Proceedings of the Ohio State Academy of Science 249 



been eliminated by natural processes when the white man came 

 into the area. 



As soon as a given level of the lake gave way to a new and 

 lower level, the deserted beach, as w'ell as the area recently cov- 

 ered by deep water, were spread over by plants in their normal 

 struggle. From the standpoint of the farmer, the plant history 

 of this land is of importance. Residual rock alone does not 

 make a fertile farm. He ploughs the soil which is reduced rock 

 plus the remains of organisms; usually the more of this latter 

 addition the better is his soil. A ridge inhospitable to plants is 

 made artificially hospitable to crops only with the greatest of 

 labor. 



Beach societies were never prolific, for here flora always 

 has a struggle and even after the withdrawal of the water in- 

 suring a static condition of the beach, the plant societies multi- 

 plied very slowly. For this reason humus accumulated slowly. 

 Relatively, then, beaches were never fertile. The sand areas al- 

 ways associated with beaches, either through the development of 

 .spits, cusps, or deltas, have a more abundant flora, in consequence 

 of wdiich they have become richer for cultivation. The prolific 

 plant life of lagoons develops an almost ideal soil. Many la- 

 goons are found about the angles of embayments and between 

 barriers and shores ; these make rich lands. 



Another relation of these shore lines, passive but of im- 

 portance in the development of the region, is seen in their use 

 by the Indian for trails and the white man for highways. In 

 consequence of this influence, the farms front the shore-ridges, 

 and the houses, in general, are placed on the front-slope where 

 quick and effective drainage is best assured. The shape of the 

 older farms, longer or shorter as the shores converge or diverge, 

 again shows an influence of these successive lake levels. 



Furthermore, there is observed in the agricultural evolu- 

 tion of this region a tardy adaptation to natural conditions. The 

 first farmers here were emigrants from New England and car- 

 ried on general farming, extensive in its application. Land was 

 cheap and there was plenty of it ; population was sparse, hence 

 markets were limited. Only the old staple lines of grains and 



