The highest point of this mountain rises about 600 feet above the
base, the summit being 1,230 feet above sea level. The long axis of
the ridge runs about 15 degrees north of east, the east end of the
ridge terminating abruptly. The area studied comprises about 2,000
acres, about 600 of which are cleared, and the balance bears a dense
stand of timber which is mainly coppice growth between 10 and 25 years
old. On the summit, and the upper and middle slopes, chestnut is the
predominating species, forming 80 to 90 per cent. of the stand. Below
this is a zone in which chestnut and chestnut oak constitute the stand
in about equal proportions. At the base of the mountain there is a
narrow, irregular belt of tulip, butternut, red oak, and ash, with a
very low per cent. of chestnut.
Strips four rods wide were run north and south across the mountain, and
also in an east and west direction over the top and along the sides.
Observations were made of all the chestnut trees on each strip acre.
In this way the tract was gridironed, and a fairly comprehensive idea
obtained of the relative amount of blight in the various portions of
it. (Fig. 3).
[Illustration: By J. Wesley Sitler, July, 1913.
Scale 2.75 inches—1 mile.
6/6-yr blight center, upper figure is per cent. of infection on an area
within 50 feet radius or more of the center.