160 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



twisted and bushy stems seldom exceeded a height of 

 3-4 ft. ; at times we observed trees of 10-12 ft. or even 15 

 ft., but very few of them. These oaks seem to take 

 possession of this dry and infertile hill country as if 

 by privilege. And there is found among them besides 

 scarcely any variety of other plants. We noticed only 

 the Actcca racemosa (which we missed hardly any- 

 where along the whole road), the Galega virginiana, 

 Sophora tinctoria, Gerardia, and a few others, along 

 with a dry bristly grass. In the lower valleys between 

 these hills the other oaks occur, as also the Chesnut 

 Oak which is seldom seen elsewhere in this region. 

 The land grown up in this dwarf oak is of very little 

 value. The people living near by set fire to the bush 

 every spring, in order to give air to the grass beneath 

 and so furnish their cattle a little pasture. However, 

 the growth comes out again, although the bark is al- 

 most coaled. Fire seems to do them little hurt, where- 

 as the chesnut and other tree-oaks stand among them 

 dry and scorched. Nobody cares to buy this land or 

 put it to use. For should the fire kill the dwarf oak, 

 it would mean more labor than elsewhere to dig up the 

 roots standing thick together. It is a rare prospect 

 over this extensive tract of low bush-growth, made all 

 the finer by the nearness of the Blue Mountains but, 

 however agreeable, it is little inviting to the planter. 

 Everywhere these oaks are taken to be a symptom of 

 an unkind soil. Not a single dwelling is discovered 

 among them ; everything is desolate and void. Even 

 wild beasts and birds dislike to live here, where they 

 find neither food nor shade nor shelter. The whole 

 way from Nazareth to Heller's House, eight miles, 

 we came upon only three houses, standing in the hoi- 



