xt7s1r6n0r48 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dipstest/xt7s1r6n0r48/data/mets.xml DeFriese, Lafayette H. [1877]  books b96-13-34908769 English Stereotyped for the Survey by Major, Johnston & Barrett, Yeoman Press, : Frankfort, Ky. : This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed.  Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically.  Physical rights are retained by the owning repository.  Copyright is retained in accordance with U. S. copyright laws.  For information about permissions to reproduce or publish, contact the Special Collections Research Center. Timber Kentucky. Report on the timbers of the North Cumberland  : Bell and Harlan counties / by Lafayette H. DeFriese. text Report on the timbers of the North Cumberland  : Bell and Harlan counties / by Lafayette H. DeFriese. 1877 [1877] 2002 true xt7s1r6n0r48 section xt7s1r6n0r48 












GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF KENTUCKY.
           N. S. SHALER, DIRECTOR.


                REPORT

                   ON THX

TIMBERS OF THE NORTH CUMBERLAND)



BELL AND HARLAN COUNTIES.

      BY LAFAYETTE H. DEFRIESE.

      PART IX. VOI.. IV. SECOND SERIES.
CTUXUOTKD Fro THE SUJRVEY ST MAJOR, JO4N3TON  PAREROTI, YWMAN PROS, PRANEFO3T, A3.
                                     365 h 366

 
This page in the original text is blank.

 















            INTRODUCTORY LETTER.


Professor N. S. SHALER, Director Kentucky Geological Survey:
DEAR SIR: I herewith send you a report on the timbers
of the North Cumberland, which is a continuation, both in
method and purpose, of a previous report on the timbers of
four counties of Western Kentucky. The study upon which
the present report is based was made during July and Au-
gust, 1876, and was sufficiently exhaustive to insure accuracy
and a reasonable degree of completeness.
                  Very respectfully,
                       LAFAYETTE H. DEFRIESE.
  NEW YORK, March 20, i877.
                                                     367

 




REPORT ON THE TIMBERS OF THE NORTH CUM-
   BERLAND-BELL AND HARLAN COUNTIES.


   The method of study pursued in investigating the timber
of the North Cumberland necessarily differed somewhat from
that indicated in a former report on the timbers of Grayson,
Breckinridge, Hancock, and Ohio dounties. The reason is,
that the latter counties are comparatively level, are largely
settled, and their timbers had to be studied with reference to
the effects which clearing away the old forests would have
upon the future timber growth of the counties. In the pres-
ent report, on the contrary, the country is almost impassably
mountainous; comparatively a very small proportion of land
has been cleared, and the mountains are still crowned by their
vast and primitive growths. The end to be attained in this
report is, evidently, to give a conception as clear as possible
of the present condition of these timbers. I have, therefore,
not done so much plotting of ground and numbering of trees
as was given in the former report; for it is manifestly very
difficult, if not impossible, for the mind to pass from the coIi-
sideration of a few detached and poorly representative plots
of ground, of a few hundred square yards each, to the com-
prehension of a vast forest whose area comprehends millions
of acres.
  Another difficulty lies in the way of giving a clear impres-
sion of the timbers under discussion. They grow upon a per-
fect net-work of mountains. There is no regular gradation of
timbers on these mountain chains; so no fairly representative
one can be chosen and studied which will give data for a re-
port upon, and a clear comprehension of, the whole. On the
contrary, the mountains are sharply divided into those whose
forest must rank among the finest in this or any other coun-



See report on the timbers of those counties in volume II of this series.
368

 

CUMBERLAND-BELL AND HARLAN COUNTIES.



