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. 63 Not only is there no unfavorable condition in the South- tufregion"™?- ern Appalachians which is sufficient to render practical aUvefforestryerv' forestry inadvisable as a business measure, but the opportunity offered for good returns from careful and conservative forest management is a peculiarly favorable one. The forest contains valuable timber trees, which not only command a high price at present, but are rapidly increasing in value for the lack of satisfactory substitutes, notably in the case of Black "Walnut, Cherry, Hickory, Yellow Poplar, and White Oak. The transport of timber presents some difficulties, as in all mountain countries. These are, however, seldom sufficient to impair seriously the profits from lumbering. Effective protection from fire is practicable without prohibitive expense, while in its rate of growth, readiness of reproduction, and responsiveness to good treatment the forest offers silvicultural opportunities which are seldom excelled in this country. SOME EVILS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF LTJMBEKDfG. Practical forestry in the Southern Appalachians must comprise those modifications of the present methods of lumbering which will not only insure a fair profit upon present operations, but will preserve the productive capacity of the forest and provide for the desired reproduction of the timber trees. Unnecessary damage to the forest and total lack of provision for a future crop is characteristic of the lumbering now carried on in this region. Logging operations have generally shown an inexcusable slovenliness, as foreign to good lumbering as to practical forestry. A clean lumber job is seldom seen. There is great waste ^foifo^emeth of good timber through poor judgment in gauging the log lengths and in cutting stumps much higher than is necessary. Butting off unsound portions of trees is not always done; trees not wholly perfect are sometimes left to rot where they fall. Care is seldom taken to throw trees where they will do the least harm to themselves and to others, and in consequence lodged and smashed trees are very common. Overlooked sound trees are also numerous. However, criticism of lumbering in the Southern Appalachians must take into consideration the circumstances which led to it. Almost all of the work has been done by the farmers of the region in order to supply their fuel and other household material and to add to the poor living
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).