86 



PLANT LIKK <)K ALABAMA. 



suulhi'iii stutioii, reduced to a shrul)l>y urowtli. A jx'culiiir torni of 

 Ahim' jiiihriti (\iir. I< iuu'.sKerii.sif<) fouiid l»y Dr. Short in Kentucky, 

 ju'cordine" to 1 )r. Small, with Iliin/iriui Jiixjuda /il/xiitlcaidlK^ iidiahits 

 the d('e])ly shach'd, daiuj) roeky shelves and clefts with L'yxUtpteris 

 fragillx, and the delicate fronds of the Northern ( 'ijstopter!^ huJhlfera 

 with the Soiithei'ii maidenhair { .\(lliiiifi(m cdjull us-rtiirrlx) overhaiijj 

 dri])pin«i' rocks. 



\ K(iI-ri'.\Tlt).\ dl" IIIK LOWLANDS, COVIOS, AM) MUFF'S. 



Mesojfhlli'fori'xf.— '&onXh of tiie Tennessee liixcr the lowlands border- 

 ing Catoa, Flint, and Big Nancy creeks are covered with extensive 

 hardwood forests. The dense tree cover consists chiefly of cow oak, 

 Texas oak, willow oak, Spanish oak, and more sparingly of mocker- 

 nut hickory, beech, and white ash, with hornbeam, papaw, deciduous 

 holly {Ilex decidud), and liawthorns {Cr<it<ir</itx ap'iifoJ'm^ 61 eru><-<f<dU., 

 C. sjMt/iidata)j connnon in damp fresh soils, as undergrowth. 



The cow oak abounds in the bottoms along the streams in the per- 

 fection of its growth, tre(>s from 80 to 40 inches in diameter not l)eing 

 rare. Three tret's felled, representative of the average size of this 

 valual)le hardwood timber, showed the following dimensions: 



THmensiotifi imd age of roir out tinifier. 



The Texas oak or Southern red oak, the frequent companion of the 

 above, is often found from 2i to 3 feet in diameter and from 80 to 100 

 feet in height, dimensions attained at an age of from 150 to 175 years. 

 The timber of the Southern red oak is considered little inferior to that 

 of the white oak. 



White ash {Fraximis ame)'icana) is found scattered throughout the 

 forest, particularly along the base of the declivities bordering the low- 

 lands. Trees from 2i to 3 feet in diameter have been observed in the 

 valleys, as well as occasionally in other localities, extending to the 

 border of the Louisianian area. Not being of gregarious habit, this 

 tree is not abundant in an}' localit3^ 



The benches of the Mountain Limestone which form the terraces of 

 the wide fertile coves surrounding the head waters of the streams 

 named are covered by a deep fresh soil rich in humus, productive of 

 an excellent timber growth. On these terraces oaks predominate, 

 and, above all, the white oak (in this region called ridge white oak to 

 distinguish it from the swamp w hite oak or cow oak), together with 



