206 



orn scrut) i)iii(' iiiid white piiic. hut often Mfter ;i tree hi\s attained consid- 

 erable size and apiiarently lirniiy rooted, tlie crust of the sm-face is broken 

 slightly in some manner, or the .ucrasses and odicr protecting plants are 

 burned and the wind again gets free action on th(> l)are surface and the 

 sand is moved along and the trees niirooted. On ihc other hand, the sand 

 often drifts about a tree and wholly or partly covers the tree. If the toi) 

 of the living tree be found to be iirojecting from a dune it is a good 

 evidence of a recently constructed dune. In most cases the trees are dead, 

 and after the twigs and linil)s become brittle or decayed, they are broken 

 from the nmin branches or trunk and blown away. The wind then agai;i 

 begins its work, and as new jiai-fs of the tree are exposed the juocess 

 continues and the sand once present has constructed new hills or ridges 

 and the resurrected tree with only the trunk and larger branches stands 

 as a marker of tiie former local ion of the s.-ind. 



Animal life is rare in the dune region. Vegetation is too scarce to 

 furnish a suflicient sujiply of food. In the area (|uiet i)revails but work is 

 constantly going on, the sni'face is always jieiiig modified. 



2. The Xdiid-hills (iiid /'hiiiis. — 'I'his area in a \ cry general way com- 

 prises the tract of sand to the south of the iirii;ci]ial dune aiea extendin,' 

 to the southern limit of the Kaidcakee marshes, and east to the gravelly 

 moraines. The term "sand-hill" is used to describe ridges and uneven 

 tracts of sand not in motion, either on account of partial consolidation, or 

 because tlie sands are lixed by a natural growth of vegetation. 



In addition to the sand-dune and sand-hill areas, large tracts of sand 

 are common, the surface of which is v( ry even. Such areas o<-cur usually 

 in connection with the dune or hill areas, hul are designated as "sand 

 plains" or "sand-pi'airies." Such areas also occur along the i>ld Hood 

 plains of rivers. Some of the best agricultui'al lands, and especially for 

 tlie growing of small fruit, are found in these level sand tracts. The sand 

 usually cai'ries a large iiercentage of organic matter, and retains nioisturv' 

 sufficiently well to insure good yields exceiit in limes of long continued 

 drought. The dry growing season of I'.HI was .1 severe test on such soils. 

 Sand-plains wary in size from the low nari'ow swales betwi'i'u dunes and 

 ridges to areas many S(piare miles in extent. 



In tlie area undei- consideration the sand ridges and hills occupy stuitli 

 eastern Starke, the greatei' part of rnl.aski and llie centi-al portion of 

 Jasper and Xewton Counties; all of which lie southeast of the Kankakee 



