[29] 



southern counties, which still contain vast quantities of oak, 

 cherry and poplar. The black walnut found scattered every- 

 where in West Virginia is least plentiful in the north-western and 

 Ohio River counties, and most abundant along the upper waters 

 of the rivers flowing into the Ohio through the south-western 

 part of the State. Yellow poplar is found throughout the State 

 and is still abundant about the head waters of nearly all the prin- 

 cipal streams. Large bodies of cherry are found in Greenbrier, 

 Nicholas, Webster and other counties immediately west of the 

 mountains, and a large amount of hemlock is scattered through 

 the valleys and ravines of the north-eastern part of the State and 

 along the western slopes of the Alleghanies." 



Entering into fuller detail* many species of oaks are common 

 in Eastern Virginia ; of these may be mentioned the white oak, 

 ^uercus alba^ the chestnut oak, ^uercus prinus^ the pin oak, 

 ^uercus palustris^ the post oak, J^uercus obtusiloba the black- 

 jack oak, ^uercus nigra^ the Spanish oak, ^tiercus falcata and 

 the less abundant ^uercus bicolor^ the beautiful swamp white 

 oak. Hickories {Caryd) are abundant, and, as we have seen, the 

 poplar or tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera^ which in the 

 mountain region attains a great height, and the black walnut, 

 Juglans nigra^ are well known. Among other common trees 

 may be mentioned the chestnut, Castanea vtdgaris var. Ameri- 

 cana, the beech, Fagus ferruginea^ the red and white maples, 

 Acer rubrum and dasycarpuvi^ the sycamore, Platanus occi- 

 dentalism the birch, Betula nigra, the gum, JVyssa multijioram 

 the sweet gum, Liquidatiibar styracijiuam the locust, Robinia 

 pseudacacia^ whicli is said to reach its greatest development on 

 the western slopes of the mountains of West Virginia, the yellow 

 pine, Pinus mitis^ and the persimmon, f Diospyros virginiana. 

 Of the smaller trees, the dogwood Corniis Florida and the red- 



*See also Bulletin N. 22 U. S. Nat. Miiseinn, p. 48. 



fCapt. John Smith's description of the persimmon has been often quoted. 

 Strachey gives the following: " They have a plonib which they call pessemmins, 

 like to a medler, in England, but of a deeper tawnie cullour; they grow on a 

 most high tree. When they are not fully ripe, they are harsh and choakie, and 

 furre in a man's mouth like allam, howtatit, being taken fully ripe, yt is a 

 reasonable pleasant fruict, somewhat hishjous. I have seen ourpeople putthem 

 into their baked and sodden ptiddings ; there be whose tast allowes them 

 to be as pretious as the English apricock ; I confesse it is a good kind of horse 

 plomb." (The Historic of travaile, etc., p. 118.) 