try and those whose timbers are, at best, only tolerably good,
often mediocre. There are no intermediate chains. To the
former class belong the Black Mountain and its spurs; to the
latter class, the Brush, Pine, and Cumberland mountains. I
tried to find out the reason of this extraordinary difference
in the timbers of mountain ranges which are all intermingled,
and whose geological composition is essentially the same. My
opinion is, that the difference is due to the position of the
underlying rocks. In the Pine, Cumberland, and Brush moun-
tains these rocks have an average dip of 140 to 250. The re-
sult is, that in passing up one face of the mountain we climb
directly up the dip, which so nearly coincides with the slope of
the mountain that the beating of summer rains and the action
of winter snows keep the soil washed off nearly down to the
rocks themselves, leaving no ground for the roots of a massive
forest growth to take hold and flourish in. The result is a
stunted growth of hardy trees, whose roots are spread out on
the surface of the barely covered rock below, such as moun-
tain chestnut oak and rather small sizes of chestnut, red oak,
pin oak, and the various pines. On going down the opposite
side of these mountains, the continual masses of outcropping
rocks, forming a steep and precipitous descent, leave no room
for other timbers than the Rhododendron (wild rose bay), Kal-
mia latifolia (American laurel), and such shrubs as cling to
the faces of rocky cliffs.
  On the Black Mountain and its spurs, on the other hand,
the rocks are horizontal, and the slowly accumulating detritus
clings to their surfaces, whose position opposes the slope of
the mountain at such an angle as to hold the detritus in place.
A loose soil accumulates, in which an abundance of forest
weeds spring up, and the decay of leaves and of these an-
nually dying weed-tops constantly adds richness and depth
to the soil already in position. The consequence is, that, in
the parts of the Black Mountains familiar to me, even on the
steepest slopes, there is a rich alluvial soil of from two to
four feet in depth. For this reason, there is a growth of
chestnut, tulip tree (yellow poplar), black walnut, white and
    VOL. IV.-24                                          369



5

 

REPORT ON THE TIMBERS OF THE NORTH



blue ash, birch, linden, and white hickory, that I have never
seen surpassed.
  As no mountain could be chosen for study which would
fairly represent the timber of the country, my method was to
make sections across Black Mountain and its spurs, and also
across Brush and Pine Mountains. I chose some as nearly
representative locality as possible at which to cross the moun-
tains, and at every hundred barometric feet in height, more or
less, I noted the proportion, size, and condition of growth of
all the timber distinctly visible from that point. This method
will, of course, give the height above drainage at which any
species disappears or is introduced. I tried also to get the
proportional effects of alluvial soil and of nearness to water
upon what are known as swamp timbers. It is well known
that some timbers are found only on bottom lands, and never
appear very high above water-level; bult, whether this fact is
due more to the presence of the detritus from the hills, which
always forms an alluvial soil along the streams, or whether
the presence of water is absolutely essential to their growth,
I was not able to determine. In the former case, the same
timbers would grow on such soils, whether close to water or
not. An experiment, showing whether these swamp timbers
will grow on alluvial soils high above water, or whether they
will grow near water without an alluvial soil, would be very
interesting. My own opinion is, that the soil, not the water,
is the essential part with most of them. I was led to this
opinion by noticing that little benches, high up on the moun-
tains, where there is no constant drainage, but where deep
alluvial soil has accumulated, grew most of the swamp tim-
bers; but, as a certain amount of water always found its way
during rains into these depressions, it was impossible to get
data enough to warrant more than a mere conjecture.
  In regard to the relation between the old and the young
forest growths in this region, with the exception of walnut
timber and of other timbers in certain localities, I see no rea-
son why the present proportions between the two should be
materially changed in the near future.
370



6

 

CUMBERLAND-BELL AND HARLAN COUNTIES.



