MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 215 



ceolata, Qiiercus bicolor, Tilia americana. Westward from this belt, wood 

 lots occur, showing an association of silver maple, elm, and ash ; but these 

 are easily distinguished as belonging to a diiferent series. The elm is still 

 prominent, but the silver maple becomes subordinate or almost absent. 

 Red maple takes its place, becoming prominent. There is less red ash and 

 more black ; also it will be found that the association is seldom pure, 

 but mixed witli species clearly belonging to other types, the most common 

 of which are the beecli, soft maple, the oak-hickory, and sassafras associa- 

 tions. 



As before mentioned, this association is one of the three largest in the 

 county. It is composed of hydrophytic species and the forest occurs 

 in situations too wet for agriculture. On clearing away the forest it 

 was necessary to drain the land before it could be put under cultiva- 

 tion. This has been difficult to accomplish, because of the very level 

 topography and it has been difficult to raise crops requiring early culti- 

 vation like corn. Pastures start late and conditions are not so well 

 suited for the keeping of cattle, sheep, and other animals. The barns 

 are of the roomy, symmetrical kind, suitable for storing hay, for this is 

 good grass land. Wherever it has been possible to secure good drainage, 

 cereals do well, as a rule. 



A second large and fairly distinct forest association is composed of 

 beech and red maple, in order of their relative abundance. This forms 

 a wide, but somewhat interrupted belt, throughout the central portion 

 of the county occurring in the east portion of Livonia, Nankin and 

 Romulus townships, with extensions into Taylor, Dearborn and Red- 

 ford. The association is entirely distinct in appearance from the hard 

 maple-beech forest of the Northville region. The surface is level, tlie 

 soil is clay, often loamy, with here and there a shallow covering of sand 

 which interrupts the drainage, and causes local swamps. 



The drainage problem has been quite generally and successfully solved 

 and conditions are excellent for the raising of cereals ; the farm buildings 

 are of the kind best suited for the keeping of stock; the people are 

 hospitable, interested in educational work, particularly with branches 

 that have to do with the improvement of the soil and what it produces. 

 It is surprising how people in the beech-red maple area, busied as they 

 are in their daily work, actually study, and even accurately investigate, 

 the conditions witli which they have to deal. It is common to meet 

 I^eople here who know a good deal of plant physiology, soil-physics and 

 chemistry, and can even talk intelligently about Mendel's Law. Con- 

 ditions remind one strongly of the hard maple-beech area about North- 

 ville, but there is a difference. The hilly land in the Northville region, 

 possibly because it interferes with the cultivation and harvesting of 



