68 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



where the road runs through, with its white bridge spanning the 



dark tea-Hke water of the stream ; the refreshing draught of the 



water itself, always palatable in spite of its dark color; the 



fragrance of the magnolia, azalea and clethra, and the beauties 



of the ever attractive pine barren flowers, all tend to obliterate 



* . 

 the memory of clouds of mosquitos and dripping perspiration 



and draw the naturalist back again and again to this wonderful 



wilderness. 



The streams of the pine barrens are navigable by canoe, and 

 many a trip has been made over their dark waters. One of these 

 is admirably described by Henry Vandyke in his delightful 

 sketch "Between the Lupin and the Laurel," and in it the reader 

 will find an excellent account of the pine barrens in spring time.* 



As one enters the Pine Barrens from the agricultur-'^l region 

 of Western Jerse}-, the most striking feature, apart from the 

 Pines themselves, is the continuous shrubby undergrowth of 

 Bracken Pteridium aquilinmn. Sweet Fern Coniptonia aspleni- 

 folia and Chain Fern Woodzvardia virginica. Then the absence 

 of such familiar trees as the Wild Cherry Primus serotina. Sweet 

 Gum Liquidambar styraciflna, Willow Oak Quercus phcllos, etc., 

 and the presence of White Birch Betula alba, and the abundance 

 of Sassafras Sassafras sassafras, Sour Gum Nyssa sylz'atica. 

 Chestnut Oak Quercus prinus and the Scrub Oaks Q. ilicifolia, 

 marylandica and primoides. The White Oak Q. alba. Black Oak 

 Q. vchitina and Post Oak 0. stellafa, occur in the outlying por- 

 tions of the Pine Barrens or locally throughout, but the first two 

 are often rare over large areas. 



The abundant pine is the Pitch Pine Pinus rigida. The YelloAv 

 Pine Pinus echinata occurs, locally, sometimes in large tracts, but 

 in other sections is absent. 



The forests of the Pine Barrens to-day present considerable 

 diversity, due to the inroads of fire and axe, and my efforts to 

 ascertain from old residents just what the primitive condition was 

 have resulted in such contradictory information that I am in 

 doubt as to just what should be said on the matter. f 



*Cf. also Gustave Kobbe. "The New Jersey Coast and Pines. '" C. C. 

 Abbott, "Days Out of Doors." 



t Cf. for detailed discussion of N. J. Forests. Cf. Reports in Ann. Rept. 

 State Geologist. 



