lST.S.j -• [I Tier. 



springs and streams. Many of the springs have become wet weather water 

 courses, while the floods in the streams rise suddenly and high, and sub- 

 side as quickly ; the rainfall running rapidly over the denuded surface, and 

 failing to penetrate it, as when shaded by the forest, and covered with 

 leaves and weeds. 



There is a curious fact I have never read of, yet which displays the 

 effort of nature in the spread of vegetation. Tn July, 1837, I returned 

 home from the Constitutional Convention, which sat in Harrisburg. 

 When passing along the canal in the valley of the Juniata, I noticed long 

 reaches of stone covered mountain sides, bare of all vegetation from base 

 to summit, and of most curious structure, the stones being, apparently, 

 comminuted rocks, so small and flat as to have come to a regular incli- 

 nation at angles, varying probably from twenty-five to forty degrees. 

 After I began to come to that city to the sessions of our Court, passing 

 upon the Pennsylvania Railroad, I occasionally looked for some of these 

 naked stons mountain sides without seeing them. At first I supposed this 

 to be accidental, my attention happening not to be drawn to them at the 

 proper time. In the course of time I began to think I was mistaken, and 

 that these bald spots had disappeared. I was led to look more closely and 

 continuously, and saw a few left, but greatly diminished in extent, and 

 some mere dots between growing trees. At last I discovered mountain 

 sides covered with a very small growth of trees, mere shrubs in size. The 

 last time my attention was given, I saw one large space of mountain side 

 covered with the small flat stones before described, and in it here and there 

 a single sapling or shrub or two standing alone, proving that from leaves 

 or other vegetable matter deposited by the winds, soil had begun to be 

 formed, and vegetation to grow. From what I have noticed of other 

 stony mountain sides covered with large timber, along the same valley, 

 I conclude that there was a time when all these mountains were similar 

 rocky, and stony surfaces, bare of all vegetation, and left by the convul- 

 sions of nature just as she cast them up. 



I am very truly yours, 



DANIEL AGNEW. 



Hon. Eli K. Prick. 



Beaver, August 26, 1878. 



My Dear Sir : — On my return by the Pennsylvania Railroad last week I 

 discovered at several places ', lie evidence of the fact I stated to you las I 

 winter in regard to the growth of timber on the bald stony surface of the 

 Allegheny Mountains. I am now perfectly satisfied of the truth of my sug- 

 gestions. I saw distinctly tic remaining uncovered surface as of com- 

 minuted stone in patches small and great, the young growths of shrubs 

 and sapling interspersed, with here and there one shrub in a bare patch, 

 indicating the beginning of covering and the different stages of progress. 



The first point I noticed was about seven or eight miles west of Mifflin 

 — the second at 161st mile to Pittsburgh— the third at 152d mile to Pitts- 