  The walnut timber is as ruthlessly destroyed in Eastern
as in Western Kentucky. I saw a magnificent walnut tree,
forty inches in diameter, with a trunk of more than fifty feet
in length, cut for rails-a tree worth hundreds of dollars sac-
rificed for a few panels of fence. No care whatever is taken
either to preserve the old forest walnut now standing or to
encourage the young growth.  Besides this, except in cer-
tain localities, there is a practice of yearly -burning off the
woods," which is doing almost irreparable injury to the forests
in those parts of Black and Brush mountains where the tim-
bers are finest. Especially in the Black Mountains, there is a
very heavy growth of weeds that yearly die down, and, with
the fallen leaves, make a perfect mass of highly combustible
material. Late in the fall, when these are driest, they are set
on fire, and the heat is great enough to kill every bush that
has appeared during the year. As this is done year after
year, there is no chance whatever for a young forest growth
to start. The consequence is, that in those parts of Black
Mountains where the present forests are most dense and
valuable, there is not a single young tree or bush to be
found.  In many places this practice has been going on so
long that the old forest is rapidly dying out with age, and
there is nothing coming on to take its place. If the practice
of burning off the mountains is not stopped immediately, at
any rate long enough for a new forest to get a permanent
hold, so that fire cannot destroy it, before many years a
mountain as rich in valuable timbers as any I know of in this
country will be almost, if not entirely, stripped of its precious
products. Some extra care should certainly be taken to pre-
serve and perpetuate so rich a forest of such timbers as black
walnut, black, white, and blue ash, white hickory, tulip tree,
black birch, etc.  So valuable are the ashes and the white
hickory now becoming, that a Paris carriage manufacturing
firm is thinking seriously of establishing a spoke factory in
some part of Kentucky, where these timbers can be most
easily obtained. Already there is a very large trade going
on in Liriodendron or tulip tree (called yellow poplar) timber,
                                                           371



7

 


REPORT ON THE TIMBERS OF THE NORTH



logs of which are cut from the mountains and floated down
the Cumberland in immense numbers every winter. How-
ever, I see no reason to apprehend any near exhaustion of
this timber, if more care is taken to prevent the killing of the
young growths by fire, which certainly should be done. At
least a dozen species of the most valuable timbers in the mar-
kets of the world now grow in large quantities on the Black
Mountain ridges. Their extinction would be even more than
a State calamity. In fact, Kentucky alone might, at the ex-
pense of a few hundred dollars, have exhibited at Philadel-
phia, in i876, a collection of timbers which would have rivaled
the timber exhibit of any foreign country in the quality, vari-
ety, and value of its woods.
  I deem it best, before commencing a more minute consid-
eration of the effect of different soils. height above drainage,
etc., upon different timbers, to refer generally to some pecu-
liarities that struck me, in the distribution and growth of cer-
tain varieties of trees. As black walnut is the most valuable
of the timbers, I shall commence with that. I made a section
across Black Mountain, starting on the Cumberland river, at
Hezekiah Hall's, not far from the dividing line between Bell
and Harlan counties. My barometer, at the starting point,
stood 1,870. At a height of about I,3oo barometric feet
above the datum point, and about 500 barometric feet be-
low the crest of the mountain, I found a remarkable belt of
the finest old-forest walnut timber that I have ever seen.
The trees are more scattering now in this belt than they have
been; for the trunks of several of the finest, which had fallen
during the year, were still lying there. There is no under-
growth of any kind whatever to be found within the compass
of this belt, owing to the practice before mentioned of burn-
ing off the woods yearly. The belt to which the walnut tim-
ber is almost wholly confined.here,is only of the width covered
by a height of a little more than ioo barometric feet; that is,
at the lower edge of the belt my barometer registered about
3,ioo, and at the upper edge about 3,240. On a steep moun-
tain side this forms a very narrow strip of ground. About
372



8

 

CUMBERLAND-BELL AND HARLAN COUNTIES.



