-^ [Sept. 20, 



burgh— the fourth 140th mile to Pittsburgh, and the fifth jusl east of the 

 Spruce Creek Tunnel. 



An examination of these places I have no doubt will show them to be 

 constantly arising. 



Yours Truly, &c, 



DANIEL AGNEW. 

 HON. ELI K. PKICE, Philadelphia, Pa. 



West Chester Co., Penna., August 29, 1878. 



My Dear Mr. Price: — Your letter was received yesterday. Owing to 

 the work constantly pressing me I have been unable to gel away morethan 

 four days this summer. During that time I passed (in train) along tin- 

 line of the Pennsylvania Central Railroad and in the narrows of the Ju- 

 niata between Mifflin and Lewistown, and my attention was called to the fact 

 that on a number of rocky places all the timber was small and of recent 

 growth. This is at or near the places mentioned by Chief Justice Agnew, 

 and in so far may lie regarded as confirming his views, when taken in 

 connection with the fact that extensive and destructive conflagrations ap- 

 pear to be less frequent there than formerly. Being raised in that region, 

 I can remember when for miles the mountain sides each year were a line of 

 tiie. Though I have not been there of late years much of my time, I 

 still feel justified in the statement that such events are now of rare occur- 

 rence. Fires doubtless do originate each year along the line of the Railroad, 

 but they do not appear to spread far and wide as before. 



Touching the motion of the rocks as preventing growth ; I can only 

 give as an instance the old mountain road between McVeytown and Kisha- 

 coquillas Valley. This ran through some of the most rocky places in the 

 region, and where the slope was very steep, and indeed almost undermined 

 them on tins upper side. For years this road was pracLically abandoned, 

 at least no work was done upon it. I do not remember the place where the 

 rocks had slidden enough to close the road. Indeed these very places were 

 favorite places of growth for the Purple Flowering Raspberry (Bubus >>>!"r 

 atus) and the Hydrangea arboresc/ns. Motion here must have been very 

 slight. 



It is a source of greal regret to me that I have not been able to take the 

 time to go into a full investigation of this matter. As it is one of interest, 

 and closely associated with my line of work. I believe that the large rocks 

 allowing the snow and rain to find its way readily to a considerable depth 

 have also favored carrying the soil in the same direction (and then away . 

 Professor Bayden alluding to similar places in ouv western domain, offers 

 this as an explanation of the scarcity of large t rees there. 



Very sincerely Yours, 



J. T. ROTHROCK. 



