Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

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Report of the Secretary of Agriculture in relation to the forests, rivers, and mountains of the southern Appalachian region

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  • SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION. 49 FORESTS OF ROAN, GRANDFATHER, AND THE BLACK MOUNTAINS. Roan Mountain stands as a prominent figure in this Topographic . . .... . , , and forest fea- group of tour similar large, isolated mountain masses—tures- Beech, Grandfather, Roan, and Black mountains—in a region which is largely devoted to agriculture. These mountains are alike in the general character of the forests on their slopes, and the agricultural lands about their foothills and intervening valleys. They are all heavily timbered, and, though much of their forest has been partially lumbered, only occasional choice trees have been cut, causing no break in the forest and little change in its condition. Mixed hardwoods form the dominant element, and associated with them are small areas of hemlock. Limited areas of spruce are found on or near their tops. Beech Mountain is the lowest of these four. It has few coniferous trees about it except hemlock and white pine on its northern slope, while large areas on the summits of Grandfather, Roan, Black, and Craggy mountains are occupied by spruce and balsam forests. These forests are virtually pririieval, and trees of all sizes and ages are found inter mingled, showing abundant reproduction and an undisturbed forest equilibrium. Along the drier portions of the summits and the ridges leading up to them, especially on the south slopes, fires have in some places done considerable damage. But areas entirely fire killed are small. (1) The Beech Mountain group, including Sugar Moun-1 ^g^pMc tain and other smaller peaks near it, lies between Watauga BeechM0Untain! River and Banners Elk Creek and is the most northerly group. It has an area of about 70,000 acres (110 square miles), 20,000 acres (32 square miles) or about 30 per cent of which are cleared. It is the lowest of the four groups, having an altitude of only 5,522 feet. It is separated from Grandfather Mountain, which is about 15 miles southeast of* its summit, by the valley of the Watauga River and from Roan Mountain, which is about the same distance to the southwest, by the valley of Elk Creek, which is partly cleared. Although the south slope of the mountain is steep, the soil is deep and mellow and grass farms extend nearly to the summit. There are also a few farms on the northern slopes. The original forests of Beech Mountain are now largely confined to the deep hollows on the northern slopes. The *S. Doc. 84 1
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