’GREENUP, CARTER, BOYD AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES. 15 
partly to exposure to sweeping winds, and partly to the rocky 
character of the ridges on which it abounds. Further back in 
the country, and especially as noted on Laurel Mountain, where 
it is abundant over the greater part of the slope, the chestnut 
oak is not inferior in height to any of the oaks. While this is 
suggestive as to the cause of the disparity in height noted in 
the field covered by this report, it also gives rise to questions 
relating to its distribution, questions which may, however, with 
the suggestion, be left for further investigation. 
The post oak (Q. obtustloba, Michx.), a tree of medium size, 
is less abundant. It is found in various exposures in scattered 
growth. Its wood is very close, hard, and durable. 
The other oaks noted, but which, for want of accurate dis- 
tinction in some of the counts, are thrown together in the 
tables, are the red oak (Q. rubra, L.), which is abundant in many 
places. It reaches dimensions scarcely less imposing than 
those of the white and black oak. 
The Spanish oak (Q. falcata, Michx.), which occurs mostly 
as second growth, but also as large trees, especially in Law- 
rence county. 
The laurel oak (Q. zmbrecaria, Michx.) also occurs in small 
size at a number of. points in each county. Along Blain, and 
especially for some distance above the Falls, trees of large size 
are found. | 
The black jack or barren oak (Q. zzgrva, L.) occurs in various 
‘exposures, but mostly on the more barren and rocky slopes. 
The oaks constitute about forty-two per cent. of the forest 
Fees. 
The beech (Fagus ferruginea, Art.) ranks with the chestnut 
oak in abundance; but in distribution it is quite unlike that 
tree, being found mostly along the foot of the hills. It some- 
times becomes prominent well up the slope, and not unfre- 
quently occurs in scattered growth along the highest ridges. 
It often shows a diameter of three feet, and is on many ac- 
counts one of the most interesting trees in this section. 
The maple is also abundant in some valleys, having a range 
mot unlike the beech. The sugar tree or rock maple (Acer 
15 
