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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  • 80 SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION. Topography. While present erosion is limited, there is evidence that it would be very great if large areas of the earth were uncovered. Distribution.—With the exception of a few "balds," or grassy areas on the higher summits, and the alluvial lands of the lower coves and creek valleys, the forest of this great mountain side is practically unbroken. Composition. —The species of trees growing here number over 100, an unusually large number for one locality. Northern and soul hern trees are close neighbors, and all may be studied in traversing the different zones of altitude from 1,500 to 6,700 feet, instead of the necessary 1,000 miles of latitude at an altitude of 1,000 feet. Almost every tree enumerated in the accompanying list (p. 93) grows here. Condition.—While some remarkably fine timber trees are here, the general average is far inferior to what might be grown with so favorable a soil and climate. Fire, grazing, and culling have reduced this forest considerably below its natural condition. Imperfect trees and inferior species are abundant, while some of the burns and cattle ranges are very deficient in stand. Reproduction.—Hardly any other forest in the country would respond so readily to the forester's care and demonstrate so plainly that nearly all of this tract is best adapted to timber growing. LITTLE TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN. [1,018,054 acres; 91 per cent wooded.] Little Tennessee River with its tributaries drains a large area, extending from the Blue Ridge on the south to the Great Smoky Mountains on the north, including all of the territory between the basins of Big Pigeon and Hiwas- see rivers. Its larger tributaries are the Tuckasegee from the east, the Oconalufty from the northeast, the Cheoah from the southwest, and the Nantahala from the south, while the upper portion of the Tennessee drains the extreme southern portion, heading on top of the Blue Ridge. These waters pass through the Tennessee into the Ohio River. The upper or southern part of the basin lying on the northwest slope of the Blue Ridge is an elevated plateau region, having an altitude of more than 3,000 feet, with low, rounded granite knobs and few high summits, and broad alluvial flats, the deposit of the slow streams. The Balsam, Great Smoky, and Unaka mountains, with many
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).