FOREST CONDITIONS OF MISSISSIPPI. 9 



Northeast Mississippi is a region of high, abrupt hills. 

 The hard limestone and sandstone rocks of the carboni- 

 ferous geological period form great outcrops through the 

 region. The ridge dividing the waters of the Tennessee 

 River from those of the Tombigbee has an average altitude 

 above sea level of 600 feet. The broad valley of the Tom- 

 bigbee River lying west of the Tennessee River hills is 

 commonly known as the Black Prairie. The wedge-shaped 

 Pontotoc Ridge extends from northeastern Alcorn County 

 to central Chickasaw County, and separates the fertile 

 prairie region on the east from the poor, post oak flatwoods 

 on the west. It is characterized by the red soils of the 

 Lafayette formation. West of the Pontotoc Ridge the 

 flatwoods extend southeastward in a narrow strip of 

 gently undulating land to the Sucamoochee River in 

 Kemper County. 



The north central part of the State is a large plateau 

 sloping gently southwestward. Many streams have carved 

 deep, narrow valleys through the unconsolidated materials 

 which form this plateau. Its western border is sharply 

 defined by the high line of loess bluffs which extend in a 

 great inward curve from Vicksburg to Memphis, enclosing 

 the great flood plain of the Mississippi River known as 

 the Yazoo Delta. The whole southern part of the State 

 constitutes the longleaf pine region. Its topography is 

 for the most part very similar to that of the north central 

 plateau. The large streams also flow in deep, narrow val- 

 leys, and the small streams are short and have steep gradi- 

 ents. The roughest country lies west of the Pearl River, 

 where interstream areas have a maximum elevation of 

 600 feet. 



Climate. — Mississippi lies wholly within the warm tem- 

 perate zone. The summers are long and warm and the 

 winters mild, except for occasional short cold snaps. The 

 average growing season for field crops is" seven months, 

 while forest trees often grow during eight months. Live- 

 stock can graze m the bottom-land woods during the entire 

 year. 



The annual precipitation, which is almost entirely in 



