96 Journal of the Mitchell Society [Nov. 



few words must suffice. While passing' through the dryer 

 and hotter coastal plane, you will notice that nearly all the 

 shrubs are confined to the swamps, bogs and low grounds. In 

 the dry sandhills grow scarcely any shrubs, the few perennial 

 plants that grow there, except trees, are particularly pro- 

 tected against desiccation by fleshy leaves and stems or large 

 underground stems or roots where water can be stored. Such 

 are red root or Jersey tea, a shrub with large roots, the cactus 

 with fleshy jointed stems, yucca with thick fleshy leaves, 

 queen's delight with fleshy stems and leaves. Though these 

 have only a shallow rooting system, they can store up water 

 in wet seasons and use it when dry. The great majority of 

 shrubs are not strongly protected against desiccation and 

 with their shallow rooting systems must suffer or even perish 

 in dry weather unless growing in swampy situations or, as 

 here in the mountains, in a less trying climate. 



A saturated soil contains very little air and is not suitable 

 for plants witli deep root systems. Only trees with highly 

 specialized roots, such as black gum and cypress and juniper 

 can overcome the disadvantages of such conditions. Their 

 roots are furnished with large air chambers, which enable the 

 air to pass down from above. These air spaces make the roots 

 so light that when we were boys we used them for corks. Trees 

 without deep roots will be blown down, but shrubs are not 

 much exposed and are therefore better fitted to live in 

 swamps where the surface roots are a great advantage. 



As I was walking about here yesterday, I was reminded 

 of an English woman who visited our states about 85 years 

 ago. She was Mrs. Trollope, the mother of Anthony Trol- 

 lope, the famous English novelist. I do not know why she 

 came, and from her l)()()k on "Domestic Manners of the Am- 

 ericans" I think she M'as sorry that she did. Even after so 

 long a time it will pay us to read this book, although we have 

 outgrown many of the worst vulgarities of those days. The 

 only passage in the book that expresses unmodified enthusi- 

 asm and enjoyment was that in which she refers to her trip 

 through the nioiintains. She passed through Virginia at the 