3oo barometric feet below this walnut belt I noted a bed of
outcropping coal sixteen inches thick. The walnut itself is
growing on a very rich loamy soil, partly detritus and partly
decayed vegetable matter, about two feet deep, almost en-
tirely devoid of undergrowth of trees, but perfectly matted
with a rank growth of forest weeds, fully ten feet high in
places. This walnut-growing belt winds along the mountain
as far as I had time to trace it (which was not very far, how-
ever), always at about the same height above the river below.
I noticed that it was just under the top crest of the mountain,
and crossed precisely at the heads of the various little streams
that flowed from under that crest and made their way to the
river below. One of the many magnificent walnut trees that
I found in this peculiar belt was fourteen feet six inches in
circumference, with a curling but straight and beautiful trunk,
sixty feet in length. In an area of twelve hundred and fifty
square yards in this belt the principal timbers were:
Black walnut..  .......     6; average diameter ... . 40 inches.
Buckeye...    ...       .I.5;         I I    ........29
White ash. ..           .    .3 ; one of them with diameter 34
Linden.    .   . .             6; average diameter.... 23
  But this plot of ground was a choice one. There is not such
an average of walnut as that even in the belt here spoken of.
  Another case of peculiarity in the growth of certain tim-
bers which I noted, is that of the hemlock (Abies canadensis)
of Eastern Kentucky.  In this part of the country the hem-
lock is confined wholly, so far as I know, to Conglomerate
formations; so that the presence of this timber, in any local-
ity in this part of Kentucky, is a guarantee that the geolog-
ical formation there is Conglomerate.  Of course, in other
parts of the country, hemlock grows on other than Conglom-
erate soils; and of course, too, not all Conglomerate soils of
Kentucky grow hemlock. Through all the coal regions of
Western Kentucky I never saw a single tree of it. But not
only is the hemlock of Eastern Kentucky confined to Con-
glomerate formations; it is also never found very high above
local drainage. In the whole course of Cumberland river,
from Cumberland Gap to near its head waters, and on all the
                                                         373



9

 

10        REPORT ON THE TIMBERS OF THE NORTH



various small streams that rise in Brush, Black, Pine, and
Cumberland mountains, and flow into Cumberland river, I
have never seen a single hemlock more than one hundred
barometric feet above local drainage, except in one spot.
That was shortly after crossing the Harlan county line in as-
cending the Cumberland, where I found some hemlock trees
on top of the bluff, that here rises precipitately from the
river to a height of two hundred feet.  But even in this
case, although the trees are two hundred barometric feet
above the river, on the opposite side of the hemlock from
the river is a considerable depression, through which a branch
runs most, if not all, of the year; so that this is not strictly
an exception to the statement that I never saw a hemlock,
in this part of Kentucky, growing more than one hundred
feet above local drainage. So far as my observation extends,
therefore, the presence of a hemlock tree in Kentucky proves
two things: Conglomerate formation, and water, present part
of the year at least, within one hundred barometric feet.
  The last peculiarity of growth that I shall notice here, is
that of the white oak. In a former report on the timbers of
some parts of Western Kentucky (volume II, page 339) 1
mentioned the want of hardihood in the white oak, inferred
from the fact that Spanish oak, red oak, pin oak, etc., when
left to free competition with the white oak, in the course of
time choke it out and supplant it. In Eastern Kentucky,
where the mountains are sufficiently high for exposure to dif-
ferent points of the compass to produce a marked effect on
the timbers, I found a confirmation of my former opinion in
regard to the comparative sensitiveness of the white oak. In
making a section across Black Mountain, along what is called
Hall's branch, not far from the Harlan county line, the hills
on either side of the hollow are quite steep and high, and
form a synclinal, one face of which is exposed to the north,
the other to the south. The formation and soil of the two
faces were exactly the same, so far as I could see, and both
were heavily timbered. But on the hillside exposed to the
south about forty-five per cent. of the whole timber was of
374

 

CUMBERLAND-BELL AND HARLAN COUNTIES.



the most massive and splendid white oak, often four feet in
diameter and ninety feet high. Here there was less than one
per cent. of Liriodendron (yellow poplar, so-called). On the
northern exposure opposite, on the contrary, about thirty-five
per cent. of the timber was massive Liriodendron, many trees
of which were six and seven feet in diameter, with trunks
sixty to eighty feet high. Here the white oak formed less
than one per cent. Of course this is a very striking example,
and it could not be said that difference of exposure every-
where in these mountains produces such a marked effect upon
the white oak.  But altogether, my observations convinced
me beyond a doubt that the white oak is not so hardy a tree
as it is often supposed to be.
  There are not many valuable timbers in Eastern Kentucky
which I have not already noticed in a former report on West-
ern Kentucky timbers. Of course the black walnut, already
noticed, and the black birch, of which there is a considerable
quantity scattered through the Black and Brush Mountains,
are the most valuable timbers. But, as in Western Ken-
tucky, the people seem to attach very little importance to
either. The Liriodendron is largely floated out every winter,
as I mentioned before, for lumber. The white hickory and
black and blue ash rank next in value; and they all abound, in
the Black Mountain especially. Owing to the abundance of
water-power, the accessibility, in large quantities, of these
timbers, and their great demand in carriage-making, I see no
reason why the near future should not see many spoke fac-
tories, ax-handle and hammer-handle factories, and carriage
factories, in this part of Kentucky. Already the eyes of
some large carriage factories are turning toward these tim-
bers, and they only need to be better known in order to
become a good source of revenue to the people. The red
maple, which is growing more and more into favor in cabinet
work, also abounds in Bell and Harlan counties. The linden
(Sihia Americana) is also found in large quantities through
these mountains, and is very valuable in cabinet work, panel-
ing, etc. The pines, especially the pitch pine (Pinus rigida)
                                                         375



I I

 

REPORT ON THE TIMBERS OF THE NORTH



and the yellow pine (Pinus mitis), are very abundant in parts
of the mountains, particularly Pine Mountain. They are too
well known to need especial mention, except to say that not a
pine is to be found in those counties of Western Kentucky,
on which my former report was made, so far as I could dis-
cover. I know of no especial reason for their total absence
from that part of Kentucky. Certainly the want of mountains
in Western Kentucky is not a sufficient explanation; for pine
woods are often low and flat, though I do not know of any in
Kentucky that are so. Other timbers found in Eastern Ken-
tucky, that do not grow in such parts of Western Kentucky
as I have studied, are the magnolias (Magnolia acuminala, M.
umbtrella, and M. fraseri), hemlock, Rhododendron (maximum),
and American laurel (Kalmia la/ifolia).
  I shall now proceed to give in detail the most important of
the sections made, in the order in which they were made.
Between ten miles above Pineville and Browning creek the
exposure of the mountain facing the river shows Lirioden-
dron, hemlock, beeches, chestnut, red oak (called often water
oak by the people), the three magnolias given above, Rhodo-
dendron (maximum), American laurel, red and white maple,
trident red maple, white oak, pines (mi/is and rigida), the
various hickories (mostly shell-bark), dogwood, sourwood, and
Stuartia (Sluartia virginica).
  A section was made up Browning creek to Brush Mountain,
and across Brush Mountain to Cumberland Mountain. Up
Browning creek, to the last crossing before starting up Brush
Mountain, the timbers noted were white oak (which predom-
inates), pin oak, pig hickory, chestnut oak, mulberry, red elm,
buckeye, papaw, sycamore, shag hickory, white walnut (in
considerable quantities), black walnut (small quantity), white
ash (very fine and large), grey birch, linden (Tilia A4mericana
and T. he/erophy/la alba), white elm, black cherry (only one
or two), winged elm, white hickory, the magnolias, hemlock,
sweet gum, and black sumach.  I should say here that, in
making sections through the mountains, I give the timbers,
not in the order in which they probably predominate, but in
376



12

 


CUMBERLAND-BELL AND HARLAN COUNTIES.



the order in which they are met with. This is very necessary,
especially in going up a steep mountain side, as it marks the
height above drainage at which different timbers grow.
  In starting up Brush Mountain, the timbers remained sub-
stantially the same for a barometric height of four hundred
and sixty feet. They are the magnolias, chestnut, hemlock
(for the first fifty feet only), black gum, white oak, white
maple, beech, tulip tree, black hickory, grey birch, black
oak, pin oak, red oak, white hickory, sycamore (along Mid-,
dle Branch), black walnut (in small quantities), white walnut,
holly, black locust, red elm, shag hickory, and red maple (very
large). The formation is conglomerate. At a height of four
hundred and sixty feet chestnut oak is first seen. There are
also black ash, red oak, witch hazel, and scattering pines.


