MAKYLAXD GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 221 



which have been seeded by the scrub pine. Hence in many of the 

 open hardwood stands are found scattering pine trees of good size, 

 giving rise to mixed forests of pine and hardwoods. 



The Forest Types. 



At first the forests were ahnost universally of the mixed hardwood 

 type, but under the process of natural agricultural development, 

 there has been evolved two other types, namely, the pure pine type 

 and the hardwood-pine type. 



The present condition of the forests can, therefore, be more con- 

 veniently treated under these three type classes. 



MIXED HARDWOOD TYPE. 



This type comprises 72 per cent, of the total woodland area, or 

 91,224 acres. The main features are the great variety of tree 

 species represented, and the wide range of soils on which they occur. 

 The composition of the type varies widely with the moisture condi- 

 tions and consequently two sub-types may be distinguished — the 

 upland and the swamp. 



The Upland Sub-type is found on well-drained soils and consti- 

 tutes much the larger percentage of the mixed hardwoods. There 

 is also a larger representation of valuable species in this class than is 

 found in the swamp-type. On the other hand, the better soils of the 

 swamp (unless very wet) produce a thriftier growth of timber; and 

 the greater freedom from fires, insures a sounder grade of wood. 

 Representative stands in the two sub-types are shown in the accom- 

 panying tables. 



PURE PINE TYPE. 



Pure pine stands are found in the northern, southeastern and south- 

 western sections of the County. The two pines represented are the 

 scrub pine and the pitch pine. The pitch pine occurs occasionally 

 on sandy soils along the edges of swamps, but never in sufficient num- 

 bers to constitute a stand ; hence as a commercial tree it may be dis- 



