110 PLANT LIFE OF ALABAMA. 



in t\\*- timos t>f tho heaviest freshets, is covered with a valuable bard- 

 wood timber growth of cow oak. Spanish oak. Texa-s or Southern 

 red «»ak. white :ish. honey locust, and mockernut hickory, destined to 

 furnish lar«:e .-upplies for the future. On the ahno>t pt'rixtually 

 submerjTpd l»nks of both of these rivers a fine tirnVK-r growth of Irald 

 ♦ vpress frerjuently forms brakes of <onsiderable extent, occasionally 

 arromijanied f»y the tu|>'l«» j^uin. 



It can \)f safely asserted that fully one-half of the area of this region 



i.s under «ov«'r of the long-leaf pine, and that in their timber wealth 



these forests surpa-^s by far the pine forests of the lower diWsion of 



the Maritime Pine belt From estimates made in varioas districts it 



- that fully «^.0<X» feet of merchantable timber can be with safety 



1 as the average yield per acre. 



JIe>>r/pM/e hertmceoHH plant (Ussociatiorvf. — The following herbaceoiLs 

 plants, extending hither from the mountain region, tind here their 

 southern limits: 

 f'nltimcarpum lijf/nL Frfutera carfAineron». 



' Physali^ Virginian 



Ariaaema dracvntiui/i. 



Yinc^tor-ic'/m hil/hnhio, one of the rarest of Southern plants, else- 

 where known only from a few localities in middle Georgia and Texas, 

 and Tfujlicium cUhile are thas far known in Alabama only in this 

 region. 



Ctdturfilphiritforrnotwn^. — In its cultural plant formations this region 

 differs but slightly from the next region. The rich hill prairies, cal- 

 f.-areoas uplands, formerly l>earing a mixed growth of pines and decidu- 

 ous trees, as well as the f>ottom lands, are for the most part devoted to 

 the cultivation of cotton. larger or smaller patches of tropical sugar 

 cane are cultivated on almost every farm. Corn, oats, and sweet 

 potatoes and other rrx)t crops are i*aised to supply the home demand. 

 Less attention is paid to the raising of forage crops, the cattle being 

 left to shift for themselves throughout the year among the hills. In 

 the northern part the peach is raised in perfection, ripening its fruit 

 from the middle of May to August. Grapes can be harvested in July 

 and August, and strawV>erries are marketed in the first weeks of ApriL 

 The lig also bears abundantly. 



I/.'A-f:f' r,rvr-rf,\- of THE COAST PIXE BELT, OK LOWER REGION OF UJN'O-LEAF PINE. 



Pfiyawgraphico-l f endures and climate. 



Ah the Tertiary strata disappear under the heavy beds of sands and 

 gravels of more recent formations, the topography of the country 

 >>ecomes more uniform, the broad ridges spread out into slightlv 

 undulating table-lands, which become somewhat broken in their descent 

 to the drainage channels. The rolling pine uplands rise gradually to 



