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. 87 SALUDA RIVER BASIN. [30,796 acres; 94 per cent wooded.] AND FIRST AND SECOND BROAD RIVER BASIN. [54,400 acres; 80 per cent wooded.] The small portions of these two drainage systems examined are so similar they may be described together. Both lie on the southeastern slope of the Blue Ridge, and both drain into the Atlantic through Santee River. The Blue Ridge at the heads of these basins is low— Topography. about 3,000 feet—and the lowest land covered by these descriptions is about 1,200 feet. The slopes drained by the Saluda are steep and often precipitous, and include Table Rock and Csesars Head, both bold rocky points, affording two of the grandest views in the whole region. The cascades and falls through the glens of South Saluda and other creeks are very pretty. There is very little alluvial land on the creeks until they reach the plain at the foot of the Blue Ridge. The slopes drained by the Broad rivers arc more moderate. The spurs here reach out long distances toward the plains, while between these spurs are rapid but seldom cascading creeks, with somewhat interrupted alluvial bottom lands. In both regions the soils are derived from granite, soil, gneiss, and schists, which, when they remain in place, make excellent land, but when washed and the finer sediments left in one place, the coarser in another, become less desirable, as the clays thus formed are too stiff, too impervious to water, and too hard to work, while the gravels are too porous and too light. Corn and cane are the principal crops of this region. Agriculture. Some grass is grown on the small clearings in the higher altitudes, and some inferior orchards are seen. Sweet potatoes are grown on every plantation, and a few small cotton fields were found on the edge of the plain. The lack of grass on most of this area leaves the stir- Erosion, face exposed to the cutting action of falling rain, and the eroding effect is so severe and so evident that, in the foothills, no one attempts agriculture upon the ridges. Even the gentler slopes on the border of the alluvial bottoms are often gullied until they have become not only worthless themselves, but are a source of damage to the bottom
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).