NANTUCKET TREES 3 



velocity of 64 MPH; an extreme of 98 MPH. " This cor- 

 responds to the 130 MPH for one gust as given for the 

 latter date in Argument Settlers, 46 or, as picturesque- 

 ly stated by Douglas-Lithgow, 10 to the one puff which 

 registered a velocity of over 120 miles per hour. The 

 Weather Bureau figures continue: "March 1, 1914, SE, 

 a maximum of 66 MPH; an extreme of 91 MPH. September 

 21, 1938, SE, a maximum of 52 MPH; an extreme of 57 MPH. 

 September 14, 1944, SW, a maximum of 57 MPH; an extreme 

 of 79 MPH vith gusts possibly over 90 MPH. June 27, 

 1945, NE, a maximum of 55 MPH; an extreme of 68 MPH." 



The many trees uprooted in Nantucket during the 

 two recent storms are fresh in our minds. Bassett .Jones 

 has observed earlier in the same connection: "indeed, 

 were the storms frequent I am disposed to think that the 

 flora of Nantucket vould be very different than it is at 

 present. Few things could manage to keep a foot-hold. 

 The result of centuries of such winds upon the Island 

 Bassett Jones estimates as follows: "As it is, only a 

 selected company of peculiarly adapted hardy plants can 

 survive unless protected. So we find our 'hidden 

 forests,' of which there are quite a number, strictly 

 limited as to tallness of the plants and trees by the 

 protection they get from low hills to the northeast." 



Fogg's description of forest conditions on the 

 Elizabeth Islands gives almost the same picture. "The 

 most conspicuous vegetational feature of the islands, 

 aside from the open grassy downs, is the dense growth of 

 rather low beech woods which clothes the greater part of 

 Naushon and smaller areas on some of the other islands. 

 From a distance these woods are seen to fit in closely 

 with the general topography, due, doubtless, to the high 

 wind velocity which would tend to level forest growth to 

 the existing lines of the hills and ridges." 



On Nantucket the sweeping branches of the great 

 beeches of the Hidden Forest begin so close to the ground 

 that it would be child's play to climb them. A picture 

 of tall beeches in England as seen in the avenue of 

 beeches in Savernake Forest, Wiltshire, emphasizes by 

 contrast wind effects on Nantucket. 2 



