154 College of Forestry. 
debris is put down by the heath-shrub and the open pine stand 
but apparently it is so thoroughly broken up by decomposition 
organisms that as in soils of arid regions, the accumulation 
of characteristically black or brown humus material is not 
noteworthy. In any event such soils are to be regarded only 
as temporarily barrens. In any scheme for making them pro- 
ductive in the long run it is my opinion that a forest growth 
would be the most effective, but on the other hand 
intensive cultivation — truck and small fruit farming — has 
been shown to be profitable on certain of the sandy soils — 
e. @., the Syracuse area. Recalling the experience of farmers 
in the sandy area east of Phoenix, where it is stated that the 
sale of chestnuts yields a larger return than from all other 
farming operations, emphasis was earlier put upon the fine 
quality of trees grown on this soil. Viewing the matter from 
the farm-yield side, it may be said that the experience simply 
demonstrates the unfitness of these sands for ordinary farm- 
ing because of both lack of fertility and of moisture holding 
capacity. 
General Relations of the Sand Barren Vegetation. 
Ecologically considered —1i. e., as a stage of vegetation or 
association of plants adapted to certain prevailing xerophytie 
soil conditions — the pine barrens of Suffolk County, Long 
Island, appear to be identical with the Mohawk, Plattsburg 
and Carthage barrens. Indeed the dominant species are the 
same or equivalent, notably pitch pine, sweet fern, heath- 
shrubs, ete. A, closer floristic comparison would no doubt 
show first, more species common to all, second, that the floris- 
tic differences are correlated with zonal differences. Thus, 
dwarf chestnut oak (Quercus prinoides Willd.) and bear oak 
(Quercus ilicifolia Wang.) which I did not find at Platts- 
burg are abundant in the Albany barrens and again in the 
Suffolk County barrens. It is only a step further, then, to 
suggest that the same ecological relation and a correspond- 
ingly differing floristic (zonal) relation exists between all 
these areas and the pine barrens of New Jersey. 
