SALT MARSHES -PAST AND FUTURE 



oysters rurmerly throve here, and, intermin- 

 gled with them, bones of the great auk, of 

 ducks and waders and turkeys, of deer and 

 bears and seals. Arrow-heads, sinkers, stone 

 axes and skin scrapers, and bits of rude pot- 

 tery are still to be found in the shell heaps 

 and in the fields round about. 



Another record pointing to the forested 

 condition of the drumlins is an ancient law 

 passed in 1650, whereby the felling of timber 

 on Jeffrey's Neck, Castle Neck and Hog Is- 

 land w^as prohibited, although we learn that 

 in 1670 all fishermen were allow^ed to cut wood 

 there for house building and fuel. In 1726 

 a deed of sale was executed for '' w^ood that 

 now is, or that shall hereafter be standing, 

 lying or growing on any part of Castle Neck 

 so called beyond Wigwam Hill." 



Although the larger drumlins, like Hog Is- 

 land and Jeffrey's Neck, are now nearly bare, 

 except for the willow trees planted to shelter 

 cattle, the smaller islands are covered with 

 trees and bushes and are spots of much inter- 

 est to the botanist. Red oaks are the common 

 trees, but white birches, poplars and hickories 

 also occur, as well as a few swamp white oaks, 

 canoe birches, sassafras and lindens, and on 



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