BOTAMCAL BULLETIN. 15 



teen feet in height. Two specimens of the hitter altitiuh.' my L-onipauion and nij-- 

 self secured, and, having duly measured, deposited in the college cahinet as sam- 

 ples of what that ravine can do in Kagweeds.— Prof. W . X. Gkddks, Hanover, iiid. 



The Numerical Relations existing among the Forest Trees of Jeffer- 

 son Co., Inc.— In a region with a flora so diverse as is met in Southern Indiana, 

 we would naturally expect to tind striking ditterences in the proportions which the 

 forest trees bear to each other in dittercnt localities; nor are we disappointed in 

 this in Jefferson County. From the ijroximity to the river and consequent ease of 

 transportation, large numbers of valuable trees have been shipped, so that in the 

 forests nearest the Oliio there is a striking lack of valuable timber and an almost 

 total absence of the Black W -dhiut {Jvijlans nigm, L.). The numerous stumps of 

 this last, however, give evidence of its former abundance. Along the southern 

 slopes of the county and back some two or three miles on the hills the Beech 

 {Fagus ferruginea, Ait.; is by far the most abundant, filling forest after forest al- 

 most exclusively. In this southern section it constitutes neaidy 70 per cent, of the 

 entire number of trees found. Farther north in the county the Oaks come into 

 prominent notice in their numerous species, in the central strip of the county 

 constituting fully 40 per cent, of all the trees. Still farther north we have the 

 different genera more equally distributed, none having any special predominance. 

 In my notes of 1873, I find the following table, based on a thorough observation 

 of the forests of the county. 



i^a(7Ms/erra^t>/e«, Ait. (American Beech.) ,3.t per cent. 



Querci. (Oaks.) ..'•''.. 18 " 



IJrindeiidron Tulijjtf era, L:'iTvhiP-TREK.) 10 " 



Acer rubrum,1j. CRedMaflk.) t . u .i 



Acer saccarhimim, Wang. (Sugar Maple.) <, 



Fraxinvs Americana, L. ( White Ash. ) / _- 44 (4 



Fruxinus quadrangulata, Mx. (Blue Ash.) ^ 



Juglans nigra, 1j. (B-la.ck\V\i.svt.) 5 " " 



Cart/a alba, Xutt. (Shell-bark Hickory.) .5 



Platanus occidentalis, L. (Sycamore.) 3 



^scHhis £^^a'/rrt, Willd. (Ohio Buckeye.) / .^ ,4 44 



^Escuhis jluva, Ait. {HWEBT BucKEYK.) ^ 



[/■Zmws ^??ie?-icana, Willd. (White Elm.) 2 " " 



Other species, 10 



44 44 



44 



100 

 In this calculation many of the less prominent trees were omitted. Had they 

 been included the results reached would doubtless have been considerablj- modified. 

 The total disregard for the preservation of our forests, which seems to character- 

 ize the modern land owner, may have materially clianged these results even in 

 the brief time that has elapsed since my notes were made. In concluding, allow 

 me to ask botanists in other localities to furnish me, througii the Bulletin, their 

 observations on this subject of numerical relations. — M. S. Coulter, Lo(iaiisiiort, Ind, 



Some early Plants. — On January 25th, accompanied by a friend, 1 made a 

 search through our ravines to find what effect the warm weather was having on 

 vegetation. Capsella Bursa-pastoris, Stellar iapuher a and >S'. meadia were found in vig- 

 orous growth and full bloom, the last species covering the ground with its bright 

 green mats. Corydalis Jlava and Sedtim ternatuinweva well up and in bud. Viola, cn- 

 cullata had fully matured leaves, Arahis laevigata was two or three inches high and 

 Stylophorum diphylhun was well started. Peziza coccinea was beautifying the ground 

 with its cluster of scarlet lined cups. Lepidium Virginicum was in full bloom on 

 Jan. 1st, and many of those mentioned above were in bud at that time. M.S. 

 Coulter, writing from Logansport, in the northern part of the State, says, "on the 

 28th of Jan., I struck our promiscuous friend, Capsella, in full bloom, and Stellaria 

 puhera so nearly out that it is certainly in full bloom to-daj^'" — Ei>. 



