States-are being |
cut down and hauled to a large band
saw mill at Black Mountain which
is located on the Southern Railway, 16
miles east of Asheyifle. The smaller
spruce and balsam ,rees are cut and
sent to the Champion Fibre Gem
anys large pulp mills at Canton.
which is just eighteen miles west Of
Asheyille.
| Utter Desoiation and Ruin.
Such rapid progress has been made
in clearing off the land hat Cling
mans Peak and a considerable area
on Mt. Mitchell today present g scene
Of utter desolation and ruin. Percons
familiar with this section of the coun-
try realize that the destruction OF the
forests here is a more serious matter
than in almost IN other region. For
ests cut down On the northwest Pacific
coast, for instance, will quickly re-
produce themselves, but the destruc-
ton Of forest in the Southern Appa-
lachians n the usual burning over
of land carries with it also the des-
truction Of the soil and the seed de-
1 1ncs{, o.,1 o~roI,,o%sA Innnn,ax al
most an impOssibility.
/ That which nature required CEN
. turtles to produce is destroyed by MAJ
in a few days because OF the iInme-
!, date profit which SHINING h land
will bring. The forests in which are
: the sources OF many streams become
rocky areas on which the heavy rain:
: fall and rush off creating floods which
destroy farms and interfere with tn
regular flow Of the mountain streams
I many Of which are sources OF grea
, WaterpoWer.
In the Nj. Mitchell numbering oper
alton the great sideways III which tn
= logs are dragged to the railroad TO
h loading and shipment form great gut
$ tiers and down these cutters the water
q from the rainS rush in torrents am
cut deep into the soil through to tn
red clay and the rock. Over the re
e mainder Of the face OF the denude
4 mountain, soil washes badly afte
each rain, and, with its disappear
5 ance, the people OF the State are los
ing all hopes OF refoTestation. Mr.. !
Buckner, Secretary of the AsheVill
Board of Trade, summed up h 81
uation, when he said:
h I'VE realize that timber, foliag,
is soil and water form the basis OF a
g natural resources, and really COVER
"a the value Of money. h mammal
&c value Of money depends absolutely G
r these three natural resources, and tt
"a preservation Of the forests on tt
peaks OF the Appalachian mountain
especially Mt. Mitchell and neart
= peaks, is really q matter Of vast Wit
- concern to the people Of the common
wealth Of North Carolina and tt
whole United States. It is earnest
"a to be hoped that the people of the II;
ton will rise up in a strong sentin1e1
against the future forest devastatit
- of the monarch Of the East, NJ
Mitchell. Already forest fires ha'
- burned over the cut over area al
=. several crown or tree-tOp fires ha'
ne resulted, and the whole area cut no
presents a scene OF unutteraDle deSOl
ton and blank ruins
ha Governors Good Work.
in The Honorable Locke Craig. Go
e ernor Of North Carolina, is one
Of the leaders in the movement to bril
Il about some action which will che
the destruction Of the forests on n
Mitchell, and, il his address to /
va North Carolina Forestry Associate
ed on January 18th, he dealt largely vi
SEES the proposition thar the state pr
We chase the area on tire top of y