                           Height in
         Thanks.          barometric             RobAms.
                             feet.

Pines, chestnut, chestnut oak,           The absence of all the other timbers here
black gum, and rock maple.      720      is due not so much to height as to vicin-
                                      ity of a slide, which had precipitated the
                                      crest of the mountain down to nearly
                                      this height.

Pines (P. mits and P. rgida) . .  965    Here we come to a bluff that has fallen
                                      from the top of the mountain, and hence
                                      the absence of all timber except dwarf
                                      pines. This throw lasts for a height of
                                      three hundred feet.

Black locust, chestmut, chestnut         At this height the fall from the mountain
oak, black birch, magnolia cu-           top is crossed, and we again find the tim-
cumber, pin oak, Liridend-vn,             bers that normally belong to the moun-
sweet pepper, etc..         1300     tan side. All of these timbers are very
                                      heavy.

Chestnut oak almost entirely . .  6oo    Here we meet with another slide from the
                                      mountain top, which normally belongs
                                      just below the one at a height of 965
                                      feet. Very evidently that was originally
                                      the mountain crest, and fell first. This
                                      underlay it, and fell at a later date. Ge-
                                      ology shows plainly that both have fallen;
                                      but their relative positions originally I
                                      argue from the botany alone.

                                                                    377



13

 



14            REPORT ON THE TIMBERS OF THE NORTH


                              Height in
          TiMBsRS.           barometric               REMARKS.
                                feet.


Pin oak, black oak, pig hickory,        The mountain top here is level and broad,
  Lipjodeuduon, chestnut, and             showing the slide of the rock cliffs that
  chestnut oak..... ..      .   1940      once capped it. So the timber here is
                                          not that which geologically belongs to
                                          the top of the mountain.


   An   irregular spur of the Black Mountain, almost at right-
angles to    the   last section, gives, on its southern           exposure,
the following timbers:


                              Height in
          TimDEKs.           barometri                ReMAdS.
                                feet.


Sweet gum, beech, red maple,            The character of the undergrowth here is
shag hickory, black hickory,            somewhat different. It consists of aza-
  white oak (very nsassive), hol-         leas, mountain oak, red oak, chestnut,
  ly, Liriodend-n, black locust,          dogwood, and some white oak, hickory,
  magnolia umbrella, black gum,           etc.
  white walnut, grey birch, black
  oak, and chestnut .base.


Lirdedndreon, white oak, shag hick-    It will be noticed that sweet gum, the mag-
  ory, water beech, black oak, red        nolias, and holly disappear during the
  maple, black hickory, white ma-!        first hundred feet.
  ple, chestnut, june-berry . . .  loo


White oak, water beech, chest-          The shag bark hickory here disappears.
  nut, witch hazel, Liriodendrn,
  june-berry, black locust, black
  oak, pig hickory, rock maple,
  post oak, sourwood, dogwood,
  etc0... . . . . . . . . . . 0


Mountain chestnut oak, black oak,       Here the undergrowth becomes very heavy,
  white and rock maple, Lirioden-         black oak and red oak predominating.
  dron, white oak, pig hickory,:          Mountain chestnut oak makes its first
  dogwood, etc..      . - -      300      appearance also.


Rhododndron maxdimm,   moun-            A cliff of horizontal sandstone here changes
  tain chestnut oak (in great             the character of the timber almost com-
  quantities), pine (mis), black        pletely.
  hickory, American laurel, sour-
  wood, etc .330

378

 



CUMBERLAND-BELL AND HARLAN COUNTIES.



15



                           Height in
         TIMamps.         barometri Rcm                s.
                             feet.

Dwarf chestnut oak, dwarf pine,           The sandstone cliff here still continues,
dwarf and post oak, rock maple            but at a dip of 14'. It evidently be-
sourwood, and American laurei    4        longs to the mountain top, but has slid
                                      down, for the rocks of Black Mountain
                                      are horizontal in their normal position.

