This is number 43 in McFarland’s “Contributions to Appalachian Studies” series. Ashe County is in North Carolina’s northwest corner. It receives 40 to 60 inches of rain a year, and its altitudes range from almost a mile above sea level to less than one thousand feet. It is where the New River originates. This book starts with the history of Ashe County forests, then focuses in on particular tree species, starting with broadleaf evergreens and conifers then to native trees and introduced trees. The final chapter concerns tree culture and ranges from protected land to tree economies including apples, Christmas trees, and maple syrup. The author, Doug Munroe, is a retired nurseryman who lives in Ashe County and partners with his daughter and son-in-law in a maple syrup business.
Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2017. 249 pages with an Index, and replete with 165 color photographs. 7” X 10” trade paperback