The Plains/ 



The East or Lower Plains are situated for the most part in 

 Burlington county, between Tuckerton and the East Branch of 

 the Wading river. The West or Upper Plains lie nearly north 

 of the East Plains, and are separated from them by this stream. 

 The former cover 7,737 and the latter 6,662 acres. 



The land is rolling, with high ridges and deep ravines. On 

 the ridges the soil is a coarse, gravelly sand ; in the hollows 

 chiefly sand also, but rather fine in grain. The upper soil is 

 extremely dry, and in places there is a hard subsoil at a depth 

 of one to two feet. 



The Plains are for the most part covered with a small and 

 ragged growth of Pitch Pine, Scrub and Black Jack Oaks, Lau- 

 rel, Bearberry and other small plants of the Heath family. The 

 Pine and Oak are of three descriptions : ist, a stunted, prostrate 

 growth from two to four feet in height, which covers by far the 

 largest part of the Plains ; 2d, Pine from six to fourteen feet in 

 height, very stunted and branching nearly to the ground, with a 

 growth of Scrub Oak below. This growth covers a compara- 

 tively small part of the Plains. In many cases fire has killed 

 the trees, and there is but little young sprout growth corning up, 

 but where the land has not been burned so severely young 

 shoots are abundant ; 3d, the large Pine, from fourteen to 

 twenty-five feet in height, usually very crooked and scrubby, 

 with a thick growth of Scrub Oak underneath. This growth is 

 rare, and is found only in deep ravines or on the edge of Cedar 

 swamps. 



In many cases the Plains are terminated abruptly by large 

 timber. Often, however, the growth merges gradually into that 

 of the surrounding forest. In this case the Pine becomes pro- 

 gressively more erect, the soil takes on a covering of dry-land 

 moss, humus, and shrubs, and the trees finally reach the size 

 characteristic of the surrounding country. 



* This description is from the Annual Report of the State Geologist for 1898, and is by Gifford Pinchot. 



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