22 REPORT ON THE TIMBERS OF THE 
considerable part of its course the creek is not large enough 
to float out timber, and even where it is large enough, the 
sluggishness of its waters is a practical difficulty. 
After crossing Mayfield creek, there is a stretch of country 
about ten miles across, between Mayfield and Clinton, which 
is very hilly, and whose timbers are not valuable. They con- 
sist nearly altogether of black oak, Spanish oak. black hickory, 
post oak, and black-jack. Very little white oak is found and 
less liriodendron. This lasts until the head waters of Skegg’s 
Fork and of Bowen’s creek are reached. South of this strip 
of comparatively valueless timbers, however, there is a section 
-of country whose forests are very fine: I mean that belt of 
country comprising the numerous creeks that form the head 
waters of Mayfield creek and North Fork of Obion river. 
This section, about fifteen miles square, is a perfect net-work 
of creeks, no less than eighteen of which flow across it in 
some way or other. The timbers along these head-water 
creeks are very heavy and dense, and the white oak, lirio- 
dendron, hickories, etc., are of the finest. Here, too, are 
found the most valuable old forest walnut trees to be met 
with in the Purchase. Bayou de Chien creek heads in near 
this section also, and contains along its bottoms a valuable 
body of timbers, similar to those of Mayfield creek and Clark 
river. 
Going farther north again, about ten miles from Mayfield, 
toward Dublin, one enters upon a tract of country where the 
‘surface gravel wholly disappears, and is found at a depth 
varying from twenty to forty feet. Here the general forest 
timbers become good again, and pignut hickory and white oak 
extend to the hill-tops. About two miles from Dublin the 
forest is splendid, and furnishes white oak, liriodendron, hick- 
ories, white elm, black locust, redbud, etc. On the high hills 
black oak, Spanish oak, and red oak are found. The white 
oak through here forms fully forty per cent. of the forest tim- 
‘bers. Turning northward from Clinton, the timbers remain 
about the same as those between Dublin and Clinton until 
North Fork of Obion river is reached. Here the white oak, 
“158 
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