Page:The Scientific Monthly vol. 3.djvu/116

 THE SVIESTIFIC MOyTIILY

��iDdiana, in its early days. S[ost of this coal is shipped across Ind to Gary,

Forest Resources

The virgin forests were splendid. But since an early day, lumbc been shipjit'd to an outside market; therefore the timber area has reduced, and, although it remains the chief source of wealth, the e: almost in sight. About thirty per cent, of the region was in wo< 1910, not all of which was primeval.

The mountaineer's way of luniljoring is to cut a few choice and "snake" them down to the creek, where, as logs, rafts or rai ties, they await the coming of the flood, or "fide," to be floated ■ stream. Thus a man can [>voduoe ten ties per day, for which this mer, near Bcattyvillc, he received ihirty-eight cents apiece. But Ini ing corporations are beginning to attack the two remote corners o Southern Appalachian Highlands, the Smoky Mountains and the tueky Plateau: and after the onslaught, in whidi^stumps three am half feet in diameter are left to rot, the hills are gaunt with slat black from resultinit forest fires. Consequently increased erosi resulting on the slojies, with augmented harmful deposition on the below. Furthermore, within and below the plateau, the streams in^ ingly are characterized by sliort periods of flood, and long intervi low stage- -\lso, the supply of drinking water and water power coming less constant.

Most of the timber is owned by outside capital. The Uniled ' government is seeking to buy wooded land for forestry, having pleted the first step in IDU. when it purchased the GO.ODO acre more estate, near Asheville. X. C.

A passing forest industry is the digging of ginseng and other

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