Rhodora 
JOURNAL OF 
THE NEW ENGLAND BOTANICAL CLUB 
Vol. 1 August, 1899 No. 8 
PAST AND PRESENT FLORAL CONDITIONS IN 
CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS. 
G. E. STONE. 
In an area like Massachusetts, which is thickly populated, and which 
has been settled for over two hundred years, an area in which the agri- 
cultural industries have changed to that of manufacturing, and in which 
the forest growths have been removed a number of times, we have an 
opportunity to study the methods of deforestation which have prevailed 
in New England from its earliest settlement, and the effects of these 
methods upon the floral conditions. 
The tree growths of central Massachusetts differ from those of 
other parts of the state only in so far as climate and soil peculiarities 
are concerned. The characteristic forest trees in this locality are the 
pine, chestnut, oak, and birch. The pine and chestnut are especially 
adapted to this region, as is shown by their great abundance, both of 
these being more common in central Massachusetts than in any other 
portion of the state. The pine is especially abundant here, because of 
the fact that it can adapt itself to a great variety of conditions. 
The historical records of our forests date back as far as 1634, in 
fact, to the time of the early settlements in New England. They show, 
on the whole, that the climatic conditions have probably not changed 
very much, though undoubtedly local effects have been brought about 
by the removal of the forests, and also from industrial activities. 
|. Excepting two mountains about two thousand feet high, the central 
portion of Massachusetts has an average elevation of one thousand feet, 
which gradually descends on the eastern and western border to one of 
about three hundred or four hundred feet. Of the species which thrive 
better on the higher elevation may be mentioned the red spruce, moun- 
tain maple, striped maple, mountain ash, beech, canoe birch and 