White oak, chestnut oak, chest1           These timbers evidently belong to a posi-
nut, black gum, and pin oak         tion geologically belowthepo-tfoot
are the old growths.....    560     level.


  In passing up the Cumberland from White Rock toward
Mount Pleasant, the timbers are mostly white oak, beech,
chestnut, red oak, Spanish oak, maple, etc., except where a
ridge of the mountain juts down to the river, when pin oak,
pines, mountain chestnut oak, black oak, etc., are introduced.
Shag and white hickories are plenty along the bases of the
mountains, pig and black hickories higher up. Hemlock
abounds all along the little streams, to a height of fifty bar-
ometric feet above drainage.
  After crossing over into Harlan county, I made a section to
the top of Black Mountain, up Gray's branch, and came down
a different way, so as to get two sections. The results are
here given in detail:

                           Height in
         Timwas.          barometri             RELAYS.
                             feet.

White oak, black oak, red oak,            The walnut timber here is only young
black gum, black walnut, ma-        growth, confined to open spots.
ples, beeches, etc ...... .    base.

Beech, sugar maple, white maple,          The mere list of trees here gives no idea
Linodred, red oak, linden,          of the splendor of the forest. The Lin.
black gum, white oak, white         odeins are five to seven feet in diam.-
hickory, shaghickory, grey          eter, with trunks sixty to eighty feet
birch, and blue ash.too             long. The white oak timber is also ex.
                                      tremely heavy, and the blue ash as fine
                                      as any I ever saw.

                                                                   379

 





I 6      REPORT ON THE TIMBERS OF THE NORTH



                                Height in
           TiMBERs.            barometric                REMARKS.
                                   feet.


Grey birch, beech, white maple,         No perceptible change in the splendor of
  Linodendron, blue ash, buckeye         the forest.
  red oak, black gum, spicewood,
  magnolia umbrella, etc.   .      200


Lii jodendrn, chestnut, shag hick-     The linden is yet scattering, as it is found
  ory, red oak, beech, white oak,         mostly in this part of Kentucky high up
  linden, maple, dogwood, etc.   340     on the mountain side. The timbers are
                                             all heavy.


Lii.ednd-n, chestnut, shag hick.      The Liriodendross remains as heavy as ever.
  ory, red bud, red maple, linden,        The shag hickory is also very fine.
  june-berry, etc...... .          48o


Growth same as above, with the          The linden first becomes very abundant at
  addition of ironwood.. . .  .  .8o      this height in ascending the mountain.


Limodexdrn, chestnut, white ash,       Linden, chestnut, and Liriodend-n are the
  white hickory, red oak, linden,         chief timbers at this height.
  buckeye, ironwood, dogwood,
  etc.   . . . . . . . . . . .     700


Lirioisdron-, chestnut, white ash,     At this height a sixteen-inch vein of coal
  blue ash, and most of the 700-          crosses the hollow. The blue and the
  feet timbers.    . .    .        850       white ash are very fine indeed.


Black walnut, chestnut, Liiden-         The splendor of the forest here can hardly
dro,  white hickory, linden,               be imagined. The belt of walnut before
buckeye, etc ..0...... .      1050      mentioned begins to show itself here,
                                             while the Liriendron, chestnut, and
                                             white hickory are of the finest.


Black walnut, buckeye, Liridn          At this height crosses the curious belt, 25
  drss, white ash, sugar maple,          per cent. of whose timber is old forest
  linden, white hickory, etc. . .  1250  walnut. In size and quality these trees
                                             have no superior in this country, so far
                                             as I know.


Chestnut, red oak, rock maple,         The walnut timber gives out below this
  black locust, pig hickory, etc.  1375  height, and a ledge of rock here gives
                                             high mountain timbers. Linden gives
                                             out above this height.

 


CUMBERLAND-BELL AND HARLAN COUNTIES.



17



                            Height in
         TIMBERS.          barometric