206 



em scrub pine and white pine, but often after a tree lias attained consid- 

 erable size and apparently firmly rooted, the crust of the surface is broken 

 slightly in some manner, or the grasses and other protecting plants are 

 burned and the wind again gets free action on the bare surface and the 

 sand is moved along and the trees uiirooted. On the other hand, the sand 

 often drifts about a tree and wholly or partly covers the tree. If the toi) 

 of the living tree be found to be projecting from a dune it is a good 

 evidence of a recently constructed dune. In most cases the trees are dead, 

 and after the twigs and limlis become brittle or decayed, they are broken 

 from the main I)ranches or trunk and lilown away. The wind then agaii 

 begins its wf»rk, and as new parts of the tree are exposed the process 

 continues and the sand once present has constructed new hills or ridges 

 and the resurrected tree witli only the trunk and larger brandies stands 

 as a marker of the former location of the sand. 



Animal life is rare in the dune region. Vegetation is too scarce to 

 furnish a sufficient sujiply of food. In (he area (piiet prevails but work is 

 constantly going on, the surface is always iH'ing modified. 



2. TJic tSand -hills mid I'luins. This area in a very general way com- 

 prises the tract of sniui to tlic soutli of llu' priiciiial dune ansa e.xtendiu'.; 

 to the scnithern limit of tiie Kankakee marshes, and east to the gravelly 

 moraines. The term "saiid-liill" is used to (Icscrild" ridges and uneven 

 tracts of sand not in motion. (Mtbcr on account of p.-irtial consolidation, or 

 because the sands are li.xed by a natural growth of vegetation. 



In addition to the sand-<lune .ind sand-hill areas, large tracts of sand 

 are conunon, the surface of which is very even. Such areas occur usually 

 in connection with the dune or iiill areas, but are desiguat(><l as "sand- 

 plains" or "sand-prairies." Such areas also occur along the old flood 

 plains of rivers. Some of the best agricultural lands, and especially for 

 the growing of small fruit. ;ire found in tlicsi> level sand tracts. The sand 

 u.sually carries a large pen cntage of organic matter, and retains moisture 

 sufficiently well to instire good yields except in times of long continued 

 drought. The dry gi owing .season of T.ill was a severe test on such soils. 

 Sand-plains vary in size from tlie low narrow swales between dunes and 

 ridges to areas many square miles in e.xtent. 



In the area under consideration the sand ridges and hills (X'cupy south- 

 eastern Starke, the greater jiart of I'ulaski and the central portion of 

 Jasper and Newton Counties; all of which lie southeast of the Kankaketi 